The latest batch of legends to be inducted into the German Football Hall of Fame have been announced with the newest members including Bastian Schweinsteiger.
The selection process is as follows: “The HALL OF FAME of German football seeks to honour outstanding players and coaches from the men’s and women’s game and cement their status in the historical consciousness of German football. The Hall of Famers are selected by a jury made up of leading German sportswriters and the museum director. Any male or female German player from 1900 to the present day who has been retired for at least five years is eligible for nomination. Particular consideration will be given to players with an exceptional record of performance for the national team before or after the war, for the former DDR national team, and in domestic and international club football.”
Schweinsteiger has been selected due to his contribution at Bayern Munich which saw him win eight Bundesliga titles, seven DFB Pokals, a Champions League and a World Cup.
The other selectees:
Jupp Heynckes: Has been a key piece in German football, not only on the pitch but off it. On the pitch, he was Borussia Mönchengladbach’s main striker in their golden age winning four Bundesliga titles, one DFB Pokal and one UEFA Cup. His performances earned him a place in the famous German sides that won the Euros in 1972 and the World Cup in 1974 but he had to play second fiddle to Gerd Müller.
Otto Rehhagel: Is one of the most underrated managers in German football. During his time in charge of Werder Bremen won two Bundesligas and two DFB Pokals. However, his crowning achievements would be his underdog ones. At Kaiserslautern, he led them to promotion back to the Bundesliga in 1997 before winning the league the season immediately following promotion. While Rehhagel was also the man who led Greece to their unlikely Euro 2004 win in Portugal.
Horst Hrubesch: Was a dominating striker during his time with Hamburg. Hrubesch played an important role in Hamburg’s golden era that saw them win three Bundesligas as well as a European Cup. As a coach he has won the under-21 Euros in 2009 and more recently is in interim charge of the Women’s national team.
Bert Trautmann: Was a goalkeeper who spent his whole career in England with Manchester City playing 545 matches for City.
Guido Buchwald: The defender made his name at VfB Stuttgart, winning the Bundesliga in 1984 and most famously in 1992 when he scored the goal against Bayer Leverkusen that won Stuttgart the league on the final day of the season. Buchwald was also part of the Germany team that won the 1990 World Cup.
The other names already in the hall of fame are: Andreas Brehme, Tina Theune, Silke Rottenberg, Franz Beckenbauer, Nina Künzer, Fritz Walter, Doris Fitschen, Gerd Müller, Steffi Jones, Günter Netzer, Bettina Wiegmann, Helmut Rahn, Renate Lingor, Lothar Matthäus, Silvia Neid, Matthias Sammer, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, Paul Breitner, Birgit Prinz, Sepp Herberger, Heidi Mohr, Sepp Maier, Inka Grings, Rudi Völler, Andreas Möller, Hans-Jürgen Dörner, Helmut Schön, Jürgen Klinsmann, Klaus Fischer, Oliver Kahn, Michael Ballack, Wolfgang Overath, Berti Vogts, Uwe Seeler.
GGFN | Jack Meenan