World is scared of German team again, says Bierhoff

BERLIN, July 1 (Reuters) Germany's run to the World Cup semi-finals has made people scared of the team again, manager Oliver Bierhoff said today.

Germany, three times World Cup winners, went out in the first round at Euro 2004 and suffered a 4-1 humiliation by Italy in March this year, the last in a series of poor results in friendlies.

The Germans will face Italy again in the semi-finals in Dortmund on Tuesday and Bierhoff is confident his team's five-match winning run at the World Cup will give the Italians plenty of cause for concern.

''The world is scared of the German national team again,'' Bierhoff, who is part of a four-man coaching team led by Juergen Klinsmann, said at a news conference today.

''We've gained respect for playing a fast, direct aggressive game and for always holding our nerve.'' Germany showed plenty of character to come back from a goal down and hold Argentina to a 1-1 draw at the end of 90 and 120 minutes in the quarter-finals yesterday before going on to clinch their place in the last four with a 4-2 win on penalties.

That gives them the chance to atone for their poor performance against Italy in Florence.

''The humiliation of that defeat is still painful,'' midfielder Torsten Frings told reporters on Saturday. ''Our performance that day was catastrophic.

''But we're so fit now, so well prepared, that we know it is not going to happen again.'' REUTERS PM RK1858