German legend Franz Beckenbauer has yet again been quick to criticise English football, by branding Fabio Capello‘s side as ‘stupid’ for failing to secure the top spot in Group C – thus avoiding a tough tie against Germany in the second round of the World Cup.
The 64-year-old, who lambasted England’s ‘kick and rush’ playing style in a recent column written for South African newspaper The Times, also insisted that Capello’s players look ‘burnt out’ after a gruelling domestic system.
Speaking to German daily Bild, Beckenbauer said;
“A game like this [Germany vs England] should be a semi-final, not a last-16 game. Stupidly, the English have slipped up a little by finishing second in their group.
The English look a little tired and there is a good reason for that: the Premier League players have got to play far more games than their Bundesliga colleagues, including two national cup competitions.
Therefore, when it comes to a World Cup or a European Championships, they are burnt out. Our players, on the other hand, seem to be in a physically better condition.
Of course we respect them, but we certainly don’t fear them.
England’s first two appearances at the World Cup were paltry, but they improved against Slovenia.”
With the back-handed compliments out of the way, ‘Der Kaiser’ went on to admit that certain senior members of the England squad were worthy of special attention from a German perspective – though only due to their desperation to win a major international tournament before being put out to pasture;
“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 lift the World Cup.
And after all, England have been waiting since 1966 for a title.
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 will now go into their crunch game with Germany in Bloemfontein on Sunday afternoon with a ready-made team-talk thanks, once again, to dear old Franz and his unrelenting ‘motor-mund’!
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