DFB team honored

German President Joachim Gauck presented the Silver Laurel Leaf awards to Germany's World Cup-winning squad in a televised ceremony in Berlin on Monday. The award, known in German as the Silbernes Lorbeerblatt, is the country's highest sports honor.

"All of us in Germany, felt as if we were World Champions," Gauck told the players before they received their awards. "The thing is, football in Germany, gives us a special feeling of togetherness."

The award ceremony was also attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany's Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere and FIFA President Sepp Blatter, as well as other special guests.

All players were on hand to receive their awards in person, aside from Julian Draxler and Andre Schürrle who were both out injured. Schürrle will also miss the EURO 2016 qualifier on Friday against Gibraltar.

After the awards were presented, German singer Andreas Bourani performed his song, Auf uns (meaning "to us"), which had become the team's unofficial theme song during the tournament.

Speaking on behalf of the team after the awards ceremony, former German captain Philipp Lahm, thanked Merkel and Gauck for their support.

"When you came into our change rooms, it was always something very special for us," he said, before presenting Gauck with a golden copy of the book "One night in Rio" with pictures from the World Cup.

Later on Monday the national team will be guests on the red carpet at Potsdamer Platz for the premiere of their film "Die Mannschaft," which documents Germany's successful campaign at the World Cup in Brazil.

sm/al (dpa, SID)