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The king is dead A new world order in the European football arena
Posted: Wednesday June 21, 2000 10:10 PM
Coach Eric Ribbeck has resigned. The legendary Lothar Matthaus has kicked his last ball in international football, marking his 150th match in a German uniform with an anonymous display in a conclusive 3-0 loss to Portugal. Germany has failed to make the second-round of a major competition for the first time in 16 years. Never mind England, their expectations always exceed their capabilities. But Germany! It still seems incredible. A new century, and a new world order in the European football arena. The abject failure of defending champions, Germany, to even hint at challenging for a fourth European title, is a wake-up call to all the continent's aristocrats, that time waits for no-one.
Germany's brand of football, which is dominated by physicality and tactical rigidity, was made to look positively stone-age here at Euro 2000. First, their 1-1 draw with Romania, a match which the Romanians might easily have won, confirmed German's lack of invention. Then came the game against England, where Kevin Keegan 's workmanlike troops simply had more heart than their opponents, who showed none of the normal stoicism that had previously helped them outlast the English in every meeting since 1966. Finally came the nail in coffin of their Euro-2000 bid and of Eric Ribbeck's 24-game reign as coach, when his team was, in his words, "humiliated" by the pace and artistry of the Portugese. So, the king is dead, and of course that happens, but it's how he died that's so significant, because it's indicative of the way football has changed. The so-called little teams, of which Portugal and Romania would certainly have ranked in the not so distant past, have at least caught up, if not surpassed many of their bigger neighbours. Germany, England, Italy and even Holland, who despite making the quarter-finals could only edge the Czech Republic 1-0 in the group phase, can no longer take anything for granted. In fact, perhaps only World-Champions, France, and further afield, the Brazillians, can automatically expect a victory against the smaller nations. Even then, as the USA proved in shocking the Brazillians last year, only if they take the game seriously. In short, the world of football has developed a more level playing field, on which those still developing their game have begun to flourish at the expense of those who've rested on their laurels. Will it all come full circle for the likes of Germany? Only if they go back to basics and begin to develop a style for the 21st century. If, on the other hand they just call-up younger players to do the same thing they've always done, then they've only got to look towards England to see the long term consequences.
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