Saarland national football team explained

Saarland
Date:1950–1956
Association:Saarländischer Fussball-Verband (SFV)
Confederation:UEFA (Europe)
Coach:Helmut Schön
Most Caps:Waldemar Philippi (18)
Top Scorer:Herbert Binkert
Herbert Martin (6)
Fifa Trigramme:SAA
Home Stadium:Ludwigspark Stadion
Pattern B1:_collar
Leftarm1:3BB9FF
Body1:3BB9FF
Rightarm1:3BB9FF
Shorts1:3BB9FF
Socks1:3BB9FF
Pattern La2:_whiteborder
Pattern B2:_collar
Pattern Ra2:_whiteborder
Leftarm2:990000
Body2:990000
Rightarm2:990000
Shorts2:FFFFFF
Socks2:990000
First Game: 5–3
(Saarbrücken, Saar; 22 November 1950)
Last Game: 3–2
(Amsterdam, Netherlands; 6 June 1956)
Largest Win: 2–5
(Bern, Switzerland; 15 September 1951)
Largest Loss: 1–7
(Saarbrücken, Saar; 5 June 1954)
Elo Max:31
Elo Max Date:June 1953
Elo Min:49
Elo Min Date:June 1956

The Saarland national football team (German: Saarländische Fußballnationalmannschaft) was the association football team representing the Saar Protectorate in international football from 1950 to 1956 during the French occupation following World War II. As France opposed the inclusion of the Saarland in the Federal Republic of Germany until 1956, they administered it separately from Germany as the Saar Protectorate.

As the local population did not want to join France, separate organisations were founded. A National Olympic Committee was founded in 1950, leading to an appearance of Saar at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Also, considering themselves not an independent nation different from Germany, the football team was not designated as a "national team", and was more generally referred to as a "selection" (German: Auswahl) or some similar term.[1]

History

Due to post-war partition, Saarland was separate from both the Federal Republic of Germany (aka West Germany until 1990) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The Saarländischer Fußballbund (SFB) was founded on 25 July 1948 in Sulzbach, with Willy Koch as first chairman. The clubs of the Saarland played in the local Ehrenliga for three seasons from 1948 to 1951, with the exception of the strong 1. FC Saarbrücken club, which played as guests in French Ligue 2 in 1948–49, where they were known as FC Sarrebruck. They easily finished top of the division that season. However, after French clubs voted unanimously against them joining the French Football Federation (resulting in the resignation of president Jules Rimet, who had suggested that Saarbrücken join), the club left the French league.

Not interested in rejoining the weak Ehrenliga, Saarbrücken established a short-lived invitational tournament in 1949, the Internationaler Saarlandpokal, which attracted a number of top teams, and is regarded as a forerunner to the European Cup.[2] In 1955, Saarbrücken became the sole club representing Saarland in the newborn European Champion Clubs' Cup, winning the first leg in San Siro against the Italian champions AC Milan (3–4), but they were heavily defeated (1–4) and eliminated in the second leg at home by the Lombard opponents.[3] By that time, however, 1.FCS and other leading Saarland clubs had already rejoined the DFB league system, playing in the Oberliga Südwest on a mutual agreement.

On 17 July 1949, the members of the SFB declined a proposal to apply for membership in the French Football Federation by a vote of 609–299 (55 abstentions). Led by new president Hermann Neuberger since 14 May 1950, the SFB became part of FIFA on 12 June 1950, three months before the German Football Association DFB was reinstated, and two years before the East German association was accepted.

The Saarland team was made up largely of footballers from 1. FC Saarbrücken and was buttressed by players from SV Saar 05 Saarbrücken and Borussia Neunkirchen, with occasional representation from clubs including SV St. Ingbert 1945, FC 1912 Ensdorf, and ASC Dudweiler.

The team played only 19 games, 10 of these against "B" squads, but did participate in the 1954 World Cup qualifiers, finishing ahead of Norway in their group by defeating them in Oslo; it was Saarland's only win ever against a full senior team. Prior to the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, on 5 June, they hosted a game against defending World Champion Uruguay, losing 1–7. Other "A" team opponents in friendlies were Yugoslavia (1–5), the Netherlands (1–2, 2–3) and Switzerland (1–1).The only match played outside of Europe was against Uruguay in Montevideo.

Following a referendum in 1955 and the Saar Treaty, Saarland became part of the Federal Republic of Germany with effect on 1 January 1957. The SFB ended its separate FIFA membership and became part of the DFB as the SFV (de: Saarländischer Fußballverband). Coach Helmut Schön, who had managed the Saarland team since 1952, went on to coach the successful Germany national team in the 1960s and 1970s. Hermann Neuberger, a native of the Saarland, proposed the foundation of the Bundesliga in 1962, organized the 1974 FIFA World Cup, and served as president of the DFB from 1975 until his death in 1992.

FIFA World Cup record

FIFA World Cup recordQualification record
YearRoundPosition
as Saaras Saar
1930Not a member of FIFANot a member of FIFA
1934
1938Did not existDid not exist
as as
1950Not a member of FIFANot a member of FIFA
1954Did not qualify 411248
Total0/1000000411248

1954 World Cup qualifying

See main article: 1954 FIFA World Cup qualification. The only time that the Saarland entered the World Cup or European Championship qualifiers was for the 1954 World Cup. They were drawn in Group 1 alongside West Germany and Norway, in a triangular series. In the opening round in summer 1953, they won their only competitive away match, beating Norway 3–2 in Oslo after trailing 0–2, and with only 10 effective players, after an early substitute due to injury, and Theodor Puff staying on the field with a broken fibula. Thus they still topped the group after West Germany drew their game in Oslo. Saarland were emphatically beaten 3–0 by West Germany in Stuttgart and could only manage a 0–0 draw at home against Norway. Both German teams were placed joint first until West Germany beat Norway 5–1, putting an end to Norwegian hopes. The remaining inter-German match, to be played after a four-month winter hiatus, would decide which one of the German teams should advance to the tournament in Switzerland.

Saarland, which had already secured second in the group ahead of Norway, needed a win at home to finish first, yet lost 3–1. Unbeaten West Germany topped the final ranking, went to Switzerland and won the 1954 World Cup there. Sepp Herberger would have capped Kurt Clemens for West Germany, but he was ineligible like all others who had played international games for Saarland.

This was the Saarland's only separate entry in the World Cup; its players, coaches and staff would join West Germany to assist in the defence of the World Cup in 1958.

FIFA World Cup qualification
DateVenueOpponentsScoreSaarland scorersYear
Bislett Stadion, Osloalign=center bgcolor=#ddffdd3–2Binkert, Otto, Siedl1954 FIFA World Cup qualification
Neckarstadion, Stuttgartalign=center bgcolor=#ffdddd0–31954 FIFA World Cup qualification
Ludwigsparkstadion, Saarbrückenalign=center bgcolor=#ffffcc0–01954 FIFA World Cup qualification
align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd1–3Martin (pen.)1954 FIFA World Cup qualification
width=30Pos.width=165Teamwidth=20width=20width=20width=20width=20width=20width=20width=20
14310123+97
2411248−43
3402249−52

Player records

See main article: List of Saarland international footballers.

In total, 42 players appeared for the Saarland national team.[4] Waldemar Philippi holds the record for the most caps, appearing in 18 out of the team's 19 matches and only missing a friendly against Uruguay in 1954.[4]

Most caps

RankPlayerCapsGoals
1data-sort-value="Philippi, Waldemar" align="left"Waldemar Philippi180
2data-sort-value="Martin, Herbert" align="left"Herbert Martin176
3data-sort-value="Siedl, Gerhard" align="left"Gerhard Siedl164
4data-sort-value="Strempel, Erwin" align="left"Erwin Strempel140
5data-sort-value="Binkert, Herbert" align="left"Herbert Binkert126
data-sort-value="Puff, Theodor" align="left"Theodor Puff120
7data-sort-value="Biewer, Nikolaus" align="left"Nikolaus Biewer110
8data-sort-value="Clemens, Kurt" align="left"Kurt Clemens100
data-sort-value="Keck, Albert" align="left"Albert Keck100
data-sort-value="Momber, Peter" align="left"Peter Momber101

All goalscorers

RankPlayerGoalsCapsAverage
1data-sort-value="Binkert, Herbert" align="left"Herbert Binkert612
data-sort-value="Martin, Herbert" align="left"Herbert Martin617
3data-sort-value="Leibenguth, Erich" align="left"Erich Leibenguth55
4data-sort-value="Siedl, Gerhard" align="left"Gerhard Siedl416
data-sort-value="Vollmar, Heinz" align="left"Heinz Vollmar44
6data-sort-value="Altmeyer, Fritz" align="left"Fritz Altmeyer36
7data-sort-value="Berg, Karl" align="left"Karl Berg19
data-sort-value="Emser, Werner" align="left"Werner Emser13
data-sort-value="Follmann, Ewald" align="left"Ewald Follmann13
data-sort-value="Krieger, Peter" align="left"Peter Krieger14
data-sort-value="Momber, Peter" align="left"Peter Momber110
data-sort-value="Niederkirchner, Robert" align="left"Robert Niederkirchner11
data-sort-value="Otto, Werner" align="left"Werner Otto16
data-sort-value="Ringel, Karl" align="left"Karl Ringel12

Clean sheets

Two goalkeepers managed to keep a clean sheet in Saarland's nineteen matches.

PlayerCapsClean sheetAverage
DateOpponentScore
Erwin Strempel148 November 19530–0
Hans Neuerburg13 June 19560–0

Managers

ManagerPeriodRecord
First matchLast matchDays
Auguste Jordan22 November 195014 October 1951[5]
Helmut Schön20 April 19526 June 1956[6]
Total

Match results

19 matches played: 6 wins, 3 draws, 10 losses[7] [8]

Record by opponent

Anthem

Saarland, having just been separated from Germany, did not have a national anthem of its own, and so the first international football fixture (1950 vs. Switzerland) was the reason to establish the Saarlandlied as the anthem for such events.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Not all players were "natives" anyway as some had joined Saarland clubs from elsewhere, like Ringel, Immig or goalkeepers Borcherding and Jirasek; see List of Saarland international footballers
  2. Saarland 1950–55 When Saturday Comes, May 2008
  3. Web site: The European Champions' Cup 1955/56 - 1. FC Saarbrücken (SAA). RSSSF.
  4. Web site: Saarland » All-time appearances . WorldFootball.net . 29 April 2020.
  5. Web site: Auguste Jordan . EU-Football.info . 28 April 2020.
  6. Web site: Helmut Schön . EU-Football.info . 28 April 2020.
  7. Web site: Saar national football team results. eu-football.info.
  8. Web site: Courtney . Barrie . Saar – List of International Matches and Line-Ups . . . 8 July 2015 . 4 August 2018.