Germany suffered their first-ever penalty shootout defeat as they were sent tumbling out of the World Cup by Paraguay
Germany players in a state of shock after their World Cup exit
Germany players were in a state of shock after their World Cup exit(Image: VCG via Getty Images)
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Germany's shocking World Cup exit has sent the country's media into a tailspin, demanding change at the top. The four-time champions crashed out as they were beaten on penalties by Paraguay following a 1-1 draw in the round of 32.
The manner of the defeat was even more stunning. Germany had never previously lost a World Cup shootout, but that record was ended sensationally by the South Americans, who defended manfully for 120 minutes before Jose Canale hit the winning spot-kick in sudden death after Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah had missed.
The result is widely expected to signal the end for manager Julian Nagelsmann, who was already unpopular with a section of fans and media. Calls for him to go are now deafening following one of the worst days in German football history.
Tabloid Bild said Germany had "delivered a truly awful performance for much of the game. Slow. Boring. Lethargic. It's another German football nightmare!" Spiegel called it the "decline of a once great football nation" and added: "German World Cup failure also bears the name Nagelsmann."
Sky Sport Germany said Nagelsmann's side "lacked everything: speed, ideas, penetration, chances" in the first half. A host of "established players" were singled out for criticism, including Arsenal's Havertz, while the group was branded a "failed generation."
Again, Nagelsmann took the brunt of criticism, with the report adding: "The end, however bitter it may have been, is no surprise. Therefore, things cannot continue as they are."
In a poll on the Sky Sport Germany website, 93 per cent of voters called for Nagelsmann, who has a contract until 2028, to leave.
Julian Nagelsmann
Julian Nagelsmann is unlikely to keep his job(Image: VCG via Getty Images)
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Bild has already nailed its colours to the mast in terms of a replacement: Jurgen Klopp. It called the former Liverpool boss "uniquely qualified to save German football" after Nagelsmann had failed to do so. It brutally added: "On the contrary, he crashed headlong into a wall."
Foreign media has also had a field day. Spanish title Marca declared: "Germany is no longer Germany. They failed to advance from the group stage at two consecutive World Cups – an unprecedented feat.
Jurgen Klopp following Germany's defeat to Paraguay
There are already calls for Jurgen Klopp to replace Nagelsmann(Image: Getty Images)
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"On their third attempt, they made it. But they didn't get any further. Paraguay sent them home in the first round on penalties – a discipline in which the Germans had previously been infallible at World Cups. Germany is not what it once was."
Gazzetta dello Sport of Italy wrote: "Germany, what a flop!" Mexican title Esto added: "The German myth is over!"
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