Germany at the World Cup: symbolic failure?
Following a lacklustre performance against Paraguay, Germany's national football team has been knocked out in the round of 32 of the Fifa World Cup. Commentators see parallels with the state of the country as a whole.
Another blow to national pride
For the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany's humiliation reflects the mood in the country:
“In a remarkable reaction to this shameful exit from the tournament, captain Joshua Kimmich spoke of how it had been the team's duty to make the nation proud. ... The question of pride links the footballers' pitiful disaster with the mood in the country. ... People's satisfaction with living in this country over the last seventy years has been derived from many different sources in Germany. It was a pride instilled by its institutions. ... Economic prosperity was one of those sources; the efficient functioning of the public administration was another. People took pride in the work of its engineers, in its grammar schools and universities. In its healthcare, in its theatre scene. Now, however, many of these things have lost their substance.”
A test for society's resilience
This is about more than just sport, Interia emphasises:
“In times of ever-deepening social division, even ninety minutes of shared fan enthusiasm can turn out to be an institution that is more important than we generally realise. It is no coincidence that, particularly in these times, the influence of the far-right AfD is increasing; the party proposes a simpler definition of community, one based on origins rather than participation. This defeat for the German national team is therefore not just a sports event, but also a test of society's resilience. A society that continues to strive to build a sense of community that is less about nationality than about shared experiences.”
Potential catalyst for long-overdue reforms
Berlin should take its cue from previous instances of successful crisis management, advises Les Echos:
“In the past, both the German national team and the country as a whole have managed to bounce back after years of decline. As an example, the 2014 victory in Brazil was the result of a comprehensive reform of the German Football Association (DFB) and its youth development methods (inspired in particular by France) following its disastrous performance in the Euro 2000. ... Similarly, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's labour market reforms in the early 2000s came after a severe crisis marked by persistently high unemployment. Now we must wait and see whether Friedrich Merz will succeed in turning the nation's sporting trauma into a catalyst for change.”
Sweden has its own standards
The Swedish team has also been knocked out, but Dagens Nyheter is happy with its performance:
“Our lads got to take their place on the big stage. And they remembered the most important lesson, drummed into them on countless drizzly Sunday mornings: to keep fighting. Anyone can cheer on a winning team; that's easy and utterly boring. Being Swedish, on the other hand, means remaining a true fan through thick and thin. Hoping constantly, against all reason. Breaking down and getting back up again. In this kind of football, we're the best in the world.”