The class of 1945

What a team we have here. A reliable good keeper in Jennings. Hard working and hard hitting defenders and midfielders Smith, Pirri and Benetti. Combined with the grace of Beckenbauer, Suurbier and Ball and at the front we have 585 Bundesliga goals shared between Heyckens and Müller.

Beckenbauer, Lucescu and Heyckens also have an astonishing managerial career.

And I must give a notice to the substitutes where Finn Laudrup, father of Michael and Brian, is. He holds the same amount of technical talent as his sons.

GK: Pat Jennings; First goalkeeper to win the english player of the year award and the only of two to win it twice. First british player to reach 1000 senior appearances. Record holder for N. Ireland with 116 caps.

RB: Tommy Smith; spend 16 seasons at Liverpool winning 2x European Cups and 4x English Championships. Known for his uncompromising defensive style.

CB: Franz Beckenbauer; DER KAISER. One of the true greats of the game. World Cup winner and European champion as a captain with Germany. Also leading Bayern Munich to 4 national championships and 3 European Cup triumphs. 2x Ballon d'or winner in 1972 and 1976. Named in kicker Bundesliga team of the season 12x in a row from 1966-1977.

CB: Pirri; 10x Spanish champion with Real Madrid and 1x European Cup winner (1966). Played most of his career as a midfielder but ended his career as a sweeper.

LB: Wim Suurbier; was a big part of the 70's total football team of Ajax led by Johan Cruijff, which lifted the European Cup three times in a row and lost two World Cup finals with Netherland.

RM: Alan Ball; the youngest member of the 1966 World Cup winners and a goalscoring midfielder most known for his time at Everton and Arsenal. The latter broke the english transfer record (£220,000) when he was bought in 1971.

CM: Gianfranco Bedin; member of Helenio Hererras 'Grande Inter' winning the 1965 European Cup and 4 national championships.

CM: Romeo Benetti; a complete midfielder known for his physical strength, therefore the nickname 'the Rock'. 2x Italian champion with Juventus, but played more games for AC Milan winning the Cup Winners Cup in 1973.

LM: Mircea Lucescu; mostly known for his managerial career, but was 6x Romanian champion with Dinamo Bukarest as a right winger. We deploy him on the left. He must have the tactical abilities to do a job there.

FW: Jupp Heynckes; 1974 World Cup winner and 1972 European champion with Germany, the 4th most scoring striker in the Bundesliga and 4x German champion with Gladbach.

FW: Gerd Müller; Der bomber, the most prolific goalscorers in the game of football. A record of 365 Bundesliga goals, 97 more than no. 2 on the list. 68 goals for Germany in 62 games, only overtaken by Klose. 1974 World Cup winner and 1972 European champion with Germany. 4x German champion and 3x European champion with Bayern Munich.

Substitutes: Gary Sprake, Dimitar Penev, Christos Terzanidis, Finn Laudrup, Tommy Svensson, Schorsch Volkert

-The XI is based on one player for each position born in the given year.
-All XI’s is made with regards of balance in the team.
-Well known players who are left out will be named on the bench, for a better view on the generations strength. Therefore this should not be a discussion on each player individuel or if they should be on the XI.