The 74-year-old former football manager who coached Greece to its stunning victory in the 2004 European Championships, Otto Rehhagel has returned to Germany where he faced criticism for comments about his country’s role in imposing harsh austerity measures on Greece.
Rehhagel revealed that German Federal Deputy Labor Minister, Hans-Joachim Fuchtel had proposed he political stances and that it wasn’t Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“This proposition has been made to me by Mr. Fuchtel and I have to confess that I didn’t expect it. I have spent so many years in Greece and my bonds with the country are so strong that I considered it as my duty to help. There are many times that politicians may say things that can be misunderstood, but I believe that everyone knows that crisis is a European and not a solely Greek phenomenon.” He said that “Merkel didn’t invent the crisis.”
Regarding statements Merkel may have made regarding Greece, Rehhagel answered indirectly. “If we get into a difficult situation, we have to stick together”, he said. “We need to tighten our belts, but not so much that we are unable to breathe.”
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