11… I will go with ten and then provide a few others to pick the 11th from. Top Tens are tricky but I love creating them especially when there is so much material to choose from. The challenge though is that you are invariably forced to leave out players with amazing quality.
In terms of national squads (not necessarily league strength) Germany - and I include West Germany of the Cold War Era - has had more success than any other European nation. Four World Cups and Three European Championships. This combined haul puts them ahead of nearest rivals Italy, France and Spain.
So here is my Top Ten
But before I begin I have to admit that I have a bias towards players from 1970 onwards. Older generation fans of Helmut Haller, Fritz Walter and Helmut Rahn would likely object to this list.
Franz Beckenbauer - One of the game;s greatest ever. source: Quotes on: Franz Beckenbauer
- Franz Beckenbauer - Before Francesco Baresi, Laurent Blanc and Virgil van Dijk there was Der Kaiser. He literally created the role of the sweeper and was the forerunner of the modern defender. Beckenbauer ranks in the Top Ten of all credible GOAT lists and won every honour at both club and national level. Later on he managed the West German squad to World Cup victory in 1990. Main Club: Bayern Munich
- Gerhard "Gerd" Müller - Nicknamed Der Bomber. Müller stands out today as the Bubdesliga’s most prolific scoring machine.398 goals for his club Bayern Munich in 453 games, His goal ratio for West Germany was even more impressive, 68 in 62 games. He was king of the six-yard strike and was clinical in his finishing. Not bad for a player who was only 5 ft 9 in tall. Main Club: Bayern Munich
- Lothar Matthäus - Matthäus started his career with Borussia Moenchengladbach but had two key spells with Bayern Munich. He was a leader on and off the pitch and could play both midfield and sweeper. On the national level he represented his country an incredible 150 times captaining West Germany’s 1990 World Cup Winning team and playing in five World Cups (1982–1998). At age 38, in 1999, he was voted Germany’s player of the year. Main Clubs: Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayern Munich
- Karl-Heinz Rummenigge - KHR or Kallie as he was known was another Great German striker who was the mainstay of the West German attack in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He could dribble and shoot, scoring 162 goals for Bayern Munich in 310 games. He later played in Italy for Inter Milan. Nationally Rummenigge netted 45 times in 95 games. Main Clubs: Bayern Munich and Inter Milan (short spell).
- Jürgen Klinsmann - Klinsmann had spells with several clubs scoring 232 goals in five different leagues (total games 514). He was the quintessential poaching striker who scored 48 goals for Germany in 107 games. English fans remember him well for the dynamism he added to the Tottenham Hotspurs attack in the mid 1990s. Main Clubs: VfB Stuttgart, Inter Milan, As Monaco, Tottenham and Bayern Munich. (Picture below -Klinsmann in action..source Jürgen Klinsmann set for new Hertha Berlin role | DW | 08.11.2019)
6. Klaus Fischer - Fischer was an exciting striker known for his bicycle kick. He played for several cllubs although his best years were with FC Schalke 04 a team that he would later manage. In terms of goals he scored 268 in 535 games at club levels plus 32 goals in 45 games for West Germany. Only Gerd Müller has scored more goals in the Bundesliga. Main Clubs: FC Schalke 04 + FC Koln.
7. Oliver Kahn - It is tough choosing Germany’s best goalkeeper. I almost flipped a coin between Oliver Kahn and Manuel Neuer. However Kahn was a rock between the post. He was awarded the title of the Bundesliga’s top goalkeeper seven times, took the European goalkeeping award four times and was on two occasions a third place finisher for the Ballon D’Or. He helped a mediocre German National teams play beyond themselves earning 86 national caps to add to his 429 appearances for Bayern Munich. Main Clubs: Karlsruher SC and Bayern Munich.
8. Miroslav Klose - As it stands Klose holds the record for most goals scored in the World Cup. His 16 goals outs him ahead of Ronaldo (15), Müller (13), Just Fontaine (13) and Pele (12). He played for several German clubs plus Lazio in Italy with the most time spent at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. On the national level Klose scored a mammoth 71 goals for Germany in 137 games. His league stats stand at 213 goals scored in 529 games. Main Clubs: 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich and Lazio
9. Uwe Seeler - Seeler was a legend with SV Hamburger. He featured in 476 games for them scoring 406 goals. Most of these goals were scored in the pre-Budesliga era when Hamburger played in the old Oberliga Nord. On the international level he supplied West Germany with 43 goals in 77 games earning his country the runners-up spot in the 1966 World Cup. Main Club: SV Hamburger
10. Manfred Kaltz - Kaltz was the quintessential right back who foreshadowed the modern day position with his crossing ability. He is credited with popularizing the banana kick and played 594 at the senior level scoring 77 goals. Kalttz, who was somewhat of a penalty expert represented West Germany on 69 occasions scoring 8 times. Main Club: Hamburger SV.
Gerd Müller in action against the Dutch. source: Gerd Müller - my hero | DW | 07.10.2015
So there is my list…Who are the notable exceptions?
Well here would be my choices.
11–20 (not in any order): Manuel Neuer, Matthias Sammer, Helmut Rahn, Rudi Völler, Ulrich "Uli" Hoeneß, Thomas Müller, Fritz Walter, Wolfgang Overath and Sepp Maier.
21–30 (not in any order) Bastian Schweinsteger, Oliver Bierhoff, Jupp Heynckes, Andreas Brehme, Mats Hummels, Helmut Haller, Paul Breitner, Philip Lam, Michael Ballack and Harald Schumacher.
Have I missed a few? Probably but that is all part of the fun of these lists.
Sources:
Bundesliga | official website (Player stat)
ndividual Wikipedia page for each top Ten Player.
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