The Bundesliga in Brazil
Almost 100 Bundesliga players are representing their countries at the World Cup in Brazil.
Almost 100 Bundesliga players are eagerly awaiting their matches at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Alongside those in the German squad, around 80 other players in the top-flight German league have been selected for their national teams. After the German team, Switzerland, with its German manager Ottmar Hitzfeld, has the most, with nine, followed by Japan with seven Bundesliga players. The most famous names include Dante (Brazil), Javier Martinez (Spain) and Arjen Robben (Netherlands). All three play for Bayern Munich.
Moreover, the number of German players enjoying success abroad has seldom been so high. In the English Premier League Mesut Özil, Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker at Arsenal finished fourth last season, while Andre Schürrle at local rivals Chelsea even came third. Miroslav Klose plays for Lazio Rome in the Italian Serie A, and Sami Khedira won the Champions League with Real Madrid. Most of the players in the German squad, however, come from the league champions Bayern Munich (7) and runners-up Borussia Dortmund (6).
Two brothers, two nations
The brothers Jerome and Kevin-Prince Boateng are facing a very special duel. They grew up together in Berlin, have the same father, who comes from Ghana, but different mothers. Jerome now plays for Bayern Munich and Germany, Kevin-Prince for Schalke 04 and Ghana. They will face each other as early as the German group’s second day of play. This has only ever happened once before in the history of the World Cup, in 2010 in South Africa, with the same players in the same encounter.
The FIFA World Cup in Brazil kicks off on 12 June 2014
