German team to visit Auschwitz

German football players and officials will travel to Poland Friday to visit the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, after a friendly against Israel ahead of the European Championship.

Germany captain Philipp Lahm, Poland-born players Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, coach Joachim Loew, German Football Federation (DFB) president Wolfgang Niersbach and other officials will tour the death camp along with a German Jewish community leader before the squad travels to Poland that is co-hosting the Euro 2012 with Ukraine.

Jewish leaders in Germany have been urging the country's football federation to have the squad visit Auschwitz during the tournament that runs from June 8-July 1.

English Football Association said Tuesday that England squad will visit Auschwitz soon after their arrival June 6 to their training base in Krakow.

AP