German humour?

Being a fan of good football by choice/ aesthetic snobbery, and a fan of the England national team by birth, I find it hard to feel disappointed about England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008. It might, eg, signal new direction in the terminally unimaginative English FA, including perhaps the removal of the uncannily Dickensian Brian Barwick. Who scares me. It is certainly somehow sad that Wayne Rooney will be 26 by the time the next major tournament comes around. Still I suppose it means he can concentrate on the more obviously glorious Champions League.

At the bottom of this article Joachim Low, the German national team manager, says its sad that "the Fatherland" of football has not qualified for a major tournament. Is this a brilliantly tongue in cheek response by a Dads Army watching German? Has sometihng been gained/ lost in translation? Or am I reading too much into it?!