Löw admits luck favoured Germans after securing place in final as beaten Terim prepares to quit

Published on Thursday 26 June 2008 01:08

GERMANY coach Joachim Löw said his side were lucky to book a place in the Euro 2008 final with their last-gasp 3-2 semi-final win against Turkey.

"Turkey were very strong technically and there were sections of the game when we couldn't get a grip," Lw said after watching his team fight back to secure victory through Philipp Lahm's late winner.

"We saw how Turkey had come back three times at this tournament to turn games completely on their head, so we knew what was coming. In the last few minutes we were trembling but we were lucky enough to score in the 90th minute. We were pretty convinced then that they wouldn't be able to come back for a fourth match."

Lw said he had considered bringing on a second striker and reducing his five-man midfield in an atttempt to reverse Turkey's early domination.

"Turkey were combining excellently in midfield, though, so I thought it was the right choice to stick with one forward and not sacrifice our strength in midfield," the coach added.

Germany will now face the winners of tonight's second semi-final between Spain and Russia in Vienna. "We've got a winner's mentality and want to win the title," said Lw. "There's a lot of joy and happiness tonight.

"Tomorrow we've got to start getting ready for the final. We've got to do a lot better.

"We've had some great matches in this tournament, one or two that weren't so good, but we've made it into the final."

Turkey coach Fatih Terim said he would probably step down after his side's agonising defeat. "Most probably after speaking to the federation president and the players I will choose to say, 'This is what I have done'," he said.

"I had declared earlier I would not be working in Turkey. I am a man who keeps my promises. So I will most probably go back to a European country."

Terim, who has coached Italian teams AC Milan and Fiorentina as well as Turkey's Galatasaray, said a final decision would not be made immediately.

Despite being unlucky, the coach was gracious in defeat.

"I congratulate Germany for their win and wish them success for the final but I am proud of my players. We were able to show the world what a good team we are," he said.

Ironically, very few fans outside the ground in Switzerland saw the dramatic finale to the game, either in Germany or Turkey. A violent thunderstorm swept across Austria and knocked out power at the International Broadcast Centre in Vienna, from where television images of the match were beamed around the world.

With the match delicately poised at 1-1 in the second half screens around the world flickered and went blank. Internet coverage also was hit by the blackout.

As the thunderstorm raged over Vienna, the images came and went several times in the closing minutes.

Screens were blank when Semih Senturk pulled off what looked like another Turkey escape act with an 86th-minute equaliser but images returned in time for viewers to watch Lahm eliminate Turkey with his late strike.