FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template
He is known throughout Germany simply as “Berti”, a no-nonsense man of moderate tones whose face flushes red with anger when his charges do not deliver what he expects of them.
Vogts stepped into very large shoes when he became Germany’s coach, taking over in 1990 after being Franz Beckenbauer’s deputy. Beckenbauer parted in a blaze of glory, leading Germany to the 1990 World Cup title in Rome.
There was no higher ground left for Vogts to go but it was obvious he would have a hard road to travel. Using the same players from Beckenbauer’s era, led by Lothar Matthaeus, Rudi Voller and Andreas Brehme, Vogts took Germany to the final of the European championships in 1992 only to be beaten by underdogs Denmark in the final. Two years later, in the loud, popcorn-smelling stadia of America, Germany fell in the quarter finals of the World Cup against Bulgaria. Vogts despaired and was on the verge of resigning. He was talked out of it, rebuilt the side and took it all the way at the 1996 European championships.
Playing the Czech Republic at Wembley, Germany won the world’s first international title through an Oliver Bierhoff extra time Golden Goal. The result sealed Vogt’s place in the history books, but now he wants to make up for the World Cup debacle of 1994.During his playing days with Borussia Monchengladbach he was known as “the terrier”, a small but tough defender in the classic never-say-die German mould.
Today he is a strict disciplinarian who demands equal dedication and passion from the players under his command. Those who do not perform or fall below his standards of appropriate behaviour, either on or off the football field, are summarily dismissed.Bodo Illgner and Stefan Effenberg are cases in point – both were dismissed after USA-94 and have not been nominated for Germany since.Equally though, promising, young players have every chance of representing their country.
Except for Jurgen Klinsmann, Vogts chooses his sides purely on form and not because of their star status or past achievements.