"You`re too stupid to go the World Cup," German paper tells team (08.10.2001)
GELSENKIRCHEN,
The German press was distinctly unimpressed Sunday by the performance of its national football team who must now enter a tough play-off against Ukraine for a place in next year`s World Cup finals.
"You`re too stupid to go to the World Cup," was the blunt message from mass-market Bild am Sonntag newspaper to Rudi Voller`s team after they could only draw 0-0 with Finland on Saturday.
With closest group rivals England held to a 2-2 draw against Greece, a win against the Finns in Gelsenkirchen would have sent three-time world champions Germany through to next year`s finals as Group Nine winners.
Bild pointed the finger at veteran striker Oliver Bierhoff, saying he had become the team`s "bogeyman" after failing to score in the crucial match.
"It`s going to hurt us for a few days more," Voller told Bild. The German coach, who was a frequent goalscorer for his country when they dominated world football, must have hoped he had heard the worst of the criticism
after England thrashed the Germans 5-1 in Munich last month to set up their qualification.
The more highbrow Welt am Sonntag said England had deserved their place in Japan and South Korea at the expense of the Germans, who it described as "The simpletons of the nation."
"A goal from David Beckham in stoppage time deprived Germany of a ticket for the World Cup finals. It was so close, so frustrating, but also so deserved," said the newspaper.
The Germans now have to keep their fingers crossed that they can creep into next year`s finals by the back door in a two-leg playoff against Group Five runners-up Ukraine in November.
Germany face missing out on the finals for the first time since 1950, when FIFA excluded them in the immediate aftermath of World War II.
The president of the German Football Federation, Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, said failure to qualify through the play-offs would be "a medium-sized catastrophe."
"It would lead to a loss of prestige," he added.
