Michael Ballack has warned the World Cup will be difficult for Germany and an exit before the semi-finals "would mean failure".
The national team captain will miss the tournament due to injury and believes the task facing Germany was always destined to be tricky.
After Germany finished runners-up in 2002 and in third place four years later, their public expect more success.
But Ballack told Stern magazine: "Straight after the draw was made, I said that people should know that you can lose against anybody in the group stages. Australia, Serbia and Ghana are all athletic, robust teams.
"Our team will have to push itself to the limit to beat big nations in the knock-out phase, and that was also the case before my withdrawal - and that is still the case."
The example of the Winter Olympic Games in which Germany's athletes did not return from Canada with the expected number of medals emphasised to Ballack how difficult it is to cope with expectation levels.
He knows Joachim Low's team are not going to be able to enjoy themselves until they reach at least the last four.
"Germany is a nation which must always win," he said.
"You really have to suffer to get to the point where the real suffering begins. You are only respected when you win.
"This is brutal for sportspeople, particularly for youngsters. That will be the case for our lads in South Africa.
"It's awful for the team when they can only really enjoy the tournament from the semi-finals.
"Anything else would mean failure. To start with, the aim is purely to avoid a catastrophe. That does push you and motivate you, but it is a merciless game."
Nevertheless, the Chelsea midfielder knows that Germany will accept the challenge of living up to not only the expectations, but the standards set in the last World Cup and at Euro 2008, where they finished runners-up to Spain.
He then hopes to return to the national team to break the 100-cap barrier on the way to what would probably be his last chance of international glory.
"I can certainly imagine myself playing at Euro 2012," he said.