Liverpool fans all agree on Florian Wirtz as Germany gets knocked out of the World Cup
Liverpool fans have come to the same view about midfielder Florian Wirtz after Germany was knocked out of the World Cup on penalties by Paraguay.
Julian Nagelsmann’s team made it out of the group stage for the first time since 2014 and were favorites to win against Paraguay in Boston. Paraguay had finished third in Group D after losing 4-0 to the USA, winning 1-0 against Turkey, and drawing 0-0 with Australia, which helped them advance.
In the round of 32, the match between Germany and Paraguay ended 1-1 after regular time. Julio Enciso scored first for Paraguay in the 42nd minute, but Kai Havertz equalized with a header on the 54th. Havertz then missed his opening penalty, and Paraguay’s goalkeeper Orlando Gill saved another from Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade, giving Paraguay a good chance to win.
Fabian Balbuena missed a potential winning penalty for Paraguay, but then Jonathan Tah missed for Germany, allowing Jose Canale to calmly score the winning spot kick. This was another tough World Cup exit for Germany, who didn’t progress any further than in recent tournaments.
For Liverpool midfielder Wirtz, it means an early return to Anfield. He finished the tournament with three assists, but Reds fans have some worries ahead of pre-season with new coach Andoni Iraola.
One fan said, “He really needs Iraola’s coaching. Right now he’s just walking on the pitch.” Another added, “Wirtz didn’t play badly since he got an assist, but he needs to be more aggressive and confident. I hope Iraola helps him.”
A third fan said, “Wirtz had good moments, but his decision-making needs work.” Another wrote, “He’s a neat player, and we paid £116m for him, but he doesn’t yet seem to take control of games.” A fifth comment was more hopeful: “Put good runners around him and he’ll tear teams apart. He’ll be a different player under Iraola.”
Despite the disappointment, Germany’s coach Nagelsmann says he won’t quit. The 39-year-old, who’s been in charge since 2023, says he’ll stay as long as the German FA want him to.
“I’m not someone who runs away,” he said. “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, and changes are needed, but if the FA wants me to continue, I will. I understand how football works and I know some people want me gone, but I’d love to carry on if they want me.”
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been linked to the role if Nagelsmann leaves. Speaking on German TV, Klopp said he enjoys his current job as Head of Football at Red Bull but didn’t completely rule out the national coach job.
“I haven’t really thought about that yet,” he said. “I know my name comes up when people talk about the national team coach job, but now’s not the time to discuss it. I have a job I really like, and as far as I know, it’s not a part-time role.”