One of the greatest defenders in football history is Philipp Lahm. The fullback, who captained Germany to victory in the World Cup, won an incredible eight Bundesliga trophies with Bayern Munich and one Champions League championship.
Despite playing right back for the majority of his career, his tactical acumen and exceptional technical skill allowed him to play on the left side of defence as well. Furthermore, under Pep Guardiola, he developed into a deep-lying centre midfielder later in his career thanks to his footballing IQ.
Given how important brains are to Lahm’s strategy, it’s intriguing to find out which players he thought were intelligent. He talked highly of Mesut Ozil, an Arsenal and Premier League legend, just a few years before he retired in 2017.
Mesut Ozil was praised by Philipp Lahm.
“Probably the most intelligent player I have ever played with”
Lahm lauded Ozil, who won the 2014 World Cup with Germany, in a 2015 speech. The’most brilliant player in Europe’ at the time, he added, was also likely the sharpest teammate he had ever had. He clarified:
“Mesut is arguably the smartest player in Europe right now and the smartest player I have ever played with. Mesut has the best vision I’ve ever seen, and only he can see things.
“When he was being questioned following his transfer to Arsenal, it was absurd. Everyone needs time to adjust to a new league, regardless of skill level. The game is obviously much more violent in a league like England, where you don’t get as much time on the ball.
“People don’t necessarily understand his game, he isn’t there to run at players or even beat them, he is far more intelligent than that.”
Lahm’s statement on fans not “necessarily understanding his game” is intriguing because it seems to have been a recurring problem throughout Ozil’s career. Nevertheless, he did enough throughout his tenure at Arsenal to solidify his place as a Premier League legend.
Despite not winning a league title with the Gunners, many people loved his style of play. The midfielder is one of the best Germans to have ever played in the English top division because of his almost unrivalled passing abilities.
Lahm Was Incredibly Smart on the Football Pitch Too
Guardiola was stunned by his intelligence
Indeed, Lahm’s appreciation is high. It’s made even more significant by the fact that many people consider the German defender to be among the most intelligent football players of the modern era.
Lahm was, after all, once described by Guardiola as the “most intelligent” football player he had ever worked with. The former manager of Bayern stated:
Perhaps the smartest player I have ever trained in my career is Philipp Lahm. He’s on an other level.
It’s not surprising that Lahm and Ozil earned the game’s highest reward because they played together frequently for Germany during the 2014 World Cup, starting all seven games.
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