Media in Germany very hard after World Cup downfall: ‘End of a once great and proud football country’ | football world cup

At the country’s largest newspaper, they would like to point out that ‘the controversial millimeter decision’ in the goal of competitor Japan in the duel with Spain did not exactly help the Germans. And possibly Spain, so suspects Imagedid not give everything to equalize ‘because they preferred to finish second’.

But extenuating circumstances? Forget it. ,,Despite the final 4-2 against Costa Rica, this World Cup elimination is a huge shame! And not others, but the DFB (German Football Association, ed.), the national coach and the players are responsible for this. No one else!”

After the third debacle in a row, no one is spared in the German media from high to low. “The DFB is shipwrecked at all levels: it must not continue like this,” is Kicker scathing in his judgement. “Many are to blame for this – from national coach Hansi Flick to director Oliver Bierhoff to DFB chairman Bernd Neuendorf.”

“The result that fits the big mess,” headlines the South German Zeitung. ,,Almost nobody was looking forward to the World Cup in Qatar and now the German team is going home as soon as possible. Sportingly, after the major setback, there are questions – especially to the national coach. This winter nightmare will continue for a long time.”

The downfall of the Mannschaft, previously painted off at the 2018 World Cup (first round) and the 2021 European Championship (eighth finals), is not an isolated event. “Since winning the 2014 World Cup, it’s been going downhill,” he said Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). “The return to the top of the world is only an illusion for the DFB team.”

According to FAZ Germany has deceived itself. “Brutal self-deception. Eighteen months before the European Championship in their own country, German football looks into a deep abyss. The game against Costa Rica harrowing – and a mirror of recent years.”

“On this December 1, 2022, we witnessed the end of a once great and proud football country,” writes Image. ,,Four times world champion, three times European champion – that was one time!

National coach Flick gets it Image, but according to the newspaper it is not the only problem. “The problems run deeper. But Flick also made mistakes. He has not built a strong axis in his year and a half. He ‘coached’ the 1-2 against Japan with his substitutions and he was too stubborn to give in to the wishes of millions of fans for the new favorite Füllkrug to start against Costa Rica. The national coach must quickly learn from these mistakes.”

The fact is, however, as you know Image: ,,None of us is world class anymore! But nobody in the DFB camp wanted to admit it.”

Kicker saw how the duel with the weak Costa symbolized the past few months under Flick. ,,In which the lack of a killer instinct was the biggest constant of this selection. The late final sprint didn’t change that either and proved only one thing: that it was possible to score seven or eight goals against these Costa Ricans.”

There is also criticism of DFB president Neuendorf, who was bullied by FIFA in the OneLove band discussion. “Instead of solving the problem quickly, the DFB let the problem get bigger and bigger – until it completely overshadowed the sporting preparations and also caused unrest in the team,” he said. Kicker.

What now? There is not much sense in firing Flick, as can be read in the German media. Although the image of the multi-winner from Bayern Munich suffered a dent. It is not their fault that good backs and top strikers are no longer trained in Germany. He has to deal with it. Kicker: ,,Given the multitude of sporting and managerial problems, one thing is clear: it will not get any easier for the 57-year-old and his team in the future. The World Cup in Qatar gave him a more than bitter taste.”

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