The start made by Jürgen Klinsmann has been highly promising. When presented as the new team manager at the German Football Association’s headquarters in Frankfurt/Main in August last year, he explained that his ambitions as national coach coincided with the desires of the supporters. “Football fans would love to see us win the World Cup in 2006. And they have big hopes. And that’s my aim as well,” said Klinsmann. For him everything is clear: the target behind the striving for footballing success can only be the winning of the World Cup at the tournament in one’s home country from 9 June to 9 July.

Klinsmann’s unmistakable intention of wanting to prepare a German team capable of winning a fourth title after 1954, 1974 and 1990 was seen by many observers to be a bold promise. The sobering European Championship experiences, when they didn’t win a single game, were only five weeks old. After Rudi Völler resigned, he himself was only taken into consideration for the post as Völler’s successor less than a week previously. The appraisals as to state of the national team indicated that things were serious. And here was Klinsmann speaking directly and confidently about the World Cup title.

But an assessment was possible at the end of the year: the national side, the nation’s favourite sporting child, is on the way up again.  Eighty per cent of the population are interested in how the team does at the World Cup. The survey result is unusual in its clarity. No other sports team and no individual sportsman or woman is capable of triggering similar popularity percentages. However, there are also high expectations. Up to 50 per cent of those surveyed answered that the German team would win the World Cup in the coming year.

Klinsmann can handle the situation. After all it was his intention anyway to kindle a new positive forward looking mentality. And the 40-year-old has achieved just that. Public confidence in the side has increased after five wins (3-1 in Austria, 2-0 in Iran, 3-0 against Cameroon, 3-0 in Japan, 5-1 in Thailand), one draw (1-1 against Brazil) and one defeat (2-3 in South Korea). Klinsmann’s youth policy of fitting in many young players has gone down well. The attractive forward play that the novice coach expects of his players has met with a great deal of approval. And the atmosphere within the team is much improved.

"A sense of togetherness has developed. Everybody wants to be a part of things,” said Klinsmann when talking about the improved team spirit. It is something upon which he places great importance as he does upon the attacking concept on the pitch. On the sporting side of things he was also able to draw up a positive half yearly report. Klinsmann had used 29 players including new caps Frank Fahrenhorst (Bremen), Robert Huth (Chelsea), Per Mertesacker (Hanover), Andreas Görlitz (Bayern Munich), Patrick Owomoyela (Bielefeld), Christian Schulz (Bremen), Thomas Hitzlsperger (Aston Villa) and Marco Engelhardt (Kaiserslautern). If one ignores the experienced Thomas Linke (Bayern Munich), who helped out in the 3-1 win in Austria, Klinsmann has, so to speak, a preliminary World Cup squad with the remaining 28 players.

"These players are at an advantage. They’ve shown what they can do. The door to the national team remains naturally open, also for older players such as Oliver Neuville (Mönchengladbach), Jens Nowotny (Leverkusen) and Dietmar Hamann (Liverpool), all players not invited by Klinsmann to the tour of Asiain December. Another player not considered last year, Paul Freier (Leverkusen) is on the national coach’s short list. Christian Pander (Schalke) gave his A-team debut in a benefit game against a side containing some of the Bundesliga’s foreign players in Gelsenkirchen (2-2) on 25 February. Klinsmann has had to find a replacement for the left side of defence as team regular Lahm is out injured for a while with a broken foot.

A look at the individual statistics gives an indication as to who has a good chance of being included in the World Cup squad. The only player to be selected for all seven games was Gerald Asamoah from Schalke. Michael Ballack (Bayern Munich) was the only player to play the full 90 minutes – with the exception of the match against Thailand - in six games. Philipp Lahm (Stuttgart), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich) and Lukas Podolski (Köln) were others to take part in six games, including substitutions. Fabian Ernst, Miroslav Klose, Tim Borowski (all Bremen) and Bernd Schneider (Leverkusen) ran out onto pitch on five occasions.

The hierarchy in the team is fine, whereby the large number of newcomers have made the  general atmosphere one that’s far more relaxed. Rudi Völler called up four new caps in the first six months, Klinsmann has selected twice that number. He has also set positive accents in the team set up. Supporting him are assistant coach Joachim Löw, goal-keeping coach Andreas Köpke and general manager Oliver Bierhoff, all people he can rely on. “It’s really enjoyable discussing things with them. I learn a great deal and I get new ideas from them,” explained Germany’s head coach, who has given the training sessions new impulses. Competition for places will be increased this year as the experimental phase is over. The “Mini World Cup”, the FIFA Confederations Cup in June is seen by Klinsmann as a real test for the World Cup. Argentina, Australia and Tunisiaare the group rivals. Brazil, Greece, Mexico or Japan can only be encountered in the semifinal or final. The programme of friendly matches also pitches the German team against quality opposition. They will therefore have the opportunity to prove that they can beat top flight nations after all. Argentina, the Netherlands and France are further opponents in 2005. Slovenia, Russiaand Northern Ireland are the other “sparring partners”.

"FIFA WM" / "The World Cup Winners" - Germany

Here you can find more information about the star of the team from Germany...

Here you can find more information about the trainer of the team from Germany...