Germany's chastened national team arrived home Thursday after their shock World Cup exit plunged the football-mad nation into mourning and left the future of coach Joachim Loew in the balance. The four-time champions landed at Frankfurt airport shortly after 3pm (1300 GMT), a day after their humiliating 2-0 defeat against South Korea at Russia's Kazan Arena sent them packing in the first round.
"The Mannschaft did not demonstrate what it can usually do," Loew said at Frankfurt airport of the team's uncharacteristic finish at the bottom of the table in the group stage. "As coach, I bear the responsibility and must of course ask myself why we didn't succeed. That will require a bit of time, and we will hold talks about it," he said, adding "we need far-reaching measures, we need clear changes."
In a mea culpa on their official Twitter account, the entire German Mannschaft apologised to a country in agony.
"Dear fans, we're just as disappointed as you," the tweet read.
"We're sorry we didn't play like world champions. That's why we deserved to be eliminated, as bitter as it is."
Defender Mats Hummels had earlier also tweeted out his regrets with a succinct "sorry..." and a crying-face emoji.
German fans and media were united in their damning verdict of the titleholders' World Cup campaign, which will be remembered as the first time since 1938 that the country has failed to make it past the first round.
Guenther Kuemmel, 67, who delivers newspapers, went to Frankfurt airport armed with homemade signs including one reading "a sporting disgrace".
"It must be painful, then something will change," he told AFP, adding that through the team's short-lived campaign, he "never got the feeling that they want to win."
Best-selling Bild daily plastered "No words!" over a picture of a despondent-looking Toni Kroos.
The headline mirrors the one used four years ago after Germany's stunning 7-1 victory over Brazil at the last World Cup - but this time the nation has been left speechless out of sheer disbelief.
Anger was mounting too after a weak performance in Russia that has left commentators calling for radical changes in German football.
"Our elimination is fully deserved," Bild wrote, lamenting the "shame" of the defending champions getting knocked out after just 10 days, "reduced to ashes and rubble".
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