BERLIN, Aug 11: Former Germany coach Berti Vogts claims the German Football Federation (DFB) have been 'asleep' for the past six years and that is why the German team are at such a low ebb.

Vogts, now in charge of the Scottish national side, resigned as German coach after the 1998 World Cup in France when Croatia hammered the 1990 winners 3-0 at the quarterfinal stage.

Since his departure Germany have crashed out of the last two European championships - Euro 2000 in Holland and Belgium and Euro 2004 in Portugal - at the first hurdle.

Even a final appearance in the 2002 World Cup final can not paper over the cracks for Vogts. "The DFB have been asleep for the past six years," raged Vogts in Sport Bild." There is no creativity in coaching and the flaws are enormous.

"I sometimes ask myself whether we are some kind of nation from the wilderness." The comments from Vogts come just 24 hours before new coach Jurgen Klinsmann, 40, names his first squad for the friendly match with Austria in Vienna on August 18.

Vogts refused to comment on the appointment of Klinsmann, who helped Vogt's Germany win the 1996 European championships, but indicated that former Bayern Munich star Lothar Matthaus would have been a better choice.

"The DFB made their decision but I believe that one day Matthaus will take over the role as coach of the German national team," added Vogts. Matthaus, capped a record 150 times by his country, is currently in charge of the Hungarian national side that defeated Germany 2-0 in Kaiserslautern prior to the European championships. -AFP