Dietmar Hamann has questioned the current German squad's mentality following their exit from Euro 2012 at the semi-final stage earlier this week.
Joachim Low's side had been tipped by many to win the tournament this summer. However, they were unable to overcome the challenge of Italy, who ran out 2-1 winners in Warsaw.
Having suffered similar fates in recent tournaments, former international midfielder Hamann believes that the current crop of players are finding it difficult to cope with the weight of expectation placed upon them.
"The last four major finals have presented Germany with outstanding opportunities to win some silverware, but when it comes to the crunch we've lacked the mental strength to deal with the pressure," said the former Liverpool midfielder in his column for the Racing Post.
"We've reached the knock-out stages of the last four major finals, lost in the semis in three of them and the final in the other. And on all four occasions we've looked as though the pressure was too much."
The 38-year-old made 59 appearances for his country.
Liam Apicella
