Loew: Spain, Netherlands biggest rivals

Posted Monday, October 31, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP)—Germany coach Joachim Loew named Spain and the Netherlands as his team’s biggest rivals for the title at next year’s European Championship in Poland and Ukraine.

Loew said he is aiming for Germany to win its first title in 16 years. Germany has not won a trophy since the 1996 European Championship in England. Loew’s team finished third at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

“A European Championship is in many aspects more difficult than a World Cup,” Loew said in an interview with the German federation’s website.

“From the top 12 on UEFA’s rankings, 10 nations have qualified (for next year’s) finals and the other two can do it through the playoffs. In a European championship with 16 teams there are few differences in their strength.

“And you don’t have much time to get your team working as a unit,” Loew added.

Germany won all 10 of its qualifying matches for the tournament, a domestic record.

“We are concentrating fully on Euro 2012 and on earning a title for the first time in 16 years,” he said. “Records come and go, titles stay.

“Spain and the Netherlands are surely the favorites … other established nations such as England, France and Italy belong among the favorites. But a tournament has many unknowns—a set piece, a wrong decision by the referee and you are out. But our dream is to lift the trophy in our hands in Kiev after the final,” Loew said.

Spain is the reigning world and European champion. Netherlands lost the World Cup final to Spain in 2010. Germany was the runner-up to Spain at the Euros three years ago.