Klinsmann fears Argentina defeat would encourage doubters

Jun 28, 2006, 23:15 GMT

Berlin - Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann fears elimination in the World Cup quarter-finals Friday could lead to questions about his football playing philosophy.

Defeat to Argentina would revive a debate on whether Germany should play an attacking style or a more cautious game, he told the weekly Die Zeit in an interview to appear Thursday.

'That's why it is so important that we progress, and then progress further to the final,' Klinsmann said.

Klinsmann said there was no alternative to his course for the revival and progress of German football. His methods could also be adopted by domestic clubs. But defeat would put the reform process in doubt.

The silence of former playing greats like Franz Beckenbauer and Guenter Netzer, who as newspaper columnists have been critical of some of Klinsmann's methods, shows 'how fragile the whole thing is.'

Most of all the German Football Federation (DFB) will have to show where it stands on the issue, Klinsmann said.

The coach, who wants his team to play a faster game and dictate the play whenever possible, says that what he is doing with the national team 'is simply the international standard, it is the football of Barcelona, of Arsenal, of Ajax Amsterdam.' The top Bundesliga teams were 'worlds apart' from these teams, he said.

The World Cup had now shown that German footballers could also play a fast-paced game over 90 minutes and could also play one-touch or two-touch football if they were properly trained.

Klinsmann said he welcomed the opportunity of playing Argentina - one of the favourites to win the title.

'Argentina is coming at the right time. We can measure up against them and surpass ourselves. That's exactly what we need right now,' he said.