Groundhog day for Germany with no end in sight to World Cup rot

Germany had scored 17 of their 18 attempts in men’s World Cup penalty shoot-outs – before Monday.

Three of the weakest penalties imaginable followed in the last-32 defeat to Paraguay, summing up a deep malaise which has engulfed the Germany men’s team since they last lifted the famous trophy in 2014.

Coach Julian Nagelsmann was angered by Jonathan Tah’s header being ruled out for a debatable foul in extra-time, which would have made it 2-1 to the Germans.

But the majority of the players – including veteran keeper Manuel Neuer – said the team also had themselves to blame.

“Disappointing is the right word. Everyone is sad, disappointed,” he told reporters after probably his last Germany game, having come out of international retirement at 40 for the tournament.

“There is not much talk. We didn’t have enough cutting edge. The second goal would of course have been perfect. That is extremely bitter. I gave everything.”

Neuer saved one Paraguay penalty but Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade’s efforts were easily saved by Orlando Gill, while Tah’s spot-kick sailed way over the bar in the 4-3 shoot-out loss.

Captain Joshua Kimmich, who played most of the World Cup as right back despite being a midfield general for mighty Bayern Munich, scored his penalty but was honest in his assessment of the overall performance.

“It is difficult to put into words what is going on inside me right now. It is clear that we are out early again because we could not beat a weaker opponent,” Kimmich opined.

“It especially comes at a time when it would, I think, do us a lot of good in Germany if we had something to be proud of. Unfortunately the national team is not that right now. We all bear responsibility for that and we also have to take responsibility for it.”

Klopp shrugs off speculation

Nagelsmann has said he will not resign and the German Football Federation (DFB) may be loathed to act given he has a contract until the 2028 Euros.

By reaching the knock-outs – and as group winners – he has also done better than predecessor Hansi Flick, who stayed in the job initially despite his side being knocked out in the group stage in 2022.

The 2014 World Cup-winning coach Joachim Löw also saw his 2018 side crash out in the groups.

The fact former Bayern Munich title-winning coach Nagelsmann, Flick – who has since won two league championships with Barcelona – and the storied Löw could not get their team to play effectively points to bigger problems than the coach.

The Massachusetts heat on Monday, long hard seasons for underperformers such as Florian Wirtz, and the fact Jamal Musiala is not 100% fit from last year’s leg break are all reasons for the exit.

But losing to Mexico and South Korea in 2018, Japan in 2022 and Ecuador and Paraguay in 2026 is not normal for a national side previously known for its hard-to-beat nature and touches of flair.

The losses to France, England and Spain in the last three Euros were all accepted by fans, but this elimination is being viewed by pundits as different.

Former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp is the obvious candidate if the German Football Federation (DFB) does decide to axe Nagelsmann, although he has been backed by the federation sporting director Rudi Völler.

But the state of the men’s team might mean he is not interested.

“I understand that my name is being mentioned. But this is not the moment. There is nothing to say about that,” Klopp, currently in a boardroom role at the Red Bull franchises, told MagentaTV.

Havertz, who had headed in the equalizer to make it 1-1 in normal time, was asked if Germany were now a second-tier men’s international team.

“Yes, it seems so for sure,” he said.