England–Germany Football Rivalry
The English and German national football teams are sporting rivals who have played each other since the end of the 19th century, and officially since 1930. The teams met for the first time in November 1899, when England beat Germany in four straight matches. Notable matches between England and Germany include the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, and the semi-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1996.
The rivalry is considered to be solely an English phenomenon—in the run-up to any competition match between the two teams, many English newspapers will print articles detailing results of previous encounters, such as those in 1966 and 1990. Football fans in England often consider Germany to be their main sporting rivals and care more about this rivalry than those with other nations, such as Argentina or Scotland. Most German football fans, however, take little interest in their rivalry with England, and instead consider the Netherlands to be their traditional footballing rivals. As of August 2011, England holds a narrow lead in victories according to FIFA, with twelve wins to Germany's eleven.
Read more about England–Germany Football Rivalry: Comparison of England and Germany in Major International Tournaments, List of Matches, East Germany's Team, Club Level, Players
Famous quotes containing the words football and/or rivalry:
“People stress the violence. That’s the smallest part of it. Football is brutal only from a distance. In the middle of it there’s a calm, a tranquility. The players accept pain. There’s a sense of order even at the end of a running play with bodies stewn everywhere. When the systems interlock, there’s a satisfaction to the game that can’t be duplicated. There’s a harmony.”
—Don Delillo (b. 1926)
“It seems to me that we have to draw the line in sibling rivalry whenever rivalry goes out of bounds into destructive behavior of a physical or verbal kind. The principle needs to be this: Whatever the reasons for your feelings you will have to find civilized solutions.”
—Selma H. Fraiberg (20th century)