BERLIN, June 1 (Reuters) - Head coach Erich Ribbeck was almost smiling for a change as Germany entered the last stretch of preparations for the defence of their European title.

'The players have got clear heads again,' he said as the squad broke training camp in Mallorca.

'They all share the same goal. I'm leaving with more answers than questions.'

Ribbeck, who has been under pressure to quit after a series of uninspired performances, witnessed a convincing 4-0 demolition of Real Mallorca in a friendly on Tuesday night.

But what must have pleased him most was that internal squabbling had stopped at last and everybody appeared to be in a positive frame of mind.

'I'm much more optimistic for the European championship than I was before the training camp,' said Bayern Munich midfielder Mehmet Scholl. 'The atmosphere is even nearly better than before Euro 1996. We had our doubts then, too.'

Ribbeck, who made no late changes to his squad of 22 announced on May 22, faces a tough test against the Czech Republic in a friendly in Nuremberg on Saturday.

The Germans can turn to history for inspiration, having beaten the Czechs 2-1 in the European championship final four years ago.

The three times world champions will then take on modest Liechtenstein in their final warm-up in Freiburg on June 7 before heading for their Euro 2000 base in the Dutch village of Vaalsbroek, near the German border.