Germany have also undergone a relatively recent transformation , shedding their traditional , battling , hardworking approach after poor returns at the 1998 World Cup in France and the European Championships two years later . Perennial underachievers England last won a major international tournament in 1966 . Journalists , pundits , players and managers put forward their blueprint for a bright new future . The media was full of stories about how the team would be better than ever before under Allardyce's guidance. Over the last decade both Spain and Germany have reinvented the way their national teams play .
Perennial underachievers England last won a major international tournament in 1966 . Journalists , pundits , players and managers put forward their blueprint for a bright new future . The media was full of stories about how the team would be better than ever before under Allardyce's guidance. Over the last decade both Spain and Germany have reinvented the way their national teams play .