Löw looking on the bright side

Germany coach Joachim Löw insisted his side had much to be proud of even though a "fantastic" campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat by Spain in the UEFA EURO 2008™ final.

'Great achievement'
Fernando Torres's 33rd-minute goal earned Spain their first trophy in 44 years, but Löw was quick to draw positives from Germany's tournament exploits. "I had a quick word with every one of my players," he said. "I told them not to feel down. Yes, we lost the final and that's a disappointment for us all, but the fact we made it to the final is an achievement in itself."

Credit to Spain
Löw, 48, also paid tribute to Spain's players, who became the first side to keep a clean sheet against Germany at these finals. "I think today we just have to give credit to the high quality of the Spanish team," he said. "They played superbly and were very good technically. We just didn't have enough today. It's disappointing we lost, but I still have to give my boys a huge compliment for what they have achieved in the last six weeks. It was fantastic."

'More dangerous'
Germany managed only one shot on target during the match in Vienna, compared with Spain's seven, and Löw conceded his side lacked a cutting edge. "I think the Spanish had the better chances, even though we could have done more to stop the goal. But in the end Spain were simply more dangerous going forward than we were." Löw therefore saw room for improvement as he looked forward to the 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign. "We need to go on working because, in this tournament, we've not always played as well as we should," he said. "We've had some good games but Spain were consistently at a high level and they deserve to be European champions. For us, it's a success to reach the final and we're going to go on working and fighting."

Ballack the leader
The coach finally reserved praise for his captain, Michael Ballack, who overcame a calf injury to play. "I was glad when Ballack and the doctors who had been looking after him indicated he would be able to play. I wouldn't like to comment on individual performances but it was good to have him there. Ballack is always very important for our team. He's our captain and did a lot of special things in this tournament. He was a leader for our team – he represents both the team and Germany very well."