East Germany national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
East Germany

to 1952–1990
Nickname(s)	"Weltmeister der Freundschaftsspiele" (World champion in friendly games)
Association	Deutscher Fußball-Verband der DDR
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Most caps	Joachim Streich (98)
Top scorer	Joachim Streich (53)
Home stadium	Zentralstadion, Leipzig
FIFA code	GDR
First colours Second colours
First international
Poland 3–0 East Germany  (Warsaw, Poland; 21 September 1952)
Biggest win
Unofficial  Ceylon 0–14 East Germany  (Colombo, Ceylon; 8 January 1964) Official  Ceylon 1–12 East Germany  (Colombo, Ceylon; 12 January 1964)
Biggest defeat
Unofficial  Hungary 5–0 East Germany  (Hungary; 18 May 1952) Official  Poland 3–0 East Germany  (Warsaw, Poland; 21 September 1952)  Wales 4–1 East Germany  (Cardiff, Wales; 25 September 1957)  East Germany 1–4 Czechoslovakia  (Leipzig, East Germany; 27 October 1957)  Ghana 3–0 East Germany  (Accra, Ghana; 23 February 1964)  Italy 3–0 East Germany  (Naples, Italy; 22 November 1969)  Belgium 3–0 East Germany  (Antwerp, Belgium; 18 April 1973)  Scotland 3–0 East Germany  (Glasgow, Scotland; 30 October 1974)  Netherlands 3–0 East Germany  (Rotterdam, Netherlands; 15 November 1978)  Hungary 3–0 East Germany  (Budapest, Hungary; 28 March 1979)  Brazil 3–0 East Germany  (Goiânia, Brazil; 8 April 1986)  Uruguay 3–0 East Germany  (Montevideo, Uruguay; 29 January 1985)  Denmark 4–1 East Germany  (Copenhagen, Denmark; 8 May 1985)  Soviet Union 3–0 East Germany  (Kiev, Soviet Union; 26 April 1989)  Austria 3–0 East Germany  (Vienna, Austria; 15 November 1989)  France 3–0 East Germany  (Kuwait City, Kuwait; 24 January 1990)
World Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 1974)
Best result	Second group stage (1974)
Medal record Olympic medal record Men's football Men's Olympics Gold 1976 Montreal Team Silver 1980 Moscow Team Bronze 1972 Munich Team

The East Germany national football team, recognised as Germany DR by FIFA, represented East Germany in men's international football, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland and West Germany.

East Germany qualified for the World Cup once, doing so in 1974, and after German reunification in 1990, the Deutscher Fußball Verband der DDR (DFV, English: German Football Association of the GDR), and with it the East German team, joined the Deutscher Fußball Bund (DFB) and the West Germany national football team that had just won the World Cup.

History

In 1949, before East Germany (GDR) was founded and while regular private clubs were still banned under Soviet occupation, efforts were made to play football anyway. Helmut Schön coached selections of Saxony and the Soviet occupation zone before moving to the West. On 6 February 1951, the GDR applied for FIFA membership, which was protested against by the German Football Association, which was already a full member. FIFA accepted the GDR association (later called DFV) on 6 October 1951 as a provisional member and on 24 July 1952 as a full member.

The first international game, not competitive but rather a display of goodwill, took place on 21 September 1952 against Poland in Warsaw, losing 3–0 in front of a crowd of 35,000. The first home game was on 14 June 1953 against Bulgaria, a 0–0 draw in front of a crowd of 55,000 at Heinz-Steyer-Stadion in Dresden. Only three days later, the Uprising of 1953 in East Germany would have prevented the permitted assembly of that many Germans. On 8 May 1954 games resumed, with a 1–0 loss against Romania. The East Germans had not even considered entering the World Cup which was won by the West Germans two months later. This caused much euphoria not only in the West, and the GDR tried to counter this by abandoning their policy of presenting a group of politically reliable socialist role models of their "new German state"; instead, players were selected purely according to ability. The GDR entered the qualification for the WC 1958 and were hosts to Wales on 19 May 1957 at the Zentralstadion in Leipzig. 500,000 tickets were requested, and officially 100,000 were admitted, but 120,000 in the crowded house witnessed a 2–1 victory.

East Germany was not as successful as its Western counterpart in World Cups or European Championships. It had only qualified for one major tournament in its history, the 1974 World Cup. However, they were always serious contenders in qualifying throughout their history.

Line-up at attention for the first-ever World Cup finals match

That tournament was staged in West Germany, and both German teams were drawn into the same group in the first round. With successful games against Chile and Australia, both German teams had qualified early for the second round, with the inter-German game determining first and second in the group. Despite this lack of pressure to succeed, the match on 22 June 1974 in Hamburg was politically and emotionally charged. East Germany beat West Germany 1–0, thanks to a goal by Jürgen Sparwasser. This was rather a Pyrrhic victory, as the DFV wound up in the possibly stronger second round of Group A. The GDR lost to Brazil and the Netherlands, but secured 3rd place in a final game draw with Argentina. On the other hand, the DFB team changed its line-up after the loss and went on to win all games in the other second round group B, against Yugoslavia, Sweden, and Poland, and the World title against the Netherlands.

East Germany nearly secured qualification for the 1990 World Cup, needing only a draw versus Austria in Vienna in their final group match on 15 November 1989 to achieve a place in Italy. However, Toni Polster scored three times as Austria won 3–0 and advanced to the finals instead.

The GDR took part in the draw for the qualification for the European Championship 1992 and was drawn in Group 5 together with the FRG, Belgium, Wales, and Luxembourg. On October 3 in 1990 Germany was re-unified and with them their football teams. The scheduled matches of the East German team were canceled, except for two matches. The match against Belgium was converted into a friendly match on September 12, 1990, in Brussels. It was the last match played by the East Germany national team and ended with a 2–0 victory for them. The match between East and West Germany remained and was scheduled to be played on November 14, 1990, to celebrate the unification of Germany. Due to riots by East German spectators, it was canceled.

Millions of East Germans had moved to the West before the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961, and some escaped in successful Republikflucht attempts also afterward. All East Germans were automatically entitled to receive a West German passport, but players who had caps for the DFV, like Norbert Nachtweih and Jürgen Pahl who fled in October 1976 at a U21 match in Turkey, were ineligible for international competition for the DFB due to FIFA rules. Lutz Eigendorf had escaped to the West in 1979 and died in 1983 in a mysterious car crash in which East German Stasi agents were involved.

Shortly after reunification, players who had played for the East German team were allowed by FIFA to be eligible for the now un-rivaled German team of the DFB. A total of eight players have been capped for both East Germany and unified Germany, among them Matthias Sammer and Ulf Kirsten.

Olympic football

East Germany did however achieve significantly greater success in Olympic football than the amateur teams fielded by the Western NOC of Germany due to using its elite players from the top domestic league. In 1956, 1960, and 1964 both states had sent a United Team of Germany. For 1964, the East German side had beaten their Western counterparts in order to be selected. They went on to win the Bronze for Germany. As GDR, they won Bronze in 1972 in Munich, Gold in 1976, and silver medal in 1980 in Moscow.

East vs. West

The team that played Argentina at La Bombonera of Buenos Aires, July 1977

Over the years of their separate existence, the GDR and FRG played each other only a handful of times. The only notable meeting with professionals from the West was at the 1974 World Cup, which East Germany won 1–0. Three other games were played in Olympic Football where only players with amateur status could represent West Germany, like a young Uli Hoeneß who delayed his pro career in 1972. In the inter-German qualification prior to the 1964 Olympic Games, the two played a two-legged preliminary round tie, the GDR advancing to represent Germany as they won their home leg 3–0, while the FRG won the return 2–1. In the 1972 Olympic Games, the GDR and FRG, having qualified from their First Round groups, met in the Second Round, with the GDR winning 3–2.

Brussels, 1990: saluting the crowd before the last match

The draw for 1992 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying took place on 2 February 1990, with East Germany drawn in Group 5 along with Belgium, Wales, Luxembourg – and West Germany. By 23 August that year, the East German parliament confirmed reunification for 3 October. The planning for the opening fixture away to Belgium on 12 September was too far along to be canceled, so it was played as a friendly. It was also planned to play East Germany's home fixture against West Germany, scheduled for 21 November 1990 in Leipzig, as a friendly to celebrate the unification of the DFB and DFV, but the game was canceled due to rioting in East German stadia.

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

     Champions       Runners-up       Third place       Fourth place  

FIFA World Cup finals record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1954	Did not enter										Did not enter
1958	Did not qualify										3rd	4	1	0	3	5	12
1962											3rd	3	0	1	2	3	6
1966											2nd	4	1	2	1	5	5
1970											2nd	4	2	1	1	7	7
1974	Second group stage	6th	6	2	2	2	5	5	Squad		1st	6	5	0	1	18	3
1978	Did not qualify										2nd	6	3	3	0	15	4
1982											2nd	4	2	0	2	9	6
1986											3rd	8	5	0	3	16	9
1990											4th	8	3	1	4	9	13
Total	Second group stage	1/10	6	2	2	2	5	5	—		–	47	22	8	17	87	65

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record										Qualifying record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1960	Did not qualify									FR	2	0	0	2	2	5
1964										Ro16	4	1	2	1	7	7
1968										2nd	6	3	1	2	10	10
1972										3rd	6	3	1	2	11	6
1976										2nd	6	2	3	1	8	7
1980										3rd	6	5	1	2	18	11
1984										3rd	6	2	1	3	7	7
1988										2nd	8	4	2	1	13	4
1992	Withdrew from qualification									Withdrew from qualification
Total		0/9								–	44	20	10	14	76	57

Olympic Games

Olympic Games record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	GP	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		GP	W	D	L	GF	GA
1952	Did not enter										Did not enter						—
1956	Withdrew										Withdrew						1956
1960	Did not qualify										2	1	0	1	1	4	1960
1964	Bronze medal	3rd	6	4	1	1	12	4	Squad		7	4	2	1	14	6	1964
1968	Did not qualify										6	5	0	1	16	6	1968
1972	Bronze medal	3rd	7	4	1	2	23	9	Squad		4	3	1	0	7	0	1972
1976	Gold medal	1st	5	4	1	0	10	2	Squad		6	4	2	0	9	1	1976
1980	Silver medal	2nd	6	4	1	1	12	2	Squad		Qualified as defending champions						1980
1984	Withdrew										Withdrew						1984
1988	Did not qualify										8	4	3	1	12	5	1988
Total	1 Gold medal	4/10	24	16	4	4	57	17	—		33	21	8	4	59	22	—

Player records

Joachim Streich is East Germany's top goalscorer and their most capped player.

Players with caps for both East Germany and unified Germany

The rules of FIFA prevented players who had caps for the DFV team from playing for the DFB team before the unification of DFB and DFV in 1990. The numbers are from the website of the DFB.

Coaches

• 1952–1953 Willi Oelgardt
• 1954 Hans Siegert
• 1955–1957 János Gyarmati
• 1958–1959 Fritz Gödicke
• 1959–1961 Heinz Krügel
• 1961–1967 Károly Sós
• 1967–1969 Harald Seeger
• 1970–1981 Georg Buschner
• 1982–1983 Rudolf Krause
• 1983–1988 Bernd Stange
• 1988–1989 Manfred Zapf
• 1989–1990 Eduard Geyer

Honours

Major competitions

• Olympic Games
  • Gold medal (1): 1976
  • Silver medal (1): 1980
  • Bronze medal (2): 1964, 1972

Friendly

• Small Club World Cup
  • Champions (1): 1975

Summary

Competition				Total
FIFA World Cup	0	0	0	0
Olympic Games	1	1	2	4
UEFA European Championship	0	0	0	0
Total	1	1	2	4

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Alemania Democrática para niños

• East Germany national under-21 football team