Low dismisses talk of Algerian revenge

Joachim Low insists the ‘disgrace of Gijon’ 32 years ago will have no bearing on Germany’s clash with Algeria in the FIFA World Cup last 16.

At the finals in Spain in 1982, West Germany and Austria played out a mutually beneficial 1-0 scoreline that saw both teams progress from the group stage at the expense of the north African nation.

Algeria’s 1-1 draw with Russia on Thursday confirmed their place in the knockout phase and set up a second-round clash against Low’s men in Porto Alegre.

However, a generation on from that infamous game in Gijon, Germany’s head coach brushed aside suggestions it could become a factor on Monday.

“No, forget it, this is not an issue,” he said. “We have not talked about it.

“In Algeria it is an issue and a clear attempt to motivate your team with this.

“But players of Algeria were not even born, that was done over 30 years ago and is not an issue for us.”

Should Germany advance, they could face France in the quarter-finals, but Low’s focus remains solely on Monday’s opponents.

“France are not in our heads,” he said. “We have said that anyone who underestimates our opponents are wrong.

“We must go step by step and not look at any hypotheticals.”