No it's not a prank (Streich – l.) – Manuel Neuer (r.) really is a Newbie. - © Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/GettyImages

bundesliga

From Manuel Neuer to Mario Götze: The Bundesliga's surname dictionary

03.02.2019

If you thought some German names were a tongue-twister as themselves, how do you think they sound when translated into English?

Any easier? bundesliga.com has dusted off the dictionary and delved into the squads of the 18 Bundesliga clubs to discover some interesting surnames…

Click on the players' names to reveal their true, German identity!

While Bayern Munich are in safe hands with Manuel Newbie, the sun is shining over Borussia Mönchengladbach's choice of custodian, with the Swiss Yann Summer (not to be confused with Ann…) keeping things clean at the back.

If Schalke's defence are ever caught at sea, at least they have Ralf Ferryman to guide them through the choppy waters, and maybe Hoffenheim's success comes from the way they 'build' from the back too, with Oliver Construction Man wearing their number one jersey. And whoever said being back-up was something to be ashamed about? Just ask Alexander Proud.

Despite his blond hair, Marco Russ's surname actually translates as soot. - 2018 DFL

And what about in defence? RB Leipzig's is quite safe and secluded with Germany U21 international Lukas Cloisterman, and we would not fancy our chances against Hertha Berlin's Niklas Strong (it's in the name…).

You'd be in for a fair trek getting past Gladbach's second Swiss stopper Michael Long too, while Borussia Dortmund's fears of being caught short of numbers can surely be remedied by having Marcel Smelter able to forge a new full-back at any time – although expect plenty of Eintracht Frankfurt's Marco Soot to be produced in the process.

Is that forge or furrow anyway? Maybe Nuremberg's on-loan Robert Farmer could help out there – delivering produce for Freiburg's Robin Cook, and maybe Fortuna Düsseldorf's Jean Room can be accommodating – either he or Stuttgart's Matthias Roomman, currently bedsitting for a few months at Düsseldorf.

The Juggernaut, or the False God? Mario Götze and his surname can have two different meanings. - Lukas Schulze/Bundesliga/DFL via Getty Images

Speaking of accommodating, Gladbach have just the man in their midfield with Florian New House, and fans of the eponymous Roger Hargreaves kids' book series will be happy to see Patrick Mister Man out on the Gladbach wing – a certain measure of distance to the side of Jonas Yardman.

Meanwhile, Harmony is assured in the Hoffenheim midfield by Dennis Violinist, a far cry from the grinding performed by Werder Bremen's Maximilian and Johannes Harrowstone.

While Hannover may be seeing the cup half empty right now, they always have Niclas Jugfull to rely on. Let Augsburg's Marco Judge decide on their fate, while Schalke's attack can make hay with Guido Castle-stabler. And leading it all is a man with two translations for his name, know as either Mario Juggernaut or Mario False God, of Dortmund.