With Germany's World Cup campaign set to get underway on Sunday with a game against Curacao, we take a look at the handful of stars from the country who have played for the Blues in recent years.
One of the Germans on our list, Andre Schurrle, actually set up the winning goal in a World Cup final back in 2014 during his time at the Bridge. Another, Kai Havertz, decided the 2021 Champions League final in Porto. He will now hope to follow in Schurrle's footsteps by winning the greatest prize in international football this summer.
We start at the beginning of this century with a no-nonsense defender and multiple English champion...
Robert Huth
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Spotted when he was a youth player at Union Berlin, Robert Huth joined Chelsea in 2001 and made his professional debut under Claudio Ranieri as a 17-year-old in our final game of the 2001/02 season against Aston Villa.
A 1.91m centre-back with a powerful shot, Huth won Chelsea’s Young Player of the Year award for three straight years from 2003 to 2005 and earned two Premier League winners’ medals in 2004/05 and 2005/06 before he joined Middlesbrough after 62 games for the Blues.
The German went on to spend his entire club career in England, moving to Stoke City in 2009 before joining Leicester City in 2015 and playing a big role in the Foxes’ surprise Premier League title in 2015/16.
Michael Ballack
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Huth left Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2006 just as another big German player arrived at the club.
Michael Ballack was the captain and talisman of the German national team when he joined Chelsea on a free transfer from Bayern Munich, and he became an influential figure in midfield for the Blues over four seasons as we won both domestic cups in 2007, reached the Champions League final a year later and claimed the FA Cup in 2009.
He netted 26 goals in 167 games for the Blues and made his final appearance in the 2010 FA Cup final against Portsmouth as we secured the Premier League and FA Cup Double for the first time in club history.
Marko Marin
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A former Borussia Monchengladbach player, Marko Marin looked set for big things when the speedy and skilful attacking midfielder was signed by Chelsea from Werder Bremen in the summer of 2012.
Unfortunately, Marin suffered a hamstring injury during pre-season and was unable to establish himself in the first team during the 2012/13 campaign, making only 16 appearances for the Blues and scoring his lone goal for the club in a 4-1 win over Wigan.
He spent the next three seasons on loan at clubs in Spain, Italy, Belgium and Turkey before joining Greek giants Olympiacos on a permanent basis in 2016.
Andre Schurrle
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Signed from Bayer Leverkusen, Andre Schurrle enjoyed a fine debut season with the Blues in 2013/14 as he scored nine goals including a hat-trick against Fulham in the west London derby and a crucial strike in our comeback win against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Schurrle went on to set up Mario Gotze’s winner for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final before returning to Chelsea and netting a lovely goal in our 3-1 win over Burnley in our opening match of the 2014/15 season.
However, he struggled for form in his second campaign with the club and moved back to Germany to join Wolfsburg midway through the season, although he had played enough games for the Blues to earn a Premier League winners’ medal.
Antonio Rudiger
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Antonio Rudiger was a firm favourite with Chelsea fans from the moment the tall and athletic centre-back joined the Blues from Roma in the summer of 2017.
With his tough tackling approach and commanding presence in the air, Rudiger was a mainstay in our defence for five seasons.
He was outstanding in the 2018 FA Cup final and the 2021 Champions League final as we edged past the Manchester clubs, and he also helped us win the Europa League, Super Cup and Club World Cup during his time at the Bridge. He left for Real Madrid in the summer of 2022, and is a member of Germany's squad at the World Cup.
Timo Werner
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Timo Werner signed for Chelsea from RB Leipzig in his homeland in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. He scored 23 times in 89 appearances during his two seasons as a Blue.
A fast and dynamic forward, Werner didn't always have luck in front of his goal but his work-rate ensured Blues fans took to him, even if many of his appearances for us took place behind closed doors.
He started the 2021 Champions League final, having scored a crucial goal against Real Madrid in the semis, and he also notched against the Spanish giants at the Bernabeu the following season.
Kai Havertz
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Kai Havertz arrived in west London not long after his compatriot Werner, joining from Bayer Leverkusen where he had shone from a young age.
Havertz's silky attacking play and sharp movement quickly caught the eye, and he rounded off an excellent first campaign in blue by netting the only goal in the Champions League final against Manchester City.
Havertz spent two more seasons at the Bridge, scoring 32 goals in 139 games in all, including the winner in the Club World Cup final against Palmeiras. He moved across London to Arsenal in 2023.