Germany so close to achieving ultimate football revolution

For all the talk of this possibly being the coronation of Lionel Messi and for all his moments of brilliance that have elevated this tournament above the average, facing him tomorrow is a story just as remarkable.

For Germany, victory would be the culmination of an unprecedented revolution but to get a sense of just what they’ve achieved, you’ve to realise how low they had sunk. Back in 1997, despite being European champions and despite having both the Champions League and Uefa Cup winners, the nation’s football was rapidly plunging into a level of chaos it had never before known. The end of a ruthless era was fast approaching and took them by surprise.

Such was the sudden shortage of adequate players, Karlsruher’s South African striker Sean Dundee was granted citizenship despite having no German connections while not long after, Brazilian-born Paulo Rink discovered his grandparents were from the country and was absorbed as well.