German striker and captain Oliver Bierhoff was ruled out for the rest of the Euro 2000 tournament this morning. German team officials said on a right calf injury Bierhoff sustained in training on Wednesday was worse than expected and that the AC Milan striker would not be able to play even if Germany reached the later stages of the tournament.
Team spokesman Wolfgang Niersbach said: "The injury is worse than we had first thought and the tournament is over for him."
German coach Erich Ribbeck said: "It's a big blow for us and especially for him. He's staying with us and I'm sure he will have a positive influence on the group."
Germany, who play England on Saturday in their second Group A match, are unable to replace Bierhoff because tournament rules bar squad changes after the first match.
