Kai Havertz has broken his silence after the shock exit of tournament’s favorite Germany from the World Cup.
The 2022 World Cup began with a spring of surprises from the opening to the final group games, but no one predicted that tournament favorite Germany would crash out in the Group stage of the competition.
Placed in group E alongside Spain, Costa Rica, and Japan, pundits tipped the European duo to dominate the group and qualify for the next round of the competition.
However, the group was turned upside down after all nine matches in the group.
Less-fancied Asian side Japan are a team to watch out for in the tournament. While losing to another minnow Costa Rica in the group, Japan picked all three points from the big European teams to win the group.
Germany were the first casualty against the Japanese. They suffered a shock defeat against the team. After Spain have walloped Costa Rica 7-0, everyone expected Japan to build on their shock win over Germany, but the reverse was the case. They suffered a defeat against the Costa Ricans, while Germany settled for a thrilling 1-1 draw with Spain in a heated encounter.
To qualify for the round of 16, they needed a victory against Costa Rica in their last game and also banked on Spain to beat Japan.
While Germany did the needful against the Costa Ricans, winning 4-2, with Kai Havertz bagging a brace, Japan pulled another astonishing result against Spain, beating them 2-1.
The win saw Japan top the group with 6 points and qualify for the next round with Spain, who had 4 points.
Germany crashed out of the tournament with the same number of points as Spain but separated by goal difference.
It was a shocker for the 2014 champions, and reactions have poured in from pundits and fans, including some Germany players who have vented their frustration with the World Cup shock exit.
Chelsea star Kai Havert, who bagged a brace in the last game against the Costa Ricans, is among the few players that have spoken out after the Hansi Flick-led team crashed out of the tournament.
Taking to his Instagram handle, he said he and his Germany team-mates are ‘frustrated’ and ‘disappointed’, after the team failed to progress to the next round of the tournament, adding that the team must now focus on coming back stronger.
‘It’s taken some time to understand what to say… We’re all very frustrated, disappointed and many other feelings, it will take weeks to process this,’ Havertz wrote on Instagram.
‘Life is about ups and downs and it’s about coming back stronger from this!
‘Sometimes you get the high moments like Japan did who played so well and sometimes you’re left on the other side feeling this pain, it is why football is such an amazing sport.
‘We feel the pain of the nation.
Germany has failed to qualify for the next round of the World Cup two times throughout the history of the tournament.
After winning the competition in 2014, Germany equally crashed out of the last edition of the tournament in 2018 in Russia
The DFB is reportedly set to meet Hansi Flick for a way out for the team, with speculations that he may likely lose his job after the meeting.
