Germany honours summer heroes

The Germany team have been awarded their country's highest sporting honour, the Silver Laurel, for their third-place finish at the FIFA World Cup.

Stars absent
The squad coached by Jürgen Klinsmann received the accolade today from head of state Horst Köhler at the presidential residence in Berlin, although some of the leading figures in their campaign were absent, including Klinsmann. Sebastian Kehl from BV Borussia Dortmund and the Chelsea FC duo of Robert Huth and Michael Ballack also missed the ceremony due to a combination of injury and the ongoing security alert at UK airports.

'Unforgettable'
Goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who like Klinsmann has stepped down from the national-team fold, was another unable to attend. He said: "I am thrilled about the Silver Laurel, but while it is a great honour for me, it is the young players who are the future and who should take the spotlight. The third-place match in Stuttgart and the atmosphere at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin were my last experiences with Germany - it was an unforgettable time."