As the final whistle blew, Miranda Perk and her sisters Milena and Mariella were among the first fans to desert the area in front of the Brandenburg Gate, where thousands had gathered in front of a big screen to watch Germany take on South Korea in the World Cup.



“That was just shit – and totally deserved too,” said Perk, 23, from near Osnabrück, wearing the same white Germany top as her sisters. “Given how badly they have played this tournament, they would have gone out sooner or later anyway. But did it have to be the group stage?”

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After the drama of Germany’s last-minute winner against Sweden last Saturday, Perk confided, she had bet with her sisters on a 3-0 victory over South Korea.

She was not the only one. In recent days German media had widely predicted that the jitters and tactical flaws of the opening matches would vanish and the team would win by the two or more goals required to guarantee progress. Germany historically prides itself on its reputation as a Turniermannschaft, a team that improves as tournaments progress.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest German fans watch the World Cup 2018 match between Germany and South Korea at the public viewing area in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Photograph: Omer Messinger/EPA

But in the end even the oldest myths about German mental fortitude could not lift the curse that has befallen every European team to win the World Cup since 1998. On Wednesday afternoon Germany followed France, Italy and Spain in falling at the first hurdle four years after lifting the trophy.

For the 2014 winners, the defeat was even more historic: it is the first time Die Mannschaft haven’t qualified from the group stage.

Sobering, or maybe the word is just cruel A Germany fan in Berlin

Milena Perk, 18, said she had an ominous feeling when she saw the Arsenal midfielder Mesut Özil restored to the starting lineup after a lacklustre display in the opener against Mexico. “It’s sad, but I expect Özil will be the most hated person in Germany tomorrow, and not just after all the political stuff.”

In the run-up to the tournament, photos of Özil and his fellow midfielder Ilkay Gündoğan posing with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had ignited a fraught debate over dual citizenship and national identity, and some commentators speculated that the row had poisoned the atmosphere in the squad.

“It was almost as if someone had pulled the plug on Özil, Reus and co straight after kickoff,” wrote the centre-right newspaper Die Welt in its match report.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Dejected Germany fans the Fanmeile in Berlin watch as their team is dumped out of the tournament. Photograph: John Macdougall/AFP/Getty Images

Yet even if some players underperformed, much had been made of the depth of Germany’s squad before the tournament. And with the coach, Joachim Löw, having rotated his starting 11 in the three games, critics may find it hard to pin the blame on a single player.

Till Hüttner, 23, another fan leaving Brandenburg Gate, described the result as “sobering, or maybe the word is just cruel”. He said he expected there would be resignations in the coming days. “Heads will roll,” he said.

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Löw, who has been head coach since 2006, did not rule out stepping down in the immediate aftermath of the match. “We didn’t deserve to progress”, he told the national broadcaster ARD, adding that his players had displayed a certain “high-handedness” from the outset of the tournament.

Süddeutsche Zeitung observed that if the team had been high-handed, it was the coach who was to blame. “His Germany was not keen enough on this tournament, and Löw had exemplified that mentality with his casual, weightless manner,” it said.

As the squares around the Brandenburg Gate emptied, those who remained were less harsh in their criticism. “I feel sorry for everyone here”, said Plinio Rodrigues, 34, a recent arrival to Berlin from Brazil, wearing garlands in German colours. “But I am afraid it was definitely deserved.”

Four years ago Germany had knocked Brazil out of the World Cup with a surreal 7-1 scoreline: “I don’t know how you cope with this kind of thing in this country, but if this happened in Brazil …” Rodrigues gave it a moment’s pause. “Football can be very, very hurtful.”