Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann in firing line at home after early World Cup exit

BERLIN (AP) — Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann met with his bosses to answer questions about his team’s disappointing World Cup performance at a special crisis meeting at the headquarters of the German soccer federation on Thursday.

Nagelsmann is in the firing line and his future is uncertain after Germany’s loss to Paraguay on penalties in the first knockout round on Monday.

The coach has faced criticism at home over contentious decisions, contradictory messaging, abrupt changes to earlier stated positions, sticking with struggling players at the expense of others, and ultimately failing to get the team performing at a level expected from the sum of its parts. 

Irritable media appearances also did little to endear him to viewers at home.

While Nagelsmann vowed to stay on immediately after Germany’s exit, federation president Bernd Neuendorf said the following day that the football body would “calmly look at the reasons why the team was unable to realise its potential” and that “after such a crushing blow, we cannot and do not wish to simply return to business as usual.”

It was the third early World Cup exit in a row for Germany – an embarrassment for a soccer-mad country that prides itself on always being among the contenders for the title. Germany is a four-time world champion and Nagelsmann had raised expectations by declaring the team’s intent was to win the World Cup again.

Ultimately, it did little to justify such lofty goals. Germany batted aside tournament debutant Curaçao, then needed late goals from Deniz Undav to beat Ivory Coast, before it lost its final group game to Ecuador and slumped to a loss against Paraguay.

Before the shootout, several German players declined captain Joshua Kimmich’s request for penalty takers, showing the scenario hadn’t been planned for. 

Defender Jonathan Tah was one of the players to step up, but missed the decisive spot kick.

“I’ve replayed that missed penalty in my mind thousands of times, trying to somehow steer the ball into the net in my thoughts,” Tah wrote on Instagram. “The reality is that the ball didn’t go in. And that hurts. But one thing is certain – I would take it again.”

The Bild tabloid reported that Thursday’s meeting lasted around three hours and that Nagelsmann spoke about tactical misjudgments and the atmosphere at the team camp in Winston-Salem, which has since been heavily criticised.

The 38-year-old Nagelsmann has a contract as Germany coach through the European Championship in 2028, but Neuendorf and others have reportedly asked him to resign. 

A decision is expected in the coming days.

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