Germany manager Hansi Flick's counterpart, Julian Nagelsmann, responded to criticism that his team didn't want to win their final group stage match against Ecuador as much as the South American nation.
Nagelsmann expressed his frustration with the suggestion, stating, 'No, please stop with this nonsense, honestly. Didn't the lads give it their all today?' He also pointed out that Ecuador took more risks during the game and made different substitutions than Germany would have if they needed another goal.
However, some of his players contradicted their manager's comments, with captain Joshua Kimmich saying, 'The atmosphere was amazing. You could feel there were many people from Ecuador. The difference was today that the opponent wanted to win more than us and you could really feel it, especially in the second-half, and this is why they won today, really deserved.'
Deniz Undav, who came off the bench during the game, added that Ecuador were more aggressive and tenacious, and that Germany need to learn from this defeat. He also admitted that the team wasn't as focused as they were in their first two games.
Another player, Jamal Musiala, agreed with Undav, stating that Ecuador were hungrier to win the game and that their intensity and aggression were higher. He emphasized that Germany need to learn from this defeat and prepare properly for the important phase of the tournament.
Germany will take on Paraguay in their last 32 clash, and will have to bounce back from this defeat to stay in the competition.
