England’s meeting with Germany in Bloemfontein on Sunday does not require any more spice, but Franz Beckenbauer appears determined to stir the pot anyway.
Having criticised England’s “kick and rush” football at the World Cup finals before their victory over Slovenia, he has accused Fabio Capello’s team of “stupidly” slipping back to second place in group C to set up Sunday’s encounter in the round of 16.
“A game like this should be a semi-final, not a last-16 game,” the German footballing icon said in Bild newspaper. “Stupidly, the English have slipped up a little.”
Beckenbauer, a World Cup winner as a coach and a player, did look forward to “another fantastic football battle, a classic”, but he believes that Germany will have an advantage because Capello’s players are burnt out after a gruelling domestic season.
“The English look a little tired,” he said. “There is a good reason for that: the Premier League players have got to play far more games than their Bundesliga counterparts, including two national cup competitions.
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“Therefore, when it comes to a World Cup or a European Championship, they are burnt out. Our players, on the other hand, seem to be in a physically better condition.”
It is a familiar argument, echoing the comment by Michel Platini, the Uefa president, that English players are “lions in the winter, lambs in the summer”, although The Times has totted up the numbers and they contradict “the Kaiser”.
Adding up the club games played by the respective first XIs, the England players averaged 43.7 matches last season (with John Terry peaking at 52), while Germany’s average was almost identical at 43.2 (with Philipp Lahm also involved in 52). What those figures may hide is games missed through fatigue or injury, as well as the fast, physical nature of the Barclays Premier League.
Despite his criticisms, Beckenbauer expects it to be a tight game on Sunday, now that Capello’s side have improved after their “paltry” draws against the United States and Algeria.
“What makes them dangerous is that their key players, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and John Terry, sense that this could be the last chance in their career to win a World Cup,” he said. “And, after all, England have been waiting since 1966 for a title.
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“Fabio Capello appears to have brought discipline to the troops. After they failed to qualify for Euro 2008, England hit rock bottom. Capello has brought in a new structure.
“England against Germany — they were always the biggest, most unforgettable games in our history.”