Germany's shocking elimination remains the hot topic of the World Cup group stage. Despite being the reigning champion, die Mannschaft struggled to defend their title and exited the competition in the first round.
Fans of the European heavyweight thus feel angry and embarrassed by their nation's performance. A number of players have come under the crossfire for failing to turn up but former international Michael Ballack took issue with an occurrence in the build-up to their first game.
The retired midfielder questioned whether Germany was right to hand their manager a new deal shortly before the tournament began. The tactician had agreed to extend his reign until 2022 a few weeks before the opening match, a move which Ballack feels was "unnecessary".
"It was unnecessary to give Joachim Low a four-year contract extension just four weeks before the World Cup started," the former Chelsea ace told Betfair, as per the Daily Mail.
"Whether Low is still the right person to manage this team, I cannot say. In my experience, he was a really good coach who could give even weaker teams a clear plan and identity.
"Today, the coach and team have to be put under serious scrutiny. That's for sure."
While Ballack stopped short of calling for Low to step down, some may feel it's time for his to vacate his role after their humiliation in Russia. Rumors claim Joachim is likely to remain in charge but crunch talks over his future are due.
The current German players were not exempt from criticism from the 41-year-old legend. The former national team captain slammed Low's men for finishing last in their group despite boasting some of the most talented players in football.
"Just like all German football fans, the result from Wednesday in Kazan was a total shock for me. In fact, Germany's performance throughout the World Cup and the friendlies before were a surprise. Continued success can lead to mistakes," Ballack reiterated.
"There is no explanation as to how a team with this quality can end at the bottom of this group.
"How can this group of players struggle with all these basics of football? Body language, attitude, intention - these things were missing in Russia and may have been missing for some time."
