BABBEL BLASTS BACK
The defender has spoken to Kicker about the national side`s disastrous showing in Holland and Belgium, with the country`s press still meticulously performing a post-mortem on the proceedings.
Claims have been made that Babbel, Dietmar Hamann and Jens Jeremies over-indulged in Cologne and were dancing on the tables at a local bar.
However, Babbel retorted: "It is correct that we ate in Cologne restaurants that evening. The remainder is not true. At half eleven, we were in the hotel and went immediately to the rooms. Without any company!
"I drank not one sip of alcohol. It was said we were eating, then dancing on the tables until three o`clock, and in a casino at six o`clock. It is complete absurdity."
The former Bayern Munich star was pressed on the overall picture for the German side, who have traditionally enjoyed great success over the past 35 years.
"We malfunctioned and there is very much pain," he added. "Everything, everyone malfunctioned equally, to shift everything onto the players is too simple.
And, on the on-running dispute with skipper Matthaus, who accused his colleagues of being characterless, he blasted: "If Lothar had a character, he would have not have played in the first game, when he realised he was only 80 percent fit. The substitutes, who were 100 percent fit, felt left out.
"I did not have any problems with Lothar, though, he is a normal fellow player. It was clear - if Lothar is fit, he must play. If he plays badly, however, he must also admit it.
"The fact that he did not do it was showing just as much a weakness in character. Lothar was disconcerted, thus the entire team was disconcerted."
