It was not just in Qatar that the German team lost much of their reputation as an invincible team that could, if necessary, turn games around up to the last minute. World Cup preliminary round 2018, European Championship round of 16 2021, World Cup preliminary round 2022 – the proud football nation, decorated with four World Cup and three European Championship titles, has finally lost the tournament team seal of approval. Even the German national coach Hansi Flick could not increase the potential of the 26-strong World Cup squad.
The 57-year-old never found his dream eleven in the tournament after the false start against Japan, and sticking with veteran star Thomas Müller was particularly fatal. Flick provided numerous points of attack. The focus is now on Flick and DFB director Oliver Bierhoff – those responsible in the sporting area. Flick wants to “very, very quickly” work on the proclaimed and far-fetched goal of winning the title and the clearly missed return to the top of the world. “I’m always someone who is very critical and that will also be reflected in the analysis,” he said. That will be done very promptly.
Disaster for Germany
Four years after the historic preliminary round at the World Cup in Russia, the German national team experienced the next disaster in Qatar. A 4-2 win against Costa Rica in the last group game on Thursday was not enough for Germany to advance to the knockout rounds.
Players do not skimp on self-criticism
Both Flick and Bierhoff ruled out personal consequences. While still in shock from the next disaster, both had made it clear that they wanted to continue their work, that the home European Championship in 2024 should be their next goal. “I enjoy it. We have a good team,” said Flick. Bierhoff was also deliberately combative. “I have a very good feeling about myself,” said the 54-year-old. As an experienced player, he was of course very well aware that he was also being questioned on Friday night. “Unfortunately I don’t have any arguments with three bad tournaments that I could argue with,” he said.
In the stadium, after the final whistle, the players repeatedly used the word “anger”, but also self-accusations. “It’s our own fault,” said Serge Gnabry, whose 1-0 at the end of a seemingly surreal evening was just as worthless as the goals from substitutes Kai Havertz (two) and Niclas Füllkrug. “We have to get our heads around the fact that we’re going to lose against Japan, and we could do better against Spain (1-1, note). Of course it’s bitter, but anything can happen in football. That’s why we said at half-time that we weren’t taking it lightly. That it goes like this, it could also be a horror movie.”
Flick knew what was to come for the team and him, and not just in the media. “We all played a big part in helping us go home,” said the national coach, who, like Bierhoff, still has a contract with the DFB until 2024. During the night, there was not only intensive talking on the way back to the team quarters. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf announced a crisis meeting with Flick, Bierhoff and DFL Supervisory Board Chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke for the coming week. “My expectation of the sporting management is that they carry out an initial analysis at this meeting, a sporting analysis of this tournament, but that they also develop perspectives for the time after the tournament with a view to the European Championships in their own country,” said Neuendorf am Friday before going home.
Team is about to change
With a view to the European Championships at home, the association can hardly afford to simply “continue as it was in 2018 with the then national coach Joachim Löw and Bierhoff at the helm. The players must also be discussed intensively. Bayern striker Müller was the closest to a resignation shortly after the game. “If that was my last game for Germany, then I would like to say a few words to all the fans,” said the 33-year-old. “It was an enormous pleasure. Dear people, thank you very much. We had incredible moments together. ”But Müller would like to talk to his wife first, as well as to Flick.
Captain Manuel Neuer would like to continue “as long as I’m invited and show my performance”, emphasized the 36-year-old. Joshua Kimmich, the leader of the 1995/96 generation, seemed to have been hit hardest, allowing a deep look into his wounded soul. “We’re going back home. Accordingly, I’m a bit afraid of really falling into a hole,” said the 27-year-old with tears in his eyes: “For me it’s really, I would say, the most difficult day of my career. I joined in 2016, before that Germany was always in the semi-finals. Then you come along and are eliminated twice in the preliminary round, last year in the round of 16. That’s not something you want to stand for.”
