Germany defender Philipp Lahm may be one of the most respected full-backs in European football but he could just be sweating a little over his international future. The Bayern Munich ace may have collected more than 50 caps and won three Bundesliga and DFB Pokal titles, but now a new star has emerged who looks set to mount a serious challenge for his place in the national team. Wolfsburg’s Marcel Schafer only made his debut for Joachim Low’s side in the friendly defeat to England in Berlin recently, but he already looks to have done enough to show he is not out of his depth at the highest level.
Wolves boss Felix Magath spent heavily over the summer, most notably bringing in Italy defenders Andrea Barzagli and Cristian Zaccardo, but Schafer remains the German influence in a multi-national back-line, which also features Portugal’s Ricardo Costa. Indeed, the 24-year-old was one of only four Germans in the side that started against Borussia Dortmund in their last Bundesliga outing. But if the likes of Brazilian leading scorer Grafite and Bosnia and Herzegovina striker Zvjezdan Misimovic bring the style, it is Schafer who provides the substance.
Certainly his appetite for a battle cannot be questioned, having already overcome a career-threatening injury after tearing knee ligaments as a 17 year old. Magath hailed his dedication to training, saying after the player’s call up to the national squad: “Marcel is the kind of lad who always works hard on himself and pushes himself to the limit in every training session. His example shows how you can improve and develop. It is obviously good too for Wolfsburg that we have a player currently in the Germany national team.”
Schafer has his coach to thank for his rise from the second division to the international stage after Magath brought him to the Bundesliga from1860 Munich last year. The former Bayern boss has a good record of developing full-backs, having plucked Lahm from Bayern’s reserve team while in charge of Stuttgart and helped mould him into the player he is today. Lahm spent two years on loan at Stuttgart before returning to Bayern in 2005.
Schafer’s emergence bears a striking resemblance to that of his international team-mate and rival with both players are comfortable with the ball at their feet as they are defending. Schafer’s performances have been key to helping Wolfsburg establish one of the division’s best defensive records at home, where they have conceded just five goals in seven games so far this campaign. Their away form has been less impressive – the goalless draw with Dortmund was the first Wolfsburg have conceded fewer than two goals on their travels this season – but the problems on the road are not confined to the defense.
The team has also struggled for goals to leave Magath’s men outside even the UEGA Cup places when even a mediocre away record would have put them right in the title mix. But while Schafer clearly has some way to go before he can match Lahm’s medal collection, an assault on his Germany place may not be so far away.