Hitzfeld still hungry for success

One of Europe's most successful coaches, the 61-year-old German will take part at his first World Cup when he leads Switzerland into the fray in South Africa, having made the transition

in 2008 after nearly 25 years in club football. Hitzfeld agreed with former Brazil and current South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who once said the national team coaches, who only

see their players a few times a year, had become "selectors" rather than trainers of teams. "I feel quite the same as he does," Hitzfeld, who won the Champions League

with Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Bayern Munich four years later, told Reuters in an interview by email. You may like "National teams play about 10 to 12 games in year. But I never get

used to finding myself all alone the morning after games. I want to analyse the game with the team but there are no players, they have all left the team hotel to get back to their

clubs..." However, he has not lost his appetite for victory. "The big difference is the rhythm of games but still there is so much pressure on a coach. I am still hungry, I still

hate defeats, I still long for wins, there is no substitute for victories." UNDERDOG ROLE The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.

Hitzfeld's team do not share their coach's record for success, most recently being knocked out of Euro 2008 in the first round despite co-hosting the competition. They were also

knocked out in the first round of Euro 2004, although at the 2006 World Cup they reached the second round, lost on penalties to Ukraine and left Germany without having conceded a goal.

However, Hitzfeld would not entertain suggestions his side, who face European champions Spain, Chile and Honduras were playing the role of underdogs. "What are you talking about?"

said Hitzfeld. "The expectations in Switzerland for the 2010 World Cup are very, very high. "Having taken part three times in a row in final tournaments the Swiss national team has

spoiled the supporters a little. They forget that Switzerland is still a small country in football terms and must make a big effort to stay at a high level." Hitzfeld has long had

Swiss connections. He was born just over the border from Basel, speaks the local Swiss dialect, spent part of his playing career in Switzerland and also began coaching there. His

international career nearly came to an abrupt end when Switzerland lost a World Cup qualifier 2-1 at home to Luxemburg in only his second game, prompting some excitable calls for him to be

fired. But the team bounced back, living up to the national stereotype for precision and reliability by winning their next five qualifiers and scoring twice in each one to top a group which

also included Greece, Latvia, Moldova and Israel. SENDEROS DOUBT One of the big frustrations for any national team coach is seeing top players relegated to the substitutes bench at their

clubs and, in Hitzfeld's case, that has happened to key defen