The national team will arrive in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup in style as they will be part of Lufthansa’s first long haul flight for their new A380.

The special flight operated by Lufthansa’s new flagship on Sunday, 6 June, with flight number LH2010 on the Frankfurt-Johannesburg route, leaves Frankfurt Airport at 20.30 hours and will arrive in Johannesburg at 8.15 hours local time.

In addition to the team, DFB trainers and assistants, around 150 soccer fans will also be making the journey on the A380.…

A recent study has shown that Germany’s professional football clubs contribute some 5.1 billion euros to the country’s economic output each year and generate employment for some 110,000 people. This is more than many of Germany’s big companies.

At a news conference on Tuesday, at which the results of a survey by business consultants McKinsey was presented, DFL manager Christian Seifert said, ”The footprint we leave is bigger than expected and remarkable. The clubs can be very proud of what they’re contributing to the economy.”

Now that’s a good reason to watch football: “contributing to the economy”!

via Spiegel Online…

Lahm is widely recognised as one of world football’s best full-backs and he is a vital member of the German team, whether operating on the left or right side of defense. Having shone at the 2006 World Cup, as well as Euro 2004 and Euro 2008, his extensive experience and attacking impetus are important for the team and Lahm clearly relishes the biggest of stages, making eye-catching contributions at every major finals of his career.

Lahm made a particularly eye-catching contribution at his last World Cup when he scored the opening goal of the tournament with a looping shot against Costa Rica and was the only German player to play all 690 minutes of their campaign. He was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year award six months later. He was also included in the Mastercard All Star Team in 2006 and the UEFA Team of the Tournament in 2008.…

One of the most exciting matches of Euro 2008 was played out in the semi-finals between Germany and Turkey. Who can forgot how Turkey tied up the game at 2 goals apiece 5 minutes from the end, to the dismay of all the German fans. Or how Lahm went on a sizzling run down the left before scoring an absolute beauty of a goal in the 89th minute of the game, sending the same German fans into delirium and breaking the hearts of the Turkish?

Here are the highlights from that absolute classic.

Watching the highlights from that crazy game still gives me goosebumps, even after almost 2 years.…

Lukas Podolski is a forward for Germany’s national soccer team, also playing with FC Cologne in the Bundesliga. The 5-foot, 11-inch Podolski was named by FIFA as “Best Young Player” at the 2006 World Cup and was the second highest goalscorer for Germany during qualifying play for the 2010 World Cup.…

Joachim Low is set to announce his preliminary squad for the World Cup on May 6.

Low will reveal his choices at a press conference at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart just two days before the final round of matches in the Bundesliga.

He is expected to name more than 23 players in his squad and then reduce his selection before the June 5 deadline after taking a closer look at the players during two training camps, one in Sicily and the other in Sudtirol.

All eyes will be on the strikers that Low will select, as there has been increasing public pressure on Low to allow the banished Kevin Kuranyi back on the team in view of his recent run of form in the Bundesliga.

Who do you think should make it onto the team and why?

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