'We Deserved it': German Fans Reckon with Early World Cup Exit

Germany leaves the field after the World Cup Group E soccer game between Costa Rica and Germany at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, December 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Germany leaves the field after the World Cup Group E soccer game between Costa Rica and Germany at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, December 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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'We Deserved it': German Fans Reckon with Early World Cup Exit

Germany leaves the field after the World Cup Group E soccer game between Costa Rica and Germany at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, December 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Germany leaves the field after the World Cup Group E soccer game between Costa Rica and Germany at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, December 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

In a quickly-emptying east Berlin bar, Eric Warncke is "disappointed" by Germany's shock exit from the World Cup, but says he already suspected it might happen.

After a surprise 2-1 loss in the opening game to Japan, the team left themselves a hill to climb to make it through to the knockout round in Qatar, AFP said.

A tense 1-1 draw against Spain gave them hope of qualification, but the Spaniards' own defeat at the hands of the Japanese Thursday sealed the Germans' fate despite a turbulent 4-2 win over Costa Rica.

"Nobody expected Japan to beat Spain, but in the end we were knocked out deservedly," Warncke, 27, says.

To his mind, there are "too few characters, too few leaders" in Hansi Flick's squad compared with the previous sides.

Germany used to pride itself on being a "tournament team", which always had a chance of winning World Cups.

"Individually they are all good players, but it's not a team," he says, lamenting the disappearance of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski, who lifted the trophy in 2014.

Like him, his friend Rico Wagner, 23, summed up the feeling: "Disappointed, but we also deserved it".

- Viewing figures -
After a rollercoaster game in which Germany first seemed to be going through, then did not and finally could not do enough despite a late push, the fans in the bar showed their frustration.

Even before the TV commentator confirmed Japan's win and Germany's exit, crying "this is a debacle, this is a disaster," some fans grabbed their coats and headed for the door.

The full-time whistle, when it came, was met with angry shouts.

Germany should have made it "to the quarter finals, definitely", says Levent Lanzke, 41.

"On paper it was possible, but Japan turned up. Costa Rica, too," he said with a shrug.

"Put it this way, I don't begrudge Japan," he said.

"The enthusiasm was already really low," said Sebastian Fichte, 48, reflecting on the controversial host nation Qatar and the decision to move the tournament to the European winter months from its traditional summer slot.

Concerns over human rights in Qatar have dogged preparations for the tournament and sparked calls by some of Germany's football fan clubs to boycott games.

When football's world governing body FIFA threatened teams with disciplinary action if they wore a rainbow armband to show support for diversity and inclusivity, the German players posed for a photo with their hands over their mouths. The message was clear -- they had been gagged.

Viewing figures for Germany's games so far have been well below their usual levels.

But Fichte says he will not be boycotting the rest of the World Cup despite Germany's exit.

Likewise, another fan, 43-year-old Michael Schreiber, says: "I'll watch a game or two. Definitely. I get excited about good games most of all."



Sabalenka Apologizes to Gauff for Post-Match Comments After French Open 

Second placed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts with the trophy after the final match of the French Tennis Open against Coco Gauff of the US at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP) 
Second placed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts with the trophy after the final match of the French Tennis Open against Coco Gauff of the US at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP) 
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Sabalenka Apologizes to Gauff for Post-Match Comments After French Open 

Second placed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts with the trophy after the final match of the French Tennis Open against Coco Gauff of the US at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP) 
Second placed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts with the trophy after the final match of the French Tennis Open against Coco Gauff of the US at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP) 

Aryna Sabalenka says she has written to Coco Gauff to apologize for the “unprofessional” comments she made following her loss to her American rival in the final of the French Open.

Speaking to Eurosport Germany, the top-ranked Sabalenka said her remarks after her 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 loss to Gauff at Roland-Garros this month were a mistake. In her post-match press conference in Paris, Sabalenka had suggested that the result was more due to her own errors than to Gauff's performance.

“That was just completely unprofessional of me,” Sabalenka said. “I let my emotions get the better of me. I absolutely regret what I said back then. You know, we all make mistakes. I’m just a human being who’s still learning in life. I think we all have those days when we lose control. But what I also want to say is that I wrote to Coco afterward — not immediately, but recently.”

Sabalenka hit 37 winners but finished the final with 70 unforced errors, compared to Gauff’s 30.

She said she wrote to Gauff to apologize and “make sure she knew she absolutely deserved to win the tournament and that I respect her.”

“I never intended to attack her,” Sabalanka added. “I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference. I’m not necessarily grateful for what I did. It took me a while to go back and think about it, to approach it with open eyes, and to understand. I realized a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals?”

Sabalenka, a three-time major champion, also lost to Gauff in the 2023 US Open final, where she also won the first set.

“I kept getting so emotional,” Sabalenka added. “So I learned a lot. Above all, one thing: I’m the one who always treats my opponents with great respect, whether I win or lose. Without that respect, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So it was a tough, but very valuable lesson for me.”