Bierhoff warns against slackening off after World Cup

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Wednesday October 4, 2006

Berlin- Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff has warned against relaxing efforts to support and develop the national team following the success in reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup. "It's no use having a great World Cup if we spoil everything by having a bad European Championships," Bierhoff told the weekly Sports Bild Wednesday.

Biehoff called on the German Football Federation (DFB) to back the national team on the way to Euro 2008 with "the same detail and dynamism" as it did for this year's World Cup in Germany.

Bierhoff said he had the impression that some people within the DFB "have mentally switched off" after the efforts of hosting the World Cup.

Yet it was important to continue the pace of structural changes in German football and to confront "uncomfortable things". Further improvements were needed in areas such as fitness and scouting, he said.

Since the World Cup, the DFB has established a team of experts including Bierhoff, coach Joachim Loew and new sports director Matthias Sammer to look at ways of improving the domestic game.

Loew, who succeeded Juergen Klinsmann after the World Cup, has insisted he would be continuing the methods introduced by Klinsmann, including the use of a team of US fitness trainers and the Swiss chief scout Urs Siegenthaler.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency