WM 1994 - Elf Helden, ein Albtraum

Franz Beckenbauer monitors the performance of both the team and the coach for a TV network, keeping in touch in the U.S. with “his World Champions,” especially Lothar Matthäus. This increases the pressure on Vogts and stirs unrest within the squad, which increasingly splits into three factions: the veteran World Champions around captain Matthäus, the younger players around Effenberg, and the former East German players, Sammer and Kirsten. Additional conflicts arise from players’ wives, who, much to Vogts’ annoyance, seek closeness with their husbands. With Stefan Raab’s mocking song, the players increasingly lose respect for their coach.

Vogts tries to prevent the team’s disintegration by giving the players more freedom, but control begins to slip from his hands. He loses trust in captain Matthäus and has to constantly put out fires. When Effenberg shows the middle finger to fans during the match against South Korea, Vogts removes him from the squad. The team turns against him, and the media start discussing Beckenbauer as a possible replacement. The Round of 16 match against Belgium becomes a crucial test for Vogts, and Germany wins convincingly. Some already see a semifinal against Italy, but first, Bulgaria awaits.