Changing Room Chat: German national pride questioned

GERMANS are debating whether their team’s apparent lack of passion about singing the national anthem had anything to do with losing to Italy at Euro 2012.

Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath observed: “Those who saw how fervently the Italians sang, even screamed, their anthem could sense the will with which they would approach the following 95 minutes.”

Franz Beckenbauer added: “Ardour must begin before kick-off – and singing loudly together helps with that.”