A Luca Toni double lifted Bayern Munich to a 2-1 German Cup final success after extra-time over Borussia Dortmund in front of 73,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on Saturday.

Toni, revisiting the venue where in 2006 he captured the World Cup with Italy, struck in the 11th minute after being fed the ball by Frank Ribery, the France international who had opposed his teammate in the World Cup final.

That goal appeared to have decided the affair only for Dortmund’s Mladen Petric to snatch an injury time equaliser, to force extra time.

But Toni, who like Ribery joined Bayern last summer, had the last word when he grabbed the winner in the 103rd minute.

This was a final Cup appearance for Bayern talisman Oliver Kahn with the goalkeeper retiring at the end of the season. For him it was a sixth Cup success. This final meanwhile had a special edge to it for Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld as he had a seven year spell as manager of Dortmund.…

A baby-faced member of the German Under-21 side that triumphed at the 2009 European championships, Neuer’s main assets are his sharp reactions and superior distribution by hand or foot.

However, he can suffer lapses in concentration and will come under the spotlight if he replaces the injured Rene Adler. Still, experience will ease his progress and Neuer has certainly improved since he was first called up to the senior national team for a tour of Asia at the end of last season.

He has been with hometown club Schalke since the age of five and likes nothing better than to clamber up the stadium fencing and celebrate a victory with the club’s fans. Schalke coach Felix Magath calls him the ‘public face of the club’, but rumours are rife that he may be on the move soon to Bayern Munich.

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Germany coach Joachim Löw has told Kevin Kuranyi he has no need to worry about his place in the squad for Euro 2008 after the striker returned to form with four goals in one game for Schalke 04 this week.

‘If nothing unforeseen happens, Kevin will be at Euro 2008,’ Löw said in an interview with the Koelner Express newspaper on Thursday.

‘He did go through a weaker phase but over the last few years he’s been convincing for us and always scored goals. He’s a valuable player.’

The 26-year-old striker’s four goals in the 5-0 win over Energie Cottbus on Tuesday were a timely reminder of his worth.

Kuranyi missed the 2006 World Cup after losing form just before the tournament and there had been speculation in the media that history might repeat itself.

Germany are in Group B at Euro 2008 with co-hosts Austria, Croatia and Poland.…

Dr. Markus Merk, who was honoured as “Best Referee of the Year” three times during his illustrious career, has announced his retirement. The 46-year old Merk will resign from officiating after the conclusion of this Bundesliga season. “The timing is perfect for me. Why prolong a career that really has been very positive up to now”, said Merk in an interview with the German paper Rheinpfalz. He has officiated 333 Bundesliga games and 50 international matches so far.

Volker Roth, the head of the DFB Referee’s Board, remembers Merk’s long career: “We will miss him on the football field. Markus Merk has been an oustanding referee because of his performances, his assertiveness and his personality.” Players as well as fans will remember him as an impartial arbitrator, and as a ref who could alternate between a stern and authoritarian demeanor and a more accessible personality on the field, depending on the necessities of the game. Merk left the international stage when he had reached the age limit in November 2007.

“I certainly do not favour such a strict age barrier, which really is just another way to discriminate”, said Merk critically. “I could run the test twice in a row, …

Unbeaten – that was the status of the German national team between October 1978 and November 1980. The longest streak without a loss lasted for 23 games and included the team’s longest winning streak (May 2, 1979 – June 14, 1980).

1978
October 11 Germany – Czechoslovakia Prague 4-3
November 15 Germany – Hungary Frankfurt 0-0
December 20 Germany – Netherlands Duesseldorf 3-1
1979 February 25 Germany – Malta Gzira 0-0
April 1 Germany – Turkey Izmir 0-0
May 2 Germany – Wales Wrexham 2-0
May 22 Germany – Ireland Dublin 3-1
May 26 Germany – Iceland Reykjavik 3-1
September 12 Germany – Argentina Berlin 2-1
October 17 Germany – Wales Cologne 5-1 November 21 Germany – Sowjet Union Tiflis 3-1
December 22 Germany – Turkey Gelsenkirchen 2-0
1980 February 27 Germany – Malta Bremen 8-0
April 2 Germany – Austria Munich 1-0
May 13 Germany – Poland Frankfurt 3-1
June 11 Germany – Czechoslovakia Rome 1-0
June 14 Germany – Netherlands Naples 3-2
June 17 Germany – Greece Turino 0-0
June 22 Germany – Belgium Rome 2-1
September 10 Germany – Switzerland Basel 3-2
October 11 Germany – Netherlands Eindhoven 1-1
November 19 Germany – France Hanover 4-1

The …

DFB-President Dr. Theo Zwanziger talks about the anniversary of the German national team, which played Switzerland in the first ever international game on April 5, 1908.

Question: These days, the DFB and every football fan in Germany celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the national team. What comes to your mind when you think of the Mannschaft’s long history?

Theo Zwanziger: We’ve had quite a successful run. Within eight years after the DFB had been founded, the national team played the inaugural game. Just think about which accomplisments were triggered by football in Germany, especially following World War II. Football always moved the people living here, whether because of the many major triumphs our defeats. We have really had an incredible journey.

Question: How do you evaluate the social impact the team had?

Zwanziger: Within our democratic society, the German national team is seen as a strong symbolic entity for competitiveness, discipline and fairplay. The Mannschaft functions as an international ambassador and the common demoninator for all people living in Germany. The team is our touchstone for a healthy patriotism. The 2006 World Cup was such a successful promotional campaign for German football, as people tell me when I travel. The …