Julian Nagelsmann has confirmed he will not resign as Germany head coach following their elimination from the World Cup in the round of 32, after a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay.
Nagelsmann's Commitment to Germany
“I am not someone who runs away,” said Nagelsmann. “This is not the first time this has happened, and there are some things about today that need to be changed. But if the DFB wants me to continue I am going to continue. I know the mechanics of football, I know how the industry works. I know a lot of people will want me to leave but I would love to continue if the football association wants me to.”
Nagelsmann spoke after emerging around 8.20pm, nearly four hours after kick-off in New England, for his press conference deep in the technical room labyrinth of Boston Stadium. He revealed he had already spoken to German FA bosses. “They have talked to me gently, they comforted me, they’re not going to offer me an extension of my contract two minutes after I lost this match. They are not going to talk just after the defeat.”
Germany's Tournament Struggles
Germany arrived in Boston on the back of a defeat to Ecuador in their final group game, facing a Paraguay side that finished third in Group D behind the United States and Australia. For Nagelsmann, this was his second tournament in three years as Germany manager, with a combined total of just one knockout round victory—against Denmark at their home European Championship.
“If we did a survey today in Germany people would not speak positively about me today. But in football you win some and you lose some, it’s always been that way, we haven’t really done much in this tournament to make people celebrate, but I have a lot of confidence that we could have done a better job,” Nagelsmann added.
Paraguay's Celebrations
Paraguay’s victory sparked massive celebrations, with the president declaring Tuesday a national holiday. Paraguayan journalists cheered and punched the air as the winning penalty kick confirmed their passage to the last 16. In the press conference room, there was a round of applause for Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro, who praised his “26 warriors” and spoke at length about the growth of the sporting nation and the importance of football as a source of happiness, power, and collectivism for the people of the “red earth”.
Paraguay will now face either France or Sweden on 4 July in Philadelphia—Independence Day in the United States—at the venue where the Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
