Germany out to reach previous standards

By their own incredibly high standards, the years preceding the qualification campaign for the 2004 UEFA European Championship were difficult for Germany, but, as history shows, the national team are well versed at triumphing in the face of adversity.

Disappointment in France
A 3-0 defeat by Croatia in the quarter-finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup marked the end of the reign of coach Bertie Vogts, who was brutally honest in his assessment of the predicament facing German football, saying: “We have to start again building a new team. But where are the young players going to come from?"

Promising start
The tournament had started promisingly with a 2-0 win over the United States, Andreas Möller and Jürgen Klinsmann scoring, before the three-time winners nearly came unstuck against Yugoslavia. Vogts’s side found themselves two goals behind before an own goal from Sinisa Mihajlovic and an Oliver Bierhoff header rescued a point.

Defensive frailty
Bierhoff and Klinnsman both found the net in Germany’s next two outings, a workmanlike 2-0 defeat of Iran and a 2-1 second-round victory over Mexico. However, the side’s defensive frailties had been exposed by Yugoslavia and Mexico, who led until the 75th minute, and Croatia showed no fear in their quarter-final encounter, thumping Germany 3-0 to record the greatest victory in the young country’s history.

New coach
In September 1998, Erich Ribbeck succeeded Vogts with the aim of rebuilding Germany’s shattered confidence and guiding the country to EURO 2000™. Although he had garnered a reputation as a dignified coach during his lengthy career, doubts persisted in Germany that Ribbeck possessed the mettle to lead the national team through arguably its most testing period.

Shaky start for Ribbeck
Drawn in a qualifying group alongside Northern Ireland, Moldova, Finland and Turkey, Ribbeck's first match in charge ended in defeat, 1-0 in Istanbul. When they went a goal behind in their next game in Moldova qualification suddenly looked anything but a foregone conclusion. The Germans rallied and ran out 3-1 winners, however, and were in fairly irresistible form for the remainder of the campaign, although the smaller nations in the group were never likely to cause Ribbeck's vastly experienced team too many problems. They needed a single point from their final outing, a home game against Turkey, to top the group and a disciplined performance saw them claim it and thereby the chance to defend their European crown.

Only one goal
Mehmet Scholl’s goal earned them a draw in their opening EURO 2000™ game against Romania, but it was to be their only goal and only point of the tournament as the lack of quality in the squad was cruelly exposed. An Alan Shearer header was enough for England in Charleroi before a hat-trick from Portugal midfield player Sergio Conceição saw Germany eliminated. The game ended with German supporters cheering the rampant Portuguese to victory.

The road to recovery
Ribbeck took the blame for what he called a “catastrophic elimination”, Rudi Völler stepping into the firing line and being charged with the task of revitalising an ailing side in preparation for the 2002 World Cup. Drawn in Group Nine with England, Greece, Finland and Albania, Völler was desperate to get his reign under way with a win. He did so with a 2-0 victory over Greece in September 2000 before Dietmar Hamann pooped Wembley Stadium’s farewell party, scoring the only goal in an historic 1-0 win. Subsequent victories against Albania, 2-1, and Greece, 4-2 away, seemed to indicate that Germany were well on the road to recovery, and Korea/Japan.

England show no mercy
Late goals from Michael Ballack and Carsten Jancker saved Germany from defeat in Finland in June 2001, and a 2-0 win against Albania further boosted confidence ahead of the visit of England for a match that proved the decisive game of the competition. Jancker gave Germany a 1-0 lead after six minutes, before England flattened Völler's team with a devastating display of skill and pace and a hat-trick from Michael Owen to win 5-1.

Play-off success
A 0-0 draw in their final game against Finland condemned Germany to a two-legged play-off with Ukraine for a place in the finals as England claimed top spot in the group. A 1-1 first-leg draw in Kiev left the nerves jangling in Germany, but after Ballack, Oliver Neuville and Marko Rehmer had given them a 3-0 lead inside 15 minutes, their place in the finals was assured and they went on to win 4-1.

Germany expects
Doubts still remain over Völler's side and the ghosts of great German sides past loom large as the coach tries to reconstruct a team fit to grace the famous white shirt. Germany expects high standards from its football team, and as the last moments of Ribbeck's final game in charge proved, supporters will not tolerate defeat.