By Karl-Heinz Rummenigge Jul 7, 2006, 17:07 GMT
Berlin - The duel between Italy's Andrea Pirlo and Zinedine Zidane of France will probably decide the outcome of the World Cup. Will the classy Pirlo prevail or will it be the French superstar.
Zinedine Zidane from France celebrates after scoring the 1-0 lead with a penalty during the semi final match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup between Portugal and France in Munich, Germany, Wednesday 05 July 2006. EPA/KARL-JOSEF HILDENBRAND
I'm thrilled that Zidane has had such a great World Cup in which he has improved from game to game. He was the matchwinner against Spain, made the pass that led to the goal that sank Brazil and scored the penalty against Portugal that put France in the final.
It's a pity that he's retiring. Zidane has been the outstanding figure in international football over the past 10 years, outshining the likes of Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. He's a terrific strategist as well as a lethal finisher.
His performance at the World Cup has been achieved through hard work. One of our Bayern Munich players, Willy Sagnol, said that if the French team trains once, then Zidane will train twice.
He's a genius who trains to ensure he is fit enough to play the outstanding game he's used to. Hats off to him.
Sunday's final will be concentrated in midfield where each team will try cancel out the other. It'll be a game played at the highest tactical level in which every mistake will be ruthlessly punished.
After Italy's excellent performance against Germany, most people here would opt for coach Marcelo Lippi's team. But you have to bear in mind that Germany's poor record against Italy has a parallel in Italy's poor record against France.
It might sound a bit trite, but such things play on the mind, whether you want them to or not.
What can we take with us from this tournament? One is that teams like Germany and in particular Italy were able to play at such a high standard because their coaches were able to prepare them well tactically, mentally and physically.
German coach Juergen Klinsmann succeeded in building a partnership and practising what he preached. This is the way coaches should work in the future. Good ones keep their teams playing at the highest level. The not-so-good water down their performance.
One example of the latter is Argentina's Jose Pekerman. I've always held him in high regard, but his starting line-up against Germany and the substitutions he made in the match have left me in doubt.
It's the same with Brazil's Carlos Alberto Parreira. You can't send a team to a tournament with the level of preparation the titleholders had. If he had adhered to the basic coaching tenets of fitness, discipline and organization the squad could have strolled to another title.
The World Cup showed that no one can allow themselves to start such a tournament in an arrogant manner. Anyone who witnessed the event in Germany will return home full of praise for what they saw. The country more than lived up to the slogan 'A Time to Make Friends.' We proved that we are capable of a lot more than good organization.
Germany showed itself from its most congenial side. Everybody involved deserves a word of praise. It was the best World Cup the world has seen. And Franz Beckenbauer, the head of the Organizing Committee, should get the highest award this country has to offer. He deserves it.
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