What it is about ‘the champion’s curse’ that brought Germany out of favor and still plagues Italy

A 4-2 victory over Costa Rica at the Al Bayt de Khor stadium was not enough as Japan’s victory over Spain shattered Germany’s calculator, who finished third in Group E and He was eliminated from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In this way the champion of Brazil 2014 failed to pass the first stage for the second consecutive tournament and so he repeated the curse that had befallen Italy after his consecration in Germany in 2006.

The Germans added four units, the same as Spain and two less than Japan, but the goal difference (+1 for the Teutons against +6 for the Iberians) condemned the team led by Hansi Flick to an indecent removal for a team with a rich history, which includes four world titles and four runners-up.

The last crowning was in Brazil 2014, with that memorable goal by Mario Gotz in extra time in the final against Argentina by Alejandro Sabella at the Maracana. After that final it was all frustration with Mannschaft.

After losing to the hosts in the semi-finals of Euro 2016 in France, the team led by Joachim Löw, on the basis of winning the title in Brazil, arrived in Russia as candidates to retain the crown, but failed to break through to group F either.

On his debut, he lost 1-0 to Mexico in Moscow with a goal from Hirving Lozano. He bounced back by beating Sweden 2-1 in Sochi thanks to goals from Marco Reus and Toni Kroos (in added time after the second half), after starting from behind. However, a surprise 2-0 setback in Kazan against South Korea (Son Heung-min and Kim Young-gwon scored) left him last in his zone.

Four and a half years after that frustration, the German cast again disappointed and this Thursday he consumed his second consecutive elimination. This same path of glory and subsequent double disappointment had traveled Italy Even in this century.

The Blues lifted his fourth World Cup in Germany in 2006 by beating France on penalties in the final after drawing 1-1 at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin in that match that went down in history not only for that result, but also for the header by Zinedine Zidane on the chest of Marco Materazzi and the consequent expulsion of the French captain.

In South Africa 2010, the Azzurri were favored by the draw, as they had to share group F with Slovakia, Paraguay and New Zealand. The table was set for the team led by Marcello Lippi. But he also couldn’t celebrate a win: he started with a 1-1 draw against the South Americans (led by Gerardo Martino) in Cape Town, also drew 1-1 with Oceanics in Nelspruit and he greeted with a thunderous 3-2 defeat against the Europeans in Johannesburg which left him queuing for his area.

As if that slap wasn’t enough, Italy capitulated again in the group stage of Brazil 2014 and it did so at the hands of Costa Rica (1-0 defeat in Recife) and Uruguay (1-0 defeat also in Natal). The 2-1 against England in Manaus in the debut ends up being useless for Cesare Prandelli’s cast.

Those two first round eliminations were followed by two editions of the World Cup in which Italy couldn’t even write his name, as they failed to get past the European Qualifiers. The Germans don’t even want to think of going down that road.

Although these are the only cases of two eliminations in a row after a world title, there were other selected ones who fell in the first phase of a World Cup in the edition after a consecration. To Italy, twice champion in 1934 and 1938, it had happened to him in 1950after the stop imposed by the Second World War: in the tournament that was held in Brazil, they finished second in group 3, behind Sweden, and could not pass to the second round.

Brazil, also double champions (they lifted the trophy in Sweden 1958 and Chile 1962), were third in group 3, behind Portugal and Hungary, and said goodbye very quickly in england 1966. And France, winners of the title at home in 1998, lost ground in South Korea-Japan 2002 and finished bottom of group A which they shared with Denmark, Senegal (they progressed to the round of 16) and Uruguay.