Lahm the perfect man to lead Löw’s modern Germany

On the two previous occasions Germany have lost in the final of a European Championship, they have come back four years later to win the tournament.

They did it in 1980 and they did it again in 1996. The way they’re playing at the moment, with an in-form striker in Mario Gomez capitalising on their precise and rhythmical build-up, Philipp Lahm could be lifting the Henri Delaunay trophy in Kiev on July 1.

If he does so, following Franz Beckenbauer, Bernhard Dietz and Jurgen Klinsmann, Lahm would be the shortest German captain to lead his nation to a major title. That may sound like a trivial statistic but it is telling of the modern Germany.