JAKARTA - Former Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said Germany's elimination from the 2022 World Cup could not be separated from their decision to carry out "political demonstrations" in Qatar.
Germany failed to advance to the round of 16 after only finishing third in Group F. Die Adler is behind Japan and Spain.
This is the second time Germany has been eliminated in the group stage.
The defeat to Japan in the first match of the 2022 World Cup was considered the main factor in Germany's failure. In that match, Manuel Neuer and his friends lost 1-2.
Many pointed out that the defeat was due to German players being too focused on thinking about things outside the game. As is known, the German players covered their mouths during a team photo.
The action was to protest FIFA's decision to ban captain Manuel Neuer from wearing OneLove armbands, a movement meant to promote anti-discriminatory messages in Qatar.
However, the German team and federations have denied it. However, some parties, especially Belgian winger Eden Hazard, claim that the protests may have caught the attention of German players.
Wenger is of the same mind. The head of the FIFA Technical Study Group for the 2022 World Cup also agrees with the assessment.
"When you go to the World Cup, you know you won't lose in the first game. Teams who have experience playing in tournaments like France and England played well in the first game," Wenger said, as quoted by Live Score.
"Mental prepared teams, with a mindset to focus on competition, and not political demonstrations," he continued.
Speaking after the defeat to Japan, German coach Hansi Flick stressed his players were not at all disturbed by the decision to take a stand in the OneLove debate.
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