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Full support Beckenbauer stands by Ribbeck
Posted: Tuesday April 11, 2000 04:58 PM
FULDA, Germany (AP) -- Franz Beckenbauer threw his support behind Erich Ribbeck Tuesday, giving the embattled German national team coach a lift in his bid to retain his job. Beckenbauer, Bayern Munich's president and perhaps Germany's most influential soccer figure, weighed in his with support after a week of heated attacks against Ribbeck. "I think Erich Ribbeck is doing a good job," said Beckenbauer, who led Germany to its 1990 World Cup triumph as a coach. "His job was to qualify for the European Championships and he succeeded. He's right on target." Most of the harshest attacks against Ribbeck came from inside Beckenbauer's own club. Munich midfielder and national team player Jens Jeremies started the uproar last week by calling the state of the national team "pitiful" in an interview. After a furious week of debate about the job Ribbeck was doing, Munich manager Uli Hoeness called the German coach a "weak person" Monday who didn't appear to be "master of the situation." That came after the German coach had slapped Jeremies with a one-match suspension. Beckenbauer defended Ribbeck's action against Jeremies, whose criticism had drawn wide support inside the country. "You don't make your accusations public, but say them in your own four walls. Jeremies therefore has to live with the consequences," Beckenbauer said. "Ribbeck had to react." Jeremies blasted the German team's performances, saying it hadn't played a good match in five years. Beckenbauer, however, defended Ribbeck, saying the coach's problem was he lacked good players. "The coach chooses the players and determines tactics, but the players have to carry them out," Beckenbauer said. "But if they lack the ability, as in recent matches, what can the coach do?" The three-time World Cup winner has struggled in recent years, with its last major title coming at the 1996 European Championships. Ribbeck took over after Germany was ousted in the quarterfinals of the 1998 World Cup. But Ribbeck has come under fire since Germany lost an important test match for the upcoming European Championships in June to Holland. His team was beaten 2-1, but could have been routed and was outclassed by the Dutch players.
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