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Klinsmann Slams Germany's 'Shameful' World Cup Exit
🇰🇷 South Korea /Sports

Klinsmann Slams Germany's 'Shameful' World Cup Exit

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Former South Korean national team coach Juergen Klinsmann criticized Germany's early exit from the 2026 World Cup.
  • He called the defeat to Paraguay "shameful" and "terrible," citing a lack of energy and preparation.
  • This marks another early World Cup exit for Germany, following similar disappointments in 2018 and 2022.

Juergen Klinsmann, the former coach of the South Korean national football team, has strongly criticized his home country's unexpected elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Germany's journey ended after a penalty shootout loss to Paraguay in the Round of 32, a result Klinsmann described as "shameful" and "terrible."

Naturally, today is a very sad day for everyone in Germany. I did not expect to be eliminated in the Round of 32.

— Juergen KlinsmannKlinsmann shared his feelings about Germany's unexpected World Cup exit.

Speaking to ESPN, Klinsmann expressed his deep disappointment, stating, "I did not expect to be eliminated in the Round of 32." He observed that the team seemed unprepared for the match, lacking the necessary "energy, determination, and aggression" to secure a victory against Paraguay. Klinsmann was particularly critical of the team's penalty shootout performance, calling it "absurd" and highlighting a clear lack of preparation in that crucial aspect of the game.

The process of being eliminated is truly disappointing.

— Juergen KlinsmannKlinsmann elaborated on his disappointment with the team's performance.

Klinsmann emphasized the severity of the outcome, calling the defeat "devastating and embarrassing." He drew parallels to Germany's previous World Cup failures, including the 2018 exit in Russia and the 2022 elimination in Qatar. Despite a promising start to the group stage with two wins, Germany's campaign was cut short by an unexpected upset in the Round of 32, leaving the nation in a difficult position.

The team did not seem ready to play for 120 minutes. There was a lack of energy, determination, and aggression to win against Paraguay.

— Juergen KlinsmannKlinsmann analyzed the reasons behind Germany's loss.

Germany's recent World Cup history has been marked by early exits. In 2018, they were eliminated in the group stage after a surprising loss to South Korea. Four years later in Qatar, they failed to advance past the group stage once again, finishing behind Japan. This latest defeat adds to a pattern of underperformance on the global stage, raising significant questions about the future of German football.

At the last moment, it seemed like they were not prepared for a penalty shootout at all. It's absurd.

— Juergen KlinsmannKlinsmann criticized the team's lack of preparation for the penalty shootout.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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