Euro 2012: German readiness is as meticulous as war time military build up

There is no doubt in world football thatGermanyare as good as Spain if not the best when judging Joachim Loew’s current team set up in the international arena. Having qualified for Euro 2012 with a hundred per cent record, Die Mannschaft have been handed the toughest of groups to negotiate in Poland and the Ukraine. Drawn in Group B along with traditional rivals Holland, 1992 champions and Scandinavian giants Denmark and the so called Brazil of Europe Portugal, the Germans know that an epic group stage awaits the Euro 2008 runners up before dreams can turn into reality. What better way to qualify for the knock out stages than to prepare oneself against the Dutch, the Portuguese and the Danes come June! Each game in group B is worthy of a semi final or a final. The two sides that get through from the Group of Death would be considered one of the hot favourites to dislodge the Spanish Armada that is still the undisputed leader of the world game.

Die Mannschaft

Germany though are a side that have not only become stronger with each high profile tournament dating back to the 2002 World Cup but the country’s football federation has made it a habit since World Cup 2006 to follow a strict mental and physical build up scheme that traverses the whole national team set up, from the head coach, support staff to each and every player. Even if the Germans are considered hot favourites to win Euro 2012, nothing can be taken as granted in the European context. The composition of Group B allows minimal margin of error and the Germans would have to be on their guard right from the outset when they take on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Lviv in the opener. The draw was a hard blow for not only Germany but all the other three nations and the importance of the group stage was highlighted by the DFB (German Football Federation) when they announced the names of the countries that would give the likes of Mesut Ozil, Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomes vital match practice in the weeks leading up to the Championships.

Just as the Germans are ultra effective with their big match performances in tournaments, their mental and physical preparedness remind one of the military build ups ahead of wars or war games. The German planning for the tournament started way back in the spring when the DFB announced the Polish port city of Gdansk to be their base should they qualify for the tournament. The Germans qualified handsomely but such a drastic decision at a crucial point when a few more games were needed to confirm the team’s qualification for the tournament speaks volumes of the self confidence of a country’s football federation that relies on its coach and players right down to the wire. As part of the build up, the Philip Lahm led side would play France on February 29 before embarking on a swift build up against neighbours Switzerland in Basel on May 26 and Israel on June 1 in Leipzig.

Joachim Loew and his deputy Hansi Flick have already started their preparations for the summer well in earnest by arranging trips for themselves to follow German team members in the leagues around the world and also to keep an eye on opponent players. This course of actions could be termed as ‘spying trips’. Isn’t it? Success in wars do rely on meticulous intelligence. Festive period or not the German football war machine is in full flow ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays. According to former German forward Carsten Jancker, Germany have a good chance of progressing from the tough group stage despite being drawn against tough western European opponents. The 37 year old believes that if Joachim Loew’s men keep their mental shape and technical prowess up to the mark it would not be a problem to see off Holland, Portugaland Denmark. The former Bayern Munich man was quoted as saying, “If (Germany) can hold their current form, then they have good chances to win the group. We’ll definitely survive the group stages. The typical players will shine. If the Germans can play their game, they don’t have to fear anyone.”

“The Netherlands are in my eyes favorite for second place,” he continued.

“Of course they’re the hardest nut for Germany. All teams have their qualities. You aren’t allowed to under-rate anyone who qualified for the final tournament.”

Even though the tournament is six months away the Germans have made it a national ambition to win an international silverware for the first time since Euro 96 and consistent heartbreaks over the past decade have further transformed this football crazy nation with talented youngsters coming up the youth ranks of clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen to be selected for the national side at a very young age. The way youth and experience have blended in the national team is truly remarkable. The likes of Mario Goetze and Marco Reus have shown amazing team work in addition to their remarkable talents to suggest that Spain’s authority over the European game could be challenged head on in Poland and the Ukraine.

If Germany are to win next year’s European championships, no one would deserve more than the mercurial Miroslav Klose. At 33 the Lazio hitman is the oldest in the squad and with his 63 goals in 113 appearances for the national side, the former Bayern star could close in on Gerd Mueller’s record 68 goals for Germany. With his goal scoring hunger still at a premium, Miroslav Klose is still the man that Mr. Loew could call upon to do the job in the international arena. The summer move to Lazio is proving a massive decision on the part of Klose to remain match fit for the sake of his beloved Germany and his free scoring form for the Romans is a testament to the fact that the German football war machine is being run by the players and staff that are born to bring glory to a nation that have not seen too much success in the football field post reunification.