Germans 'scarred for life', says Kahn

World Cup Qualifier: German side still in shock as world press praises England for a performance to match their best

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The German captain and goalkeeper, Oliver Kahn, said his side's mauling by England in Munich on Saturday has done permanent damage on he and his team-mates.

"The England performance was so good that I cannot believe they lost like they did to Holland in their last game," Kahn said. "This was a catastrophe and after the first goal we could not stand their pressure. We showed a lot of indecision and could not stop them We could not stop Owen. We were always struggling to keep up with him. He was so cool and clinical."

"It is the worst thing that has happened to me as a player. It will shock everyone. The players are stunned. I'm not ashamed to lose to England but to lose like that on home soil will leave scars for life."

Oliver Bierhoff, who was kept on the bench by Rudi Völler, was not best pleased. "I am disappointed about the result and angry that I did not play," the Monaco striker said. "I expected to come on in the second half. I have to talk to the manager about that." Sebastian Deisler, who epitomised German woes with a miss from six yards, said: "We wanted it so much but completely lost the plot. England had too much space. We've got to recover, there's nothing else to do."

There was condemnation, too, from older generations. Helmut Haller, who played in the 1966 World Cup final, said: "That was a disaster. The defence was poor, the midfield was nil. Hamann played Lala, Ballack was a complete failure."

Manfred von Richthofen, the president of the German Sport Federation, could barely conceal his disgust: "That was a funeral game," he said. "I missed all the typical German attributes."

England's achievement took the rest of the football world by surprise. In Sven Goran Eriksson's's native Sweden, the press were almost as pleased as in England. An article by Peter Wennman in Aftonbladet led with the headline: "Give Him a Knighthood", going on to proclaim: "England has a new national hero – and he is Swedish."

Wennman describes the English fans celebrating in Trafalgar Square and asked: "Who the hell is Lord Nelson? Today it is Sven who wins all the major battles." The sports section of another Swedish tabloid, Expressen, had a similarly heraldic headline: "King Sven Goran of England," adding that "the amazing match in Munich has given the Swede both a place in the history books and in millions of English hearts."

Italy's principal sports daily, Gazzetta dello Sport, also called for knighthoods: "Arise Sir Sven Goran of Munich and arise Sir Michael of Germany. It was the goals of Owen, a genuine world-class player, which were the shining lights of this game. Above all, this victory is down to Eriksson, the first foreigner ever to manage England after he was summoned by the FA, amid a tide of xenophobia."

Corriere dello Sport was equally glowing. "Mr Eriksson humiliates Völler!" was their headline, while Enzo Piergianni wrote: "Rudi Völler must now begin again from scratch after being overwhelmed by 'Hurricane Owen'."

French papers were more interested in France's 2-1 defeat to Chile, but England's success still merited L'Equipe's admiration, the sports daily dedicating a full page with the headline: "England blush with happiness after their colossal victory."

The paper observed that England were inspired by a French coach, Gérard Houllier. "The talented Liverpool trio of Owen, Steven Gerrard and Emile Heskey swept aside everything in their way and won the game on their own."