Fifteen years ago, German football reached a nadir when, despite being heavily fancied to win the tournament, they were knocked out of Euro 2000 at the group stage without winning a single game. A year later, they suffered further embarrassment as England beat them 5-1 in Munich in World Cup qualifying.
The DFB took steps to rectify that situation, and the fruits of their long term planning were reaped last year when the Germans won the 2014 World Cup.
Of course, it was not all smooth sailing. Jurgen Klinsmann, now hailed for his role in the transformation of German football, was one game away from the sack before the 2006 World Cup, with the national body ready to abandon the “revolution” midway and go back to the old tried and tested, but a