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Bobic grateful to two coaches for having faith

Calum Philip
Saturday 07 June 2003 00:00 BST
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Few appreciate a second chance more than Fredi Bobic, which is perhaps why Germany's re-born striker believes that Berti Vogts can beat the odds.

Bobic could deepen the gloom surrounding Scotland's manager if he continues his rich vein of scoring at Hampden Park today, but took time out yesterday to ponder the problems of the man who gave him his first cap for Germany. "He is rebuilding a new team and that needs time," Bobic said of his former national coach. "His target is to take Scotland to the World Cup finals in 2006 and you have to be patient."

It seems an age ago. Back in October 1994, Bobic was an eager young frontman when Vogts called him for his debut against Hungary. Today he will win only his 25th cap. It seems scant reward for a player who was once the most expensive striker in the Bundesliga, but the statistics do not do justice to Bobic's roller-coaster life in recent years.

"I should have had more caps," he said, as a huge grin illuminated the press conference at Germany's hotel tucked away in the Lanarkshire countryside before the Group Five match against the Scots. "Still, some people did not think I would have even that number, given everything that has happened to me."

Bobic is back doing what he does best, scoring goals, after overcoming testicular cancer. The disease wrecked his time at Borussia Dortmund - where he had moved for a record £10m fee from Vfb Stuttgart in 1999 - and Bobic was so eager to rebuild his career that he even came on loan to England, where he played 21 games in the Premiership for Bolton Wanderers.

He went back to Dortmund last summer and sat on the sidelines until Hannover rescued him by offering another loan. Twenty goals later, he had re-established himself as a Bundesliga striker - which brought a recall to Germany's colours from Rudi Völler - and has just earned a transfer to Hertha Berlin.

"I am really grateful to Rudi Völler for bring me back so soon after I returned to the Bundesliga because not everyone had faith in me," said Bobic, who relishes being back in Britain. "You always get a special game when you play against British teams. Your opponents run and fight all day and if the football is not as technically nice as Germany, it does not matter. British football is all about passion with a capital 'P'. I cannot wait to play at Hampden Park, it is like the Scottish 'Wembley' and is a beautiful place to play such a game."

That view might not be endorsed by three of Bobic's team-mates. Michael Ballack, Carsten Ramelow and Bernd Schneider all played there last season in the Champions' League final for Bayer Leverkusen, but lost 2-1 to Real Madrid. Ballack has left "Neverkusen" as the serial-losers were dubbed by the German press and become a winner at Bayern Munich, and such is his importance that Völler will wait until kick-off today before deciding on the midfielder, who has a calf strain.

"It is a problem he has had for some time," the German national coach explained yesterday. "He aggravated it playing for Bayern in the German Cup final last weekend. He did not train last night, nor today and he simply had physiotherapy. He is a key player to us and I've stated that a lot over the last few weeks, so it is highly ironic that his appearance in this game is now in jeopardy."

Völler, though, has plenty of other options, something that cannot be said for his erstwhile mentor, Vogts. However, the German coach was keen to stress that Hampden Park - even when inhabited by the pale shadow of a Scotland side that Vogts has assembled - is still a formidable place.

"I was in Lithuania when there were 4,000 Scottish fans supporting their team flat out. It was a passionate occasion. With that multiplied, Hampden will be even harder for us. Berti's results in the qualifying group have been quite good, apart from that slip in Lithuania. But we also drew with them, which puts it into context. At national level, people only look at results, never the bigger picture. Berti is rebuilding. I wish him luck - but not on Saturday."

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