Beckenbauer’s Kaiser Cheek
GERMAN soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer launched a fresh assault on the Three Lions yesterday - branding our boys "stupid" and "tired".
The loud-mouthed World Cup-winning player and manager - dubbed "Der Kaiser" in his homeland - insisted Germany would overpower their rivals.
He sneered: "We have more power than the English.
"But unfortunately this match comes much too early. It was stupid the way the English came second in their group."
The blast comes days after he rubbished England for playing a long-ball game, and claimed the team had gone backwards under manager Fabio Capello.
Beckenbauer, 64, added yesterday: "Must we have fear of our friends from the island? Respect, yes, but surely not fear.
"The first two championship appearances of the English were poor but they increased their performance against the Slovenes. Wayne Rooney has so far showed little of his goal-hunting qualities. What speaks for Germany is our power. The English acted tired.
Beckenbauer Beggars Belief
Franz Beckenbauer believes England look tired and burnt out. Oh really? Perhaps the kraut should concentrate on his own affairs rather than spurting spurious comments.
Millions of us English fans watched the game against Slovenia yesterday afternoon and I for one didn't witness a single England player who looked tired or burnt out. In fact it was totally the opposite. Perhaps the 'sauerkraut' should worry about Germany coming a cropper on Sunday.
Lahm: Penalties would suit Germany
Germany captain Philipp Lahm has started the penalty mind-games with England ahead of Sunday's second round clash, claiming a shoot-out would "suit" his side.
Germany famously knocked England out of both the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96 tournaments on penalties, and with the 2010 versions of each team appearing to be evenly matched after mixed results in the group stage, another shoot-out in Bloemfontein is a real possibility.
World Cup 2010: Fabio Capello picks his England penalty five
Fabio Capello has decided who his penalty takers will be for a potential shoot-out in Sunday's second-round match against Germany, with England confident they can buck the recent trend and prevail should the game end in spot-kicks.
The Italian, unlike some previous England managers, has made a point of instructing his players to practise penalties at the end of every training session since the squad first convened for their pre-tournament preparations in Austria last month. A quartet – Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and the inexperienced James Milner – have been earmarked to step forward, with Gareth Barry expected to be the fifth nominee.
Five epic games with Germany
England 4 West Germany 2
(World Cup final: Wembley, July 30, 1966)
England 2 West Germany 3
(World Cup quarter-final: Mexico, June 14, 1970)
England 1 West Germany 1
(Germany win 4-3 on pens: World Cup semi-final - Turin, July 4 1990)
England 1 Germany 1
(Germany win 6-5 on pens: Euro Championships, semi-finals - Wembley June 26, 1996)
Germany 1 England 5
(World Cup qualifier: Munich, Sep 1, 2001)