My biggest game: Simon Rolfes – wonderful panic

He hasn't forgotten the game. After 14 years and over 450 appearances as a professional footballer. Simon Rolfes is still well aware of that game. And that is also due to the fact that the Bayer 04 sporting director is reminded of it again and again. For example at the UEFA management course, which he completed alongside the former Portugal striker Nuno Gomes. Or in January 2020, when he was sat opposite Edmond Tapsoba's agent – a certain Deco, the long-standing midfield maestro for Porto and Barcelona who twice won the Champions League. "Neither of them are keen on talking about that match," said Rolfes with a smile. The Portuguese side went into the match as favourites. "A side full of world-class players, a fantastic team," enthused Rolfes looking back. And in June 2008 this team was seen as the likely winners of the European Championship title under the Brazilian coach Luis Felipe Scolari. Four years earlier, Portugal lost out in the European Championship at home against the stubborn Greeks in the final, and two years later there was an exit in the World Cup semi-finals with a narrow defeat to France. Now, at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, the Portuguese sailed through the group stage to the quarter-finals with the side including World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe, Deco and Co.

first an Option, then the first choice

But now they faced Germany in Basel. The team under coach Joachim Löw that stumbled through to the knockout rounds. In the final group match, Germany progressed to the quarter-finals against hosts Austria thanks to a stunning strike from a free kick by Michael Ballack – with Simon Rolfes on the bench. The defensive midfielder had not been on the pitch for one minute in the tournament up to that point and he previously clocked up a total of ten international appearances but none for the full 90 minutes. But this one game at St Jakob Park "made a big change in me being seen as an international player," said Rolfes. The match, as DER SPIEGEL wrote back then, would be considered as the most important international in Rolfes career in 20 years time. Before that, the Leverkusen player was only an option in defensive midfield and the first choice afterwards."

The Germany team had to be rejigged due to the sudden illness of the usual number six Torsten Frings; and Löw, who had been sent to the stands due to a verbal exchange with Austria coach Josef Hickersberger, changed the tactical formation with two holding midfielders and Michael Ballack. Behind the captain in the heart of the defence were the Stuttgart player Thomas Hitzlsperger – and Simon Rolfes. The Portuguese were surprised by the change with the Leverkusen player being anything but an emergency solution: "2008 and 2009 were definitely my best years on the pitch," said Rolfes. In the three years before the start of the European Championships, he played in 100 of 102 Bundesliga matches for Bayer 04. Accordingly he went into the quarter-final clash in confident mood: "I was relaxed and not at all nervous. The set-up with two holding midfielders and 'Balle' in front of me as a 10 suited me," said Rolfes, "the strategic game, closing down space." And the then 26-year-old delivered; like the whole team who countered the higher individual class of the Portugal side. "They were the clear favourites but you have to beat us Germans first," said Rolfes. "We went into every challenge with that mentality but we also played good football."

Rolfes and Hitzlsperger as Duo in front of the defence

27.7 million people (market share: 78.7%) followed the game on ARD in wonder and they were captivated by the Germany team that was on equal terms from the kick-off. And the just reward came on 20 minutes. First, Bastian Schweinsteiger (22') scored following a brilliant attack down the left flank and then Miroslav Klose (26') headed home from a free kick taken by Schweinsteiger. "We were really up for it," said Rolfes. The stadium was full of Germans and it was like a home game." Images from back then show a black, red and gold sea in the Swiss city on the border with the support on the side of the underdogs. The Portugal goal scored by Nuno Gomes (40') primarily had a psychological effect. "You could see on the pitch that the Portuguese thought the game was turning round after it was 2-1 and that they were already on top." But it turned out differently mainly because Rolfes and Hitzlsperger were working together brilliantly as they cleverly broke up the passing game of the South Europeans.

The highly fancied Scolari team could not get going. Rolfes can almost still remember what it felt like. "They became more and more hectic minute by minute and after 'Balle' made it 3-1 it was almost panic." The headed goal by Michael Ballack (61') left the Portuguese stranded. With the exception of increasing physicality, they had little to offer against the controlled, smart but also powerful game of the German team. "It was a wonderful feeling. On the pitch you could see that they were close to desperation." The goal scored by Helder Postiga (87') came too late – Germany had, under the eyes of the nervous Jogi Löw in the VIP box, won a knock-out match in the European Championships for the first time after 12 years. At the centre of the action: Simon Rolfes who went the full distance for the first time in an international match.

Emotional moment in the dressing room with Hansi Flick

The European Championship debutant Rolfes sat pumped up after the game but also happy in the room of the German physiotherapists led by Adi Katzenmeier when the current Germany coach Hansi Flick came in. Löw’s assistant back then was also making his debut – as head coach for one game. The two are connected by a common history. Five years earlier, Flick, then coach of the Regional League side TSG Hoffenheim, tried in vain to attract the young Simon Rolfes away from Bremen. Flick looked at him with a smile: "Neither of us would have thought back then that we would be sitting here now." It was an emotional moment.

What happened next? In the semi-final against Turkey (3-2), Rolfes was – in spite of Frings’ recovery – the number one choice but he had to go off at half-time due to an injury. And when Spain took the lead in the final, "I knew I wouldn't get on the pitch." Rolfes laughs. He was in the win against Portugal. And he had taken that to heart as he said straight after the game in an interview with the SPIEGEL: "It was the most important game of my career."

Match stats:

Portugal vs Germany 2-3 (1-2)

Thursday 19 June 2008, 20.45 CEST (Euros quarter-finals)

Portugal: Ricardo – Bosingwa, Pepe, Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira – Petit (Helder Postiga 73’) – Moutinho (Raul Meireles 31’), Deco – Simao, Nuno Gomes (Nani 67’), Ronaldo

Germany: Lehmann – Friedrich, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Lahm – Rolfes, Hitzlsperger (Borowski 73’) – Schweinsteiger (Fritz 83’), Ballack, Podolski – Klose (Jansen 89’)

Goals: 0-1 Schweinsteiger (22’), 0-2 Klose (26’), 1-2 Nuno Gomes (40’), 1-3 Ballack (61’), 2-3 Helder Postiga (87’)

Referee: Fröjdfeldt (Sweden)

Attendance: 39,374 at St. Jakob Park, Basel

This article is taken from edition 35 Werkself Magazine that appeared in March 2022.