Amid all the disappointment over the quarter-final exit against Spain at Euro 2024 there is a feeling that Germany can look into a brighter football future again.
Germany were a team to be feared at the home event after years of poor showings culminating in World Cup group stage exits in 2018 and 2022.
It was more than just defiance when coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Saturday: "It hurts that you now have to wait for two years to become world champions."
The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is the next big event, and preparations effectively start in September when Germany play their next matches against Hungary and the Netherlands in the Nations League.
Making changes
Nagelsmann's main task will now be finding the man who can replace Toni Kroos, whose trophy-laden career ended with the last-minute extra-time 2-1 defeat against Spain.
Kroos, 34, had come out of international retirement in March and gave the team much needed stability in midfield.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and forward Thomas Müller, along with Kroos the last members of the 2014 World Cup-winning team, may have also played their last national team match. The future in the team of captain Ilkay Gündogan is unclear as well.
But Nagelsmann also has a good foundation, led by the young and creative duo of Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz. Aleksandar Pavlovic, who missed the Euros due to illness, and Maximilian Beier are other exciting players.
"We have a squad that is not extremely young and a few older players. We'll certainly make some changes to the squad to deliver a few good games and put together the best squad for the World Cup qualifiers in 2025," Nagelsmann said.
New team spirit and fans happy as well
Former Bayern Munich coach Nagelsmann arrived in September and in spring renewed his contract beyond the Euros until 2026.
He radically overhauled the team after November friendly defeats against Turkey and Austria, which worked wonders. The defeat against Spain was Germany's first of the year in the ninth 2024 match.
The team spirit has been rediscovered and so has the love of the fans for the national team that has won four world and three European titles in the past.
"It is so sad that it is over. We had such a great spirit in the squad," striker Niclas Füllkrug said.
He added in the direction of the fans: "Thank you so much for the great feeling you gave us. It was incredibly nice to fight for you on the pitch. It's a shame it was only until the quarter-finals. You were definitely outstanding."
Full back Joshua Kimmich spoke of "a completely different form of disappointment than in Qatar" at the 2022 World Cup.
"The last six weeks were very special, an unbelievable team spirit that I have never experienced before in this way," Kimmich said.
Germans can learn from the team
Nagelsmann also hailed the team spirit and placed a message far beyond football to the nation.
"The lads should take that with them: That they have managed to wake up the country, which is too often mired in doom and gloom, and give it some good moments," the coach said.
"I hope that this symbiosis between fans and team also takes place in normal society and that we realise that we can achieve more together as a society and not when everyone goes their own way.
"Together we are stronger, with your neighbour you are stronger than without."
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