Injury-stricken Germany captain Michael Ballack says that his country have to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup this summer, otherwise they will be seen as failures.
Ballack misses the finals in South Africa due to an ankle injury, but has challenged his team-mates to cope with his absence and reach the latter stages of the competition.
He told Stern:"Our team will have to push itself to the limit to beat big nations in the knockout phase and that was also the case before my withdrawal – that is still the case.
"Germany is a nation which must always win. You really have to suffer to get to the point where the real suffering begins. You are only respected when you win.
"This is brutal for sportspeople, particularly for youngsters. That will be the case for our players in South Africa.
"It's awful for the team when they can only really enjoy the tournament from the semi-finals.
"Anything else would mean failure. To start with the aim is purely to avoid a catastrophe. That does push you and motivate you, but it is a merciless game."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
