Germany suffered its first ever defeat in a penalty shootout, falling to Paraguay and being eliminated from the World Cup.
German players in shock after being eliminated from the World Cup (Image: VCG via Getty Images)
Germany’s shocking World Cup defeat has left the country’s media in turmoil and calls for change at the top. The four-time champions were eliminated in the Round of 32 after a 1-1 draw with Paraguay before losing on penalties.
The way they lost was even more shocking. Germany had never lost in a World Cup penalty shootout before, but that record was sensationally stopped by the South American team. The South Americans defended manfully for 120 minutes, with Jose Canale scoring the deciding spot-kick in sudden death after Kai Havertz, Nick Waltemade and Jonathan Tarr missed.
The result is widely expected to spell the end for coach Julian Nagelsmann, who was already unpopular with some fans and media. Following one of the worst days in German football history, the calls for him to step down are deafening.
Tabloid Bild said Germany “performed really badly for most of the match. Slow, boring, lethargic. This is another German football nightmare!” Der Spiegel called this “the decline of a once-great soccer nation,” adding, “Nagelsmann’s name is also engraved in Germany’s failure at the World Cup.”
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Sky Sports Germany reported that Nagelsmann’s team “lacked everything: speed, ideas, breakthroughs and chances” in the first half. A number of “established players”, including Arsenal’s Havertz, were singled out for criticism, while the group was branded a “failed generation”.
Nagelsmann once again faced the brunt of the criticism, with the report adding: “However bitter it may be, the outcome is not surprising. Therefore, things cannot continue as they are.”
A poll on the Sky Sports Germany website found that 93% of voters wanted Nagelsmann, who is under contract until 2028, to step down.
Julian Nagelsmann unlikely to keep his job (Image: VCG via Getty Images)
Bild newspaper has already decided on the candidate to replace him, Jurgen Klopp. After Nagelsmann failed to do so, he criticized the former Liverpool manager, saying he was “the only one qualified to save German football.” He cruelly added, “On the contrary, he crashed headlong into the wall.”
Foreign media also had a field day. After winning the title for Spain, Marca declared, “Germany is no longer Germany. It is an unprecedented feat to miss out on the group stage for the second consecutive World Cup.”
There are already calls for Jurgen Klopp to replace Nagelsmann (Image: Getty Images)
“On the third try, they succeeded. But they didn’t go any further. Paraguay sent them home in the first round on penalties. In previous World Cups, the Germans never failed with this discipline. Germany is not what it used to be.”
Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper wrote: “Germany, what a huge failure!” Est, the Mexican title, added: “The German myth is over!”
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