With Serdar, Rösler & Owomoyela
©IMAGO
Who were the last German national players from the current professional clubs? This is clear from the six clubs that sent players to the DFB team during the current international break: FC Bayern and VfB Stuttgart each sent five, BVB two, Frankfurt, Hoffenheim, Leipzig and Augsburg one German national player (to the squad). At least for three other Bundesliga clubs, the last release was not more than a year ago. At many other professional clubs, this has been the case for several decades or sometimes almost a century. We look at the German clubs and reveal the last time they had a German national player in their ranks.
Hertha BSC and Schalke 04 have been waiting for a German national player to play for more than five years. Niklas Stark and Suat Serdar were the last representatives of the two traditional clubs in autumn 2020. At Hannover 96 it was five years longer: Ron-Robert Zieler in November 2015. Bundesliga promoted HSV has not had a German national player in its own team since 2014; Marcell Jansen, who was allowed to play one of the last test matches before the tournament in preparation for the triumphant 2014 World Cup, was the last. Among the current Bundesliga clubs, city rivals FC St. Pauli are the ones whose last nomination was the longest ago, back then with Christian Rahn shortly before his move to HSV. 1. FC Heidenheim is the only current Bundesliga club that has never had a German national player in its squad.
The northern clubs Hansa Rostock and Holstein Kiel also have a special position. FC Hansa is the only current professional club from the former GDR whose last national players – Marko Rehmer and Oliver Neuville in 1999 – played for the all-German selection. At Dynamo Dresden, 1. FC Magdeburg etc. a German national player was recently released for the GDR team. Holstein Kiel, meanwhile, is the one that has been waiting the longest for one of its protégés to be nominated among all current professional clubs in the first three leagues. It has been almost 95 years since Johannes Ludwig and Werner Widmayer were appointed to national coach Otto Nerz’s squad in 1931. Only two current fourth division teams surpass that.
Last DFB nomination per club (first four leagues)
Less than a year ago:
More than a year ago:
More than 5 years ago:
More than 10 years ago:
Marcell Jansen in his last DFB appearance in 2014
More than 15 years ago:
More than 20 years ago:
More than 25 years ago:
More than 35 years ago:
Jürgen Kohler in the DFB jersey in 1987, when he was still under contract in Mannheim
