Julian Nagelsmann Says "It's a Complete Joke" After VAR Costs Germany Everything in World Cup Shocker!

Man, talk about a gut punch! Germany, the football powerhouse, just got knocked out of the World Cup in the Round of 32, losing to Paraguay on penalties. And their manager, Julian Nagelsmann, he is absolutely fuming, calling the VAR decision that disallowed an extra-time goal a "complete joke." Seriously, you gotta hear this. The dude is heated, and honestly, who can blame him after watching a goal get snatched away like that?

The VAR Call That Blew Up Germany's World Cup Hopes

Alright, so picture this: 102nd minute, extra time, Germany is fighting hard. Jonathan Tah gets on the end of a Nathaniel Brown corner kick at the back post and just smashes it past Paraguay's keeper, Orlando Gill. Goal! Everyone's going wild, right? Germany thinks they're in the lead. But then, referee Jalal Jayed gets called over to the replay monitor by lead VAR Tatiana Guzman. You just know something bad is coming when that happens. After a review, the goal is wiped off the board. The ruling? Waldemar Anton apparently fouled Gill, creating space for Tah's header. Replays? They showed minimal contact, like, barely anything. But Anton did stand in front of Gill, so there's that. Nagelsmann, interpreting what he said, was clear: "It was a legitimate goal. It's a complete joke that it was disallowed." Ouch. That's a strong statement, and for a World Cup knockout game, it feels earned.

Nagelsmann Isn't Running, But Says "Not Enough"

Even with that wild VAR drama, Nagelsmann isn't sugarcoating things. While he slammed the ref, he also made it clear that getting bounced in the first

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knockout round, especially for a four-time World Cup champion like Germany, is "clearly not enough for German football." He said they "should have solved (Paraguay's defense) differently," too. Germany's been on a rough patch for a while now, way longer than Nagelsmann's three-year stint. They technically broke a streak of two World Cups without even making the knockout phase in this new 48-team format, but come on, not making the last 16 is still a miss, just like in 2018 and 2022. The 38-year-old manager, who signed an extension through the 2028 European Championship, isn't planning on bailing, though. "I'm not one to run away," he stated. He pointed out that "it's been happening for a while now, that we've been delivering tournaments like this." If the DFB (German Football Association) wants him to stay, he's in.

The Brutal Shootout and What's Next

After all that VAR madness, it went to penalties. And oh man, it was a wild one. Paraguay messed up twice trying to close it out! But then, Tah, the guy who had his goal taken away, missed his penalty kick, sending it well high. Jose Canale finally converted for Paraguay after Tah's miss. Germany also saw Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade get their penalties saved. Nagelsmann stood by his guys, though. He said he doesn't "blame the penalty taker," because the important thing is players wanting to step up and take the shot. Even great players miss, he said. So, what's next for Germany? Nagelsmann is staying put for now, focused on those 2028 European Championships. For a team with such a rich history, they gotta figure out these "fundamental things" he hinted at, because as he said, performances like this? It's just not good enough.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.