ɪt wʌzɐ lˈoʊ pˈɔɪnt fɚðə dʒˈɜːməni nˈæʃənəl tˈiːm, hˌuːz pɚfˈoːɹmənsᵻz hɐdbɪn wˈɜːsənɪŋ sˈɪns ˈæftɚ ðə jˈuːfə jˈʊɹɹoʊ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɪks tˈaɪɾəl.
It was a low point for the Germany national team, whose performances had been worsening since after the UEFA Euro 1996's title.