"Helpless, frustrating, second-rate": These were the comments on social media following yet another early exit by the German men's national soccer team from a World Cup. In the capital, Berlin, the disappointment was palpable early Tuesday morning. Eliminated by Paraguay after a lackluster performance, the team lost in a penalty shootout.
The reaction from the Federal Chancellery came in the middle of the night in Germany, immediately after the match had ended. "Even though the elimination hurts: What a game! With your dedication and team spirit at this World Cup, you've inspired our country. We're proud of you," read Chancellor Friedrich Merz's post.
Pride, dedication, even enthusiasm? Many were left scratching their heads asking whether Merz actually watched the same game as roughly 16 million Germans who had stayed up late to watch the elimination live around 2 a.m. (CET)?
Clearly, these fans haven't been exactly "inspired" by Germany's poor World Cup showing Image: Tom Weller/dpa/picture alliance
The post drew scathing comments. Even from Moscow, where Kirill Dmitriev, a confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote on X: "Merz is good at repeatedly fostering failure."
