EURO 2008 INFO

Lehmann is still competitive? Why Schweinsteiger and Podolski are only replacements to Bayern? These questions and dull contributed to two months of the Euro-2008 to erode the confidence stored by Germany two years ago.

The breeder Joachim Löw himself acknowledges, the friendly match against Switzerland on Wednesday in Basle, "should enable us to find answers."

"In terms of behaviour of players, their fitness level and dynamic, there are a lot of outstanding issues," said Löw during his press conference Monday.

Since his team at the 5th Fifa rankings, brilliantly won his visa for Euro-2008 at the beginning of October, Löw had difficulty to recognize: it has missed its final qualifying campaign with a heavy defeat (0-3 ) at home against the Czech Republic who finished in first place of Group D.

And last month, the Nationalmannschaft who will face Poland, Austria and Croatia in Group B in June, touched bottom in a friendly match against Austria, eventually won 3-0 but after an initial period catastrophic.

"Against Switzerland, which I consider as one of the nations that can win the Euro-2008, it will show a completely different face," hoped the breeder.

For this final appointment before the publication on May 16 on the list of 23 players selected, supervision ensures want to "go with a magnifying glass all sectors of the game", although it remains only three to four seats to be taken .

It is already scheduled Löw discuss with his goalkeepers, Jens Lehmann, Timo Hildebrand and Robert Enke, who, in this hierarchy, should be included in the 23.

The question of goalkeepers and particularly the status of Lehmann, relegated to the bench at Arsenal since August, much worried, especially since it has accumulated blunders against Austria.

"We have no doubt Jens although it was bad against Austria. It was impressive throughout the qualification campaign," said Löw.

Among those who are not club owners (Lehmann, Schweinsteiger and Podolski compete with Bayern Franck Ribéry and Luca Toni), who returned from a long injury absence on (Ballack, Frings, Metzelder) and those who move away from their highest level (Klose, Kuranyi, Schneider, Lahm), the breeder could make a few white hair.

"It was the same before the World Cup, there are wounded, convalescing, it is true for all teams, it does not worry me. Our services are obviously below our possibilities, but we still all the time to make the final adjustments, "insisted successor Juergen Klinsmann.

His captain Ballack, finally recovered from his ankle injury, is on the same wavelength, but he urged his teammates to forget the recent successes including the 3rd place in the World-2006: "We can no longer rely on merits our past to win the Euro, perhaps the most difficult tournament, "he warned.