Illustration of a soccer player wearing a crown that has slipped far down. A soccer hits him on the head and bounces off.

How to Lose Like the Germans: On German Soccer Defeats

It’s all over. Despite a great performance, the Germany national team was knocked out of the European Championships – unfortunately not the first disappointment at major tournaments. Here we recount 5 stories of German soccer defeats and how the nation coped with them

July 6, 2024
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3 min read
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Lufthansa Editorial Team

1) Pride comes before a fall 

Unbeatable for years to come – that was head coach Franz Beckenbauer's triumphant prediction after leading Germany to victory at the 1990 World Cup in Rome. It turned out to be just two. At the 1992 European Championship, the national team, under the Kaiser's successor Berti Vogts, lost in the final to Denmark, the surprise team of the tournament. The Danes hadn’t even qualified for the tournament, but were called up as a last-minute replacement for Yugoslavia, who had been excluded due to the Balkan conflict. 

Illustration of a soccer player standing in front of two footballs. In the background, a goalkeeper guards his goal with outstretched arms.

2) Second chances 

"I can’t take this garbage anymore!" There have certainly been national team head coaches who have handled criticism of their team’s poor performance better than Rudi Völler. It didn't help that Germany were knocked out of the 2004 European Championship in Portugal in the group stage, which also sealed the fate of "Tante Käthe". But the Germans do not hold grudges. Völler made a triumphant comeback as DFB sporting director, and even returned to the dugout as interim head coach in a 2-1 victory over a strong French team. The reconciliation only took... about 20 years.

Illustration of two soccer players arguing with a raised finger. Between them is a speech bubble in the shape of a soccer ball.

3) Forever denied 

Was it in? Of course it was, say the English. Never, the Germans know. To this day, no goal upsets the Germans more than the "Wembley Goal" in the 1966 World Cup final against hosts England. In extra time, Geoff Hurst blasted the ball under the crossbar and onto the goal line. The referee initially awarded a corner kick, but then gave the goal to England. The discussions and video analysis persist to this day. 

Illustration of three soccer players on a winner's podium. The player in the German jersey is standing on a ball on the third step in a winning pose. The other two players are looking in his direction.

4) Cheering through the tears 

The 2006 World Cup on home soil is known in Germany as the Sommermärchen (summer fairytale). Fueled by fans’ enthusiasm, Schweini, Poldi & Co charged into the semi-finals, where tears were shed in abundance following the 2-0 defeat to Italy. A few days later, Germany claimed third place against Portugal, turning their defeat into a triumph. Almost a million fans celebrated the team at the Brandenburg Gate. 

Illustration of a soccer player shrugging his shoulders as he walks away from a goal. The ball disappears under the goal line as if under a carpet.
(all illustrations © Thomas Fuchs)

5) Let’s not talk about it 

To this day, no defeat is as little known as the 9-0 thrashing against England in Oxford in 1909. There were no German reporters on site. "A really good game" was how one Berlin newspaper described the game to German readers, while cautiously omitting the final result. Even the correct date of the match remained unknown for a long time. And there were no repercussions for the head coach – because there wasn't one in the first place.