July 24 – Germany manager Christian Wück has said that the future is bright for his side after their semi-final exit against Spain at EURO 2025.
Germany fell just short against Spain after a moment of brilliance in extra-time from back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí handed them a 1-0 defeat, sending them home from the tournament.
The Germans played with all the swagger of a staunch tournament team, relying on physicality and grit to go toe-to-toe with the tournament favourites. They lacked a clinical edge in the final third and ultimately their work rate and zeal could not prevent Bonmatí from getting a winner.
“Few in Germany believed we would reach the last eight,” said German manager Wück at a news conference. “What we take away is that we need to improve in possession.”
“We initiated a development in October, brought in many young players, and that development has helped us progress here, even if it’s disappointing at this moment. We obviously need to improve in various areas.
“We need to bring well-trained players into the Bundesliga teams so that we can better exploit the possession phases we had today. We still lack that compared to teams like Spain or England. We want to have our own identity and continue to develop. That will take some time. But we already have a foundation. That’s a good start.”
Pointing to the performances and talent of full backs Carlotta Wamser and Franziska Kett, Wück added: “We need more of that.”
The Germans held a proud record of never having been beaten by Spain. Last year, Germany claimed the Olympic bronze medal against Spain at the Olympic Games, but in Zurich, the world champions ended the German dream of a ninth European title.
The German manager remained gracious in defeat: “Spain again proved the outstanding talent they have in their ranks. It was a joy for neutral fans to watch how they let the ball flow and to see the individual skills the players possess.”
Germany came close to winning the match in the final minutes of regular time and were seven minutes away from taking Spain to penalties before Bonmatí struck, firing the ball in at the near post from an acute angle. “We’re really disappointed,” said goalkeeper German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. “We gave it our all until the end. The girls played a great game again, and I’m really proud of them. The goal against is my fault; the short corner should have been covered. I’m even more disappointed in myself. I feel incredibly sorry for the team.”
Whilst Berger, whose keeping had otherwise been a standout of the tournament, took the blame, ultimately Germany visibly tired after forcing extra-time for a second match in a row, and Spain punished that fatigue with the ruthlessness of true champions.
They now face England in the final on Sunday, with EURO glory on the line at St. Jakob-Park, Basel.
Contact the writer of this story Samindra Kunti at moc.l1753353615labto1753353615ofdlr1753353615owedi1753353615sni@i1753353615tnuk.1753353615ardni1753353615mas1753353615
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