Germany chiefs blamed ‘holiday feeling’ at camp in World Cup crisis meeting as families caused ‘friction’


Germany Football Association chiefs have reportedly blamed a ‘holiday feeling’ at the country’s World Cup base for their early exit from the tournament.

Hansi Flick’s side lost to Japan in their opening group match of the World Cup, giving them an uphill struggle to qualify for the last 16.

Germany managed to draw 1-1 with Spain and beat Costa Rica 4-2 in their other group games but it wasn’t enough as Luis Enrique’s side pipped them to second place on goal difference.

It was the second World Cup in a row where they failed to reach the knockout stages with the inquest into their exit starting as soon as the final whistle blew against Costa Rica.

And Bild (via the Daily Mail) claims that German chiefs reckon the ‘holiday feeling’ at the team’s ‘secluded’ hotel was partly to blame for their exit from the World Cup.

DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and vice president Hans-Joachim Watzke held a ‘two-hour crisis meeting’ to dissect where the country went wrong in their quest for World Cup glory.

The players’ wives, girlfriends, children and families were brought up in the meeting with their presence apparently making some players feel ‘uncomfortable’.

Bild claim that some wives and girlfriends were ‘taking selfies in the pool while players looked after kids’ after the German players had invited their families over for two nights ahead of their crucial match against Costa Rica.

It is claimed that the families of the Germany players ’caused friction among German FA staff, senior management and some players’ with the DFB hierarchy ‘left as bemused by events off the pitch as events on it’.

Germany boss Flick ‘does not accept’ that wives, girlfriends and the players’ families are partially to blame for their exit.

It was confirmed earlier in the week that Flick will lead Germany into Euro 2024 despite being in charge of an embarrassing group-stage exit at the World Cup.

The backing means he will remain in charge for the European Championship which is on home soil in 18 months.

Flick said on the DFB website: “My coaching staff and I are optimistic about the European Championship in our own country.

“As a team, we can achieve a lot more than we showed in Qatar. We missed a great opportunity there. We will learn our lessons from that.

“I have faith in the joint path agreed today with Bernd Neuendorf and Aki Watzke. We all want the whole of Germany to gather behind the national team again at the home European Championship in 2024.”

READ MORE: Germany crash out of the World Cup by the narrowest possible margin

 





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