The shock of Germany's World Cup defeat by Croatia on Saturday has provoked a bout of national soul-searching that goes far beyond football and could even affect the outcome of September's federal election.
Following on the heels of their victory in the European Championship two years ago, humiliation at the hands of a small, central European nation left many Germans almost speechless. Bars throughout Germany fell silent in shock after the game and fans wore a bereaved look on Sunday as they contemplated the final stages of the World Cup without their own team. The only people to express satisfaction at the result were restaurant owners, who have surveyed rows of empty tables throughout the tournament.
"The only way to get people in is to show football on a giant screen. If this went on for a few more weeks, we'd all go out of business," said the manager of one Berlin trattoria.
In a country with few untainted sources of national pride, sporting prowess ranks alongside economic stability and the strength of the Deutschmark as a crucial element in German identity. Germany's success in international football reflects its success in other areas of achievement since the end of the second World War, and is based on the same virtues of technical skill, efficiency and teamwork.
The problem on Saturday was that, when one German player was sent off for fouling an opponent, his team's entire system fell apart, enabling the Croatians to score three goals against little effective opposition.
"What was intimated already in the preliminary rounds and again against Mexico was simply confirmed against Croatia: the typical, highly praised German virtues of determination, aggression, strength and athleticism are no longer sufficient in World Cup football to make up for tactical deficiencies. The Germans have a super past. But the future? Despite the European Cup win two years ago, does Germany still even count among the greats in the world of football?" mused the mass-circulation Bild newspaper.
As they consider the economic crisis that has produced four million jobless, many Germans are wondering if their industrial system needs a rethink, as well as their footballing strategy. The economy has been improving in recent months and figures announced yesterday reported the second consecutive monthly fall in unemployment. But structural problems remain, and many foreign investors complain that Germany is still too inflexible to compete in the global marketplace.
None of these thoughts were in the mind of the German trainer Berti Vogts as he pondered his team's defeat on Saturday. Slipping into a time-honoured sporting tradition, he blamed the referee for the lost game and hinted that there may have been an international vendetta against the Germans orchestrated from the highest levels in Fifa. But if Mr Berti blames the world, Germany is blaming Mr Berti and 75 per cent of those who responded to a telephone poll this week said he should be sacked. Among the few to rush to the beleaguered trainer's support is his old friend the German Chancellor, Dr Kohl.
Dr Kohl was in Lyon for the game on Saturday and he was so confident of Germany's success that he cleared his diary for next Sunday's World Cup final. After the match, the chancellor was philosophical and he told the team that losing was not the end of the world. Almost alone among German commentators, Dr Kohl praised the skill of the Croatian team and playfully wrapped the German flag around the shoulders of Croatia's president, Mr Franjo Tudjman.
But Saturday's defeat bodes ill for the Chancellor as he faces into the decisive stretch of his campaign to win a record fifth term in office, not least because many of the German team's deficiencies echo his own.
Most commentators believe that Mr Vogts has allowed the team to become too set in its ways and that he has failed to introduce talented new players to the squad. Surveying the tired faces around Dr Kohl's cabinet table, most Germans feel that the chancellor has a similar problem.
The youngest member of the German squad is 23 and most players are in their 30s, making them the oldest team in the World Cup. Most have done their country good service but many Germans now believe it is time they hung up their boots.
At 68, the Chancellor is already beyond retirement age but appears determined to maintain his grip on power until the last possible moment. But if opinion polls are to be believed, his fellow citizens are ready to say a respectful farewell to Dr Kohl, even if they acknowledge his achievements.
Dr Kohl's Social Democrat challenger, Mr Gerhard Schroeder, hopes to be the beneficiary of the new, national enthusiasm for change. But he has reason to be cautious about reading too much into football failure. In 1994, Germany was defeated by Bulgaria in the quarter finals of the World Cup, unleashing a similar wave of national angst. Dr Kohl attended that match too - and went on to win re-election in the autumn.
