Philipp Lahm Was in Awe of British Stadium With ‘Terrific Atmosphere’

Bayern Munich and Germany icon Philipp Lahm is widely regarded as one of the greatest right-backs of all time, having enjoyed a glittering career that saw him lift the 2014 World Cup, eight Bundesliga titles and the Champions League in 2013.

Known for his intelligence, loyalty and leadership, Lahm was once described by Pep Guardiola as probably the smartest footballer he ever coached, with his versatility and consistency allowing him to operate in several roles across the field.

During a 15-year professional career, Lahm built up a rich history against British teams – he captained the Germany side that beat England 4-1 in the infamous 2010 World Cup quarter-final and also regularly came up against Premier League sides in Europe with Bayern.

Lahm visited multiple British stadiums during his lengthy stint with the Bavarians and was particularly impressed by one in England ahead of the 2014 Champions League tie, describing it as a ‘wonderful’ venue with a ‘terrific atmosphere’.

Philipp Lahm Praises Old Trafford

Lahm, speaking ahead of Bayern’s clash with Manchester United in the 2013/14 Champions League quarter-finals, praised Old Trafford as ‘wonderful’ and highlighted its ‘terrific atmosphere’:

Bayern went into the quarter-final tie against Man United as heavy favourites and title holders, and proved their status with a convincing 4-2 win on aggregate.

The Bundesliga club, coached by Guardiola at the time, drew 1-1 during their visit to Old Trafford, with Nemanja Vidic and Bastian Schweinsteiger on the scoresheet.

Bayern secured a 3-1 win on the return leg at home, and despite conceding first to Patrice Evra, they responded with a three-goal 16-minute salvo in the second half, with Mario Mandzukic, Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben scoring.

Guardiola’s side fell in their quest to defend the Champions League title in the semi-finals, where they suffered a 5-0 defeat to eventual winners Real Madrid, who scored four in the away leg in Munich.

Man United endured a tumultuous campaign in 2013/14, missing out on European football for the first time since 1989/90 by finishing seventh in the Premier League.

The Red Devils sacked manager David Moyes in April, shortly after losing to Bayern in the Champions League quarter-finals, with Ryan Giggs taking over on interim duty.

Moyes was dismissed with four games remaining in the season, less than a year into his six-year contract, with his last game ending in a 2-0 defeat at his old club Everton.

Man United only reached a Champions League quarter-final once after the 2013/14 season, falling to Barcelona 4-0 on aggregate in 2018/19 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Old Trafford side missed out on European football again in 2024/25 under head coach Ruben Amorim, finishing only 15th in the Premier League and losing in the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.