FOXBOROUGH, Mass — Julian Nagelsmann said Germany are no longer a “first-class team” after another early World Cup exit, but added he wants to stay on as head coach following their penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay.
After failing to get past the group stage in 2018 and 2022, Germany were playing in their first knockout game for 12 years.
But after being held to a 1-1 draw by a stubborn Paraguay side, Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah all missed from the spot to send the four-time winners — who haven’t won a knockout games since lifting the trophy in 2014 — home early again.
“If you exit after the first stage, it’s not enough for German football,” said Nagelsmann. “This is now the third elimination in a row so we are not part of the first class teams any more. I am disappointed.”
Nagelsmann has been in charge of Germany since 2023 and has a contract until after the 2028 European Championships.
The 38-year-old faced a number of questions about his future in his postmatch news conference.
And despite suggesting he knows some supporters want him to quit, the former Bayern Munich boss said he will not “run away.”
“If the DFB [German FA] wants me, I am going to continue,” he said. “I know a lot of people want me to leave, but I would love to continue if the DFB want me. I’ll give my arguments to my boss.
“If there was a survey today in Germany people aren’t going to talk about me positively, obviously. We have not done much during this tournament.
“I’m not someone who runs away.”
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