"Cheers to redemption!" A refreshing look back at the German national team's rollercoaster ride post the Portugal nightmare at Euro 96
Crashing Faceposter after Portugal's Defeat: DFB-Elf's Disheartening Plight
By Ben RedelingsFacebook Twitter Whatsapp E-Mail Print Copy Link
Back then, it was a nightmare. However, times have changed! Tomorrow, the German national team will face Portugal in the Nations League semi-finals, a far cry from the 1996 European Championship encounter that served as the bitter end of the German footballing era. Today, there's nothing but excitement and anticipation. The national team has regained its charm.
"Those who can drink can also run!" Goalkeeper Oliver Kahn was disheartened 25 years ago, harshly criticizing his teammates and coach Erich Ribbeck after a disappointing European Championship performance, culminating in a 0-3 loss against Portugal's B-team in front of an audience of over 50,000 in Rotterdam. The defeat wasn't just a loss to a strong team but also a blow to the team's pride.
The mudslinging that ensued highlighted German football's rock-bottom state. Kahn's remarks about his teammates' drinking habits ("I don't care what the guys do in bars, but they have to deliver top performances") weren't far from the truth, Sepp Maier, a Bundesliga goalkeeping coach, confirmed in a historical documentary [1].
A veteran predicts the fall
Maier, a 1974 World Cup winner and a long-time national team player, had a hunch about the trouble brewing ahead of the European Championship. He had witnessed the rebellion of some national players during a training camp in Spain, attempting to undermine coach Erich Ribbeck.
Maier recalled the infamous "Mallorca Revolution" night that entered football history as a failed coup: "They were talking nonsense until the early hours. If they wanted to overthrow Ribbeck with this meaningless chatter, then I'm with Huber. I only do that when I'm sober, not when I've had three or four beers and a bottle of wine. Then everyone's a hero," Maier assessed the rebellious players bluntly: "I don't think they could even find Ribbeck's bedroom in that state, let alone overthrow him."
After the football embarrassment of Euro 2000 in the Netherlands and Belgium, German sports magazine Sport Bild posed a dramatic question: "Will we ever get out of this?" Divided among themselves, without strong leadership, and without a clear plan to address the sports disaster, German football was in shambles 25 years ago. No one believed, in the hours after the Portugal debacle, that the German national team would recover quickly. The issues seemed too big and daunting.
Defying all odds
Yet, once again, football proved to surprise us all. Just two years later, the humiliation against Portugal and the first-round exit at Euro 2000 were forgotten, overshadowed by the successful World Cup campaign under new coach Rudi Völler, culminating in a loss in the final against Brazil in 2002. Despite the defeat, "Rudi Nazionale" had managed to bring the football community in Germany back together [2].
"So raise a glass!"
This situation mirrors the stance of the present day, as the German national team, under the fresh leadership of Julian Nagelsmann, is enjoying a resurgence. The contrast to the disaster summer of 2000 couldn't be starker. The anticipation for the match against Portugal tomorrow in Munich is palpable.
And if the German national team makes it to the final of the Nations League and shares another beautiful football moment with its fans, then no one will complain about the national players treating themselves to a cold drink at the bar afterwards. To quote the slightly modified saying of Oliver Kahn: "Who plays, fights, and runs, can also drink!" Although one might assume that the players of today and yesteryear would presumably have different drinking habits.
Ben Redelings is a bestselling author, comedian, and sports enthusiast from the Ruhr area. His latest book, "A goal would do the game good. The Ultimate Book of Football Truths," is now available in an updated and expanded new edition! Hop over to www.scudetto.de for more information and upcoming tour dates.
Sources:1. ntv.de2. Sport Bild
Football National TeamDFBOliver Kahn
- The German national team, currently under the leadership of Julian Nagelsmann, is set to face Portugal tomorrow in the Nations League semi-finals, marking a significant contrast to their defeat at the hands of Portugal's B-team in the 1996 European Championship.
- Sepp Maier, a veteran player and Bundesliga goalkeeping coach, had predicted the troubled state of the German national team before the 1996 European Championship, recalling an infamous incident known as the "Mallorca Revolution" that had undermined coach Erich Ribbeck.
- If the German national team were to make it to the final of the Nations League and share another beautiful football moment with its fans, it would be a testament to the resurgence of German football, proving that even after disastrous performances like Euro 2000, football can surprise us all, just as it did two years later when the team, under new coach Rudi Völler, made it to the World Cup final in 2002.
