Boys are not supposed to cry. But this morning's German papers are full of grown-up men showing their emotions following Germany's dramatic 2-0 defeat last night by Italy. Against all expectations, the host nation crashed out of the World Cup after last-ditch goals by Italy's Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Del Piero, in the last two minutes of extra time. This morning's Der Tagesspiegel shows Germany's coach Jürgen Klinsmann throwing up his arms in bitter disappointment. Spiegel online has a series of photos (click on the "Fotostrecke" link at the foot of the page) capturing the German squad's post-match misery - with David Odonkor sobbing his heart out, and a wretched Lukas Podolski hiding under his jersey. The result came too late for printed editions of many German papers, including the notoriously slow Süddeutsche Zeitung, Die Welt and taz, although their websites have caught up this morning with a string of 'the dream is over' headlines, pictures and outpourings of readers' grief.
Amid the disappointment, however, is a palpable sense of pride at what the hitherto unfancied German squad achieved. An upbeat commentary from Die Welt proclaims: "The party goes on, even if the German team isn't there any more. Today sees the semi-final between France and Portugal, and on Sunday there's the final in Berlin. And on Saturday the German 11 will contest third place in Stuttgart. Who'd have believed that before the start of the tournament?"
Bild, Germany's bestselling newspaper, also ran a front-page photo of Jürgen Klinsmann burying his face in his hands next to the headline 'Wir weinen mit Euch!' - We're crying with you. 'The Italians were simply better. But boys you were heroes,' the paper remarked, pointing out that the German team 'had fought like World Champions' and would win Saturday's third-place play-off. The paper also boasts an interview with Bundespräsident Horst Köhler saying he is proud of Germany and happy no longer to be the only person with a flag on his car.
Klinsmann's future is unclear. The trainer this morning said that he 'didn't yet know' whether he would carry on coaching Germany. In an interview with Spiegel Online he said he needed a 'period of reflection', and would spend the next few days talking with his wife and children before making a decision.
Already, however, Franz Beckenbauer - the president of Germany's 2006 World Cup organising committee - has urged him to carry on and it seems inconceivable that Klinsmann would abandon the young side he has meticulously assembled over the past two years. 'The team has had a fantastic tournament. I have the highest respect for what they have done. It has character. It's made an entire country proud,' Klinsmann reflected, acknowledging that on the night Italy were a 'tick' cooler than Germany and had made better use of their chances.
Let's hope that Klinsmann does stay with Germany. But in the event that he does decide to quit perhaps England could make him an offer.
