With the recent announcement that Philipp Lahm would be retiring at the end of the season, which floored both fans and his club, we can now turn our attention to remembering the career of an all-time great.
For a soccer fan around my age (25), I can hardly remember a world in which Philipp Lahm wasn’t a part of winning trophies. Be it on the FIFA video games, watching Germany at World Cups and Euro tournaments or until FS1 bought Bundesliga right, watching youtube Bayern Munich highlights, it seemed Lahm was in the picture for many trophy lifting celebrations.
He started young at the 2002 U-19 European Championships by taking home a runner-up medal (although I won’t lie and say an 11-year-old version of myself was interested in age group soccer at the time).
It wasn’t long after that tournament that Philipp Lahm grabbed his loan spell with Stuttgart by the throat and made over 50 appearances between two season.
After returning to Bayern Munich, the club Lahm would spend the rest of his career with, he quickly cemented his spot as a regular fixture in the perennial champions lineup.
His shining moments highlight reel began in earnest in the opening match of the 2006 World Cup.
That is the moment that Lahm really burst onto the scene for casual fans. Suddenly the diminutive outside back was a threatening superstar that every kid sought out as a transfer in FIFA video games.
After getting the FIFA All-Star team selection for his work during that 2006 World Cup, Lahm went back to Bayern Munich to begin accumulating trophies. Over the course of the next few years he won the Bundesliga seven times and the DFB-Pokal six times.
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During that period of time, the versatile Lahm was shifted around the field in numerous positions and roles in the Bayern Munich and Germany formation. Often Lahm was switched to a position that he was needed most, be it left back, right back, midfield or even central defender. The nature of Lahm’s game was such that he could do almost anything on a soccer field well and many other skills at an extremely high level.
The Euro 2008, just two short years after the World Cup, Lahm set about scoring an even more important goal. In the semi-final against Turkey, Lahm struck net yet again.
At that point, Lahm was done scoring goals in big matches for Germany, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t rack up individual honors. He was named to the top 11 teams in both the 2010 and 14 World Cups and was named to the Euro team of the year in 08 and 12.
The ultimate accomplishment for Philipp Lahm has to be the duel titles of World Cup winner in 2014 and Champions League winner with Bayern Munich in 2012/13. Lahm was instrumental in those two powerhouse teams winning their tournaments.
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Inevitably, the big clubs and national teams have star players that become synonymous with their success. Philipp Lahm has to be considered that player for Germany and Bayern Munich. He has captained both from a young age and guided them with a steady hand for years. Over the course of his playing career with these two teams, Lahm has reached the 100 appearances for Germany and 500 for Bayern Munich benchmark.
Philipp Lahm will retire at the end of this season as a true club and national legend.