With Germany to face Euro 2012 co-hosts Poland on Tuesday, coach Joachim Loew has played down the euphoria in the media here amidst growing expectations of winning the European title next June. Germany hammered Austria 6-2 in Gelsenkirchen on Friday to become the first side to qualify for the finals.
After Loew led Germany to the Euro 2008 final and third at last year's World Cup in South Africa, expectations are growing in the German press of winning the European Championships for a fourth time. But Loew is keeping his feet firmly on the ground ahead of Tuesday's clash with Poland in Gdansk.
"I am happy without being euphoric," he told German daily Bild on Sunday.
"I have a healthy sense of reality. Or do people think that strong national teams should bow down to us, just because we beat Austria? "It is clear to everybody that we are striving for the title. "But for me, it's still too early to talk about the title."