Germany Celebrates 40 Years of Political Shin-Kicking

In a sport that knows no rules, politicians have become adept at kicking each other around in the political arena for centuries, but for exactly 40 years beginning on Tuesday, some of Germany's elected officials have been trading political attacks for kicks to the shins at the FC Bundestag's weekly training sessions.

The soccer team is made up of German politicians who willingly exchange their party banners for black, red and gold German jerseys and take to the field against other parliamentary and corporate teams in benefit tournaments.

Players insisted that they are able to separate political differences from practices and matches against journalists, corporations and charity groups, but did admit that politicking does tend to reappear while enjoying a post-game beer.

"It's all very cooperative on the field," Uwe Barth, a member of the free-market liberal FDP told the Ostthüringer Zeitung. "But after the game, of course, we talk about political things, too."

While still in office, Gerhard Schröder got to play with Pele

No roster politics

Similar to the balance of power in the government, Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government of Christian conservatives and Social Democrats also rules the field -- Barth is the team's only opposition party politician. There are no records showing how much playing time he receives.

Political insiders, however, told the daily Berliner Zeitung that the absence of opposition players is simply a sign that they are at work while politicians from the country's two largest parties have more time for crosses and slide tackles.

Team captain Klaus Riegert, a member of the Christian Democratic Union, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in a June interview that who plays is usually determined by who is able show up.

Though tight schedules usually mean the parliamentarians have a home-field advantage over visiting sides in the some 20 matches they play annually, the FC Bundestag usually does make one trip a year out of Berlin for a tournament against parliament teams from other European nations.

Some changes needed

Despite having won the World Cup, German women don't play a role on the Bundestag side

The team has an illustrious cadre of past players including former chancellors Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schröder; Joschka Fisher, former foreign minister, Peter Struck, former defense minister and current SPD group leader; and Oskar Lafontaine.

Four decades of history have, however, signaled a need for change in team. Women have not yet made it onto the roster and the team's motto, "We're all the same in the showers," needs an anatomical make-over now that Germany's first female chancellor has led the government for over a year.

Still, many consider the side to be the Bundestag's most successful parliamentary group.