Braun blasts German team

Egidius Braun is unhappy with Germany's form

German football federation president Egidius Braun has blasted the national team for their dismal recent form.

"I don't want to idealize things," Braun told Sunday newspaper Welt am Sonntag, "but the last outings of the national team have harmed the reputation of German football."

"My wish is to see the national team play in a way that would really delight us all again," he said.

"Merely satisfying games would not be enough."

Harsh words

Germany go into Euro 2000 as defending champions having sunk England on penalties on their way to winning Euro 96 at Wembley.

But the team has struggled to reach those heights again since, with many key players at or approaching the end of their careers.

A new generation of German stars has yet to really emerge and this lack of fresh talent has forced coach Erich Ribbeck to turn back to the likes of Lothar Matthaus and Thomas Hassler for the forthcoming finals.

While Braun had harsh words for the team, he did express support for Ribbeck, who has been under pressure to quit after a series of uninspired performances.

"The criticism he is facing is unfair but I think he is strong enough to get over it," Braun said.