Frings thirsting for final say

A broken rib will not prevent Torsten Frings reporting for duty with Germany on Sunday with the midfielder eager to reward fans back home for their irrepressible ardour.

Bearing up
The 31-year-old came on as a second-half substitute in the 3-2 win against Turkey on Wednesday night despite the injury and is determined that it will not hold him back as Joachim Löw's side meet Spain in the UEFA EURO 2008™ final in Vienna. "Even in the game against Turkey I had to take a number of blows to my broken rib, but I didn't feel a thing," said the Werder Bremen midfielder, who already has sights on Spain. "I am totally ready to play again and get stuck into challenges. I don't know if I will be chosen but I am definitely 100 per cent ready."

Something to hold
A crowd of 500,000 gathered in Berlin to cheer Germany on to victory against Turkey, and Frings would love to see an even bigger crowd if his side triumph against Spain. "On Monday [when we return] we really want to thank the fans back home for their support," he explained. "It was fantastic to have the opportunity to do that after the FIFA World Cup in 2006. This time around though, I would like to be holding something in the air in front of the people in Berlin. A party like that without a trophy is only half as much fun."

Spain strength
Germany have ridden their luck to reach the finals, while Spain have looked a more polished and dangerous side, sealing their place at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion with a 3-0 win against Russia on Thursday. "They have a strong, technically gifted team capable of cutting through the midfield like no other side," said Frings, who has scored ten goals in 76 international appearances. "We will have to put them under pressure and prevent them from getting into the game, otherwise it could prove very difficult."

'An answer'
Frings's side have rarely looked capable of holding a quality side at bay in this tournament, but the midfielder had a message for his side's detractors. "You can accuse us of a lot of things but this much is clear: we have had an answer to everything that's been thrown at us so far and that's why we are in the final. During the group phase certain things were not working and, because of that, the coached changed the system, which worked very well against Portugal. It's important now that we learn from what went on during the Turkey game."