German football chiefs have partly blamed the players’ WAGs for their World Cup failure

Posted by

German football chiefs have blamed the ‘holiday feeling’ around their ‘secluded’ resort in Qatar for their World Cup elimination. 

Hansi Flick’s team were defeated by Japan in their opening group game, putting them in an uphill battle to reach the last 16. They drew 1-1 against Spain next before beating Costa Rica 4-2 in their final group game but it was not enough to see them go through to the next round.

This was the second world cup in a row that they have been eliminated in the group stages. In 2018, they were in a group that consisted of South Korea, Sweden, and Mexico and they ended up finishing fourth in the group, joining out as reigning champions.

And now Bild (via Daily Mail) have reported that German officials are partly blaming the holiday mood around the players’ resort for their early elimination. The report says that DFB’s president, Bernd Neuendorf, and vice president, Hans-Joachim Watzke, convened for a “two-hour crisis meeting” to analyse what went wrong in their quest for World Cup glory.

The wives, girlfriends, children, and families of the players were mentioned during the meeting, with suggestions that their presence apparently made some players feel ‘uncomfortable.’

The report claims that after their draw against Spain, some players invited the WAGS to stay at their resort for two nights ahead of their crucial last game against Costa Rica. This is said to have “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 stayed at the Zulal Wellness Resort, which is a three-hour round trip from Doha.

Manager Hansi Flick has however refused to accept that the players’ families or the secluded base is to be blamed for their elimination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Stories German National Team Hansi Flick