Germany's footballers have cost coach Erich Ribbeck his job and should be ashamed of themselves, according to a senior figure at the country's football association.

As Ribbeck resigned in the wake of Germany's failure to qualify for the second round - their first such slip in a major championship since 1984 - an insider at the German FA said: 'The players let him down. They shouldn't be able to look at themselves in the mirror.'

A downcast Ribbeck said: 'Euro 2000 has been a bad experience for Germany. I have made mistakes and that is why I am retiring. The decision is a consequence of the team's catastrophic elimination. I only hope that the next coach can learn from my experience here.'

Asked if he felt let down by his team, he said: 'Yes, I feel I have been. I have not succeeded in turning Germany's best players into a conquering team.'

Ribbeck, 63, was appointed Germany head coach in September 1998 after the disappointing showing at the World Cup in France under Berti Vogts.

Sir Erich, as he was nicknamed for his politeness, immediately suffered in comparison with Vogts and World Cup-winning coach Franz Beckenbauer, and was accused of being laid-back and tactically naive.

He was a player with several regional teams before moving into coaching at the age of 31. His only trophy came with Bayer Leverkusen, when they won the UEFA Cup in 1988.