In Germany
Niedergeschlagenheit (noun, feminine): Despondency
German football fans, who had never seen their country fall at the first hurdle of a World Cup finals before, will recognise it as they pick up their papers on Thursday morning.
Their team, the holders and one of the pre-tournament favourites, finished bottom of Group F after a 2-0 defeat to South Korea on Wednesday.
Bild
Germany’s most popular newspaper is “speechless” as it contrasts its front page from June 2014 – after the national team inflicted a 7-1 semi-final defeat on Brazil on its way to winning the World Cup – with its Thursday edition.
The headline is the same. The story is not.
Links: unsere Seite 1 nach dem 7:1 2014.
— BILD (@BILD) June 27, 2018
Rechts: unsere Seite 1 nach dem WM-Aus 2018. pic.twitter.com/r0EB0xpSki
Die Welt
“Over and out,” says Die Welt, next to a picture of a crestfallen Toni Kroos. He had looked like Germany’s saviour after a stunning late winner against Sweden. But he was unable to haul his team into the second round.
Unsere Seite 1 nach dem deutschen WM-Aus. #KORGER #WM2018 pic.twitter.com/nusolGyfKV
— WELT (@welt) June 27, 2018
Rheinische Post
The Düsseldorf-based paper is even more succinct. “Out” is its one-word headline.
Aus. #WM2018 @rponline @rpo_sport pic.twitter.com/iiIFKeLLOK
— Gianni Costa (@_giannicosta) June 27, 2018
Frankfurter Allgemeine
The paper calls the defeat “Germany’s downfall”. Like Die Welt, it also contrasts Wednesday’s defeat against South Korea with the hope felt after the last-gasp victory over Sweden looked to have revved-up the nation’s stalling World Cup campaign. Instead, it says, Germany is “back to earth with a bump”.
Süddeutsche Zeitung
Online, the title accuses Joachim Löw’s team – once arguably the most exciting in the world – of “slow-motion football”.
Rest of the world
Schadenfreude (noun, feminine): Taking pleasure in the misfortune of others
British football fans, most of whom have seen their country fall at the first hurdle in a World Cup tournament, will recognise it as they pick up their papers on Thursday morning.
The Sun, the Daily Telegraph and the i all go for similar headlines:
Thursday’s SUN: Schadenfreude #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/QcuAM4TZoU
— Helen Miller (@MsHelicat) June 27, 2018
Thursday’s TELEGRAPH: Britain heading for ‘worst’ Brexit deal #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/IGvQHQacL1
— Helen Miller (@MsHelicat) June 27, 2018
Thursday’s i: Prisons revolution #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/qQ9h3JIek3
— Helen Miller (@MsHelicat) June 27, 2018
There was also a liberal dose of schadenfreude in Brazil, the nation that – as Bild pointed out – suffered its most humiliating footballing defeat against Germany in its home World Cup in 2014.
Readers of O Globo are invited to see images of dejected Germans, while viewers of Fox Sports Brazil are invited to laugh at them.
2 a 0 Coreia do Sul: veja imagens da tristeza alemã com a eliminação na Copa do Mundo: https://t.co/ZAuRIk2lwv pic.twitter.com/tHyPXz4djl
— Jornal O Globo (@JornalOGlobo) June 27, 2018
AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
— FOX Sports Brasil (@FoxSportsBrasil) June 27, 2018
And Folha de S Paulo struggles to maintain a neutral tone as it reports a South Korean goal.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL DA COREIA DO SUL CONTRA ALEMANHA #GER X #KOR #Copa2018 https://t.co/0LRC4atNgm pic.twitter.com/xYcgA6empy
— Folha de S.Paulo (@folha) June 27, 2018
The back pages of the Times and the Guardian focus on the historic nature of Germany’s humiliation.
TIMES SPORT: Day the Germans just disappeared #tomorrowspaperstoday
— Helen Miller (@MsHelicat) June 27, 2018
⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/A6YFCT50iZ
