By Karl-Heinz Rummenigge Jul 10, 2006, 12:18 GMT
Berlin - I have two wishes I would like to see fulfilled after this great World Cup. One is that the incredible euphoria shown by the fans spills over into the German Bundesliga.
The other is that more teams adopt what I would call the Klinsmann-style (after Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann). This means having the courage to play attacking football.
The Germans played the most courageous football of the tournament and were rewarded by wild enthusiasm and unswerving support of the fans.
Even though Germany did not reach the absolute pinnacle of sporting success, the team was fully accepted by the fans, in part because it played with motivation and commitment right until its final game.
As a result the fans gave the German players a reception worthy of a World Champion.
After the final it was wonderful to see how Italian and French fans left the stadium together in a good-natured mood. There was no trouble. That was not always the case. This time around they were caught up the euphoria and friendly atmosphere that characterized the entire tournament, which for me was the biggest achievement of this World Cup.
I'd like to see this new feeling carried over into the Bundesliga and replace the aggression that is often at the forefront there.
I'm aware that my club Bayern is not liked in Hamburg or by Schalke fans. Despite the sporting rivalry, football should be a celebration of togetherness and not of aggressive conflict.
Tactically, this World Cup has brought us nothing new and how could it? Professional footballers these days are familiar with how football is played in South America, Asia or Africa. The football world is transparent, there aren't any surprises anymore.
What is perhaps amazing is that the two finalists played with only one striker. I much prefer playing with two strikers because it allows you to build up much more pressure.
Incidentally, for the first time I think a defender was the player of the tournament, Italy's Fabio Cannavaro. It was unique how he held his defence together.
The saddest moment of the tournament was having to say farewell to a major star like Zinedine Zidane. What a drama. People in the Berlin Olympic stadium were talking more about Zidane than world champions Italy.
Regardless of what Marco Materazzi did or didn't say to him you have to get on with it in football. But Zidane seems very unstable in such situations. The game was turned on its head by the dismissal as until that moment the French looked the fresher team.
In the end, it takes a certain quality to win a World Cup penalty shootout. Until now, the Italians have been the biggest failures in this discipline. Not any more.
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