“Helpless, frustrating, second-rate”: These were the comments on social media following yet another early exit by the German men’s national soccer team from a World Cup. In the capital, Berlin, the disappointment was palpable early Tuesday morning. Eliminated by Paraguay after a lackluster performance, the team lost in a penalty shootout.
The reaction from the Federal Chancellery came in the middle of the night in Germany, immediately after the match had ended. “Even though the elimination hurts: What a game! With your dedication and team spirit at this World Cup, you’ve inspired our country. We’re proud of you,” read Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s post.
Pride, dedication, even enthusiasm? Many were left scratching their heads asking whether Merz actually watched the same game as roughly 16 million Germans who had stayed up late to watch the elimination live around 2 a.m. (CET)?
The post drew scathing comments. Even from Moscow, where Kirill Dmitriev, a confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote on X: “Merz is good at repeatedly fostering failure.”
European Parliament lawmaker Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann wrote she didn’t know which was worse: the team’s performance or the chancellor’s reaction.
Chancellor’s office cites a communication glitch
The Chancellor’s Office, meanwhile spoke of a “coordination error,” which the Chancellor’s Office itself described as “unfortunately very annoying.” Several media outlets in the capital reported that even before the game, multiple drafts of a post had been written in response, and then a young social media assistant had press the wrong button in the night.
Germany’s largest tabloid, Bild, devoted nearly an entire page on Wednesday to the chancellor’s reaction to the soccer match. The headline read: “Anger over Chancellor’s own goal after World Cup exit.”
On Wednesday, Deputy Government Spokesperson Sebastian Hille told journalists in Berlin that Merz had indeed watched the game live, adding: “Of course, the Chancellor is disappointed by the German national team’s elimination from the World Cup. Just like every one of the millions of soccer fans in Germany.”
The chancellor then published a second post: “We celebrate successes together. And in defeat, we stand together. That is what makes us strong. Anyone who wears the federal eagle on their chest deserves our support, not our ridicule.”
Political pundits regularly point out how a sitting government will benefit from the upbeat mood created by success on the world stage of Germans’ most beloved sport
The debate over the mismanaged social media posts come at a time when the chancellor’s popularity is already at an all-time low. In early June, 87% of respondents in a representative ARD-Deutschlandtrend survey conducted by the polling institute “infratest-dimap” were dissatisfied with the government’s performance — a new record high.
The reasons for this are complex and: The economy has been in crisis for years, and Germany is struggling with a dilapidated infrastructure. The electorate is skeptical about whether the reforms that have been announced, for example for the underfunded pension and healthcare systems, can truly succeed.
The German national team’s weak performance in faraway America fits right into this picture.
A stilted video call
Before the German team’s first game, Merz had publicly made a video call to the team in the US, which came across as awkward and stilted and drew ridicule.
“All of Germany is rooting for you! Everyone here is on the edge of their seats,” the chancellor had said, while in reality there was little indication of enthusiasm across the country.
As was clear then — and is evident now with the ill-fated post on X — Merz is probably not a truly big soccer fan. However, many argue, there are certainly other things one can hold against a chancellor than failing to develop a genuine passion for the country’s number-one sport.
This article was originally published in German.
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