'That's not how it works!' - Germany given damning verdict after 'deserved' Slovakia loss as 'really bad' display leaves Bastian Schweinsteiger heartbroken

Germany started their World Cup qualifying campaign on a sour note, suffering a shocking defeat to Slovakia in a display widely criticised for the team’s lack of fight. The loss was a historic one, marking the national team’s first-ever away defeat in World Cup qualifiers. The performance was so poor that it left 2014 World Cup winner Schweinsteiger, now a TV pundit, angered by what he saw from his former team.

Speaking with visible frustration on ARD, Schweinsteiger held nothing back in his scathing assessment, saying: "Not for a second today did I think we would win this game. I'm sorry, we were really bad, we didn't pose any threat, our body language was non-existent – if you want to win a World Cup, you have to be resilient. That was a really tough setback, and it wasn't a lucky win for Slovakia either – it was deserved. Slovakia was much more aggressive, and we just wanted to play around it, and that's not how it works.

"The players have to realise on their own that this isn't enough. The coach can talk all night. But if you play like you did today, you should be happy if you even make it to the World Cup."

The disappointed reaction of the fans in Bratislava also didn't go unnoticed, as he added: "When have I ever seen the German fans booing their own players? It hurt my heart. I can't remember the last time I saw it like that."

Despite dominating possession, Germany were tactically outmanoeuvered by a disciplined Slovakian side that focused on a compact defensive shape and quick, incisive counterattacks. The loss follows a concerning trend of poor performances and a perceived lack of passion and desire to win, a sentiment echoed by coach Julian Nagelsmann himself. 

Schweinsteiger said he had played 121 international matches, "but motivation was never a problem for me." He concluded his devastating conclusion with the words: "For me, today wasn't the German national team."

Germany have little time to dwell on their historic loss. They will face Northern Ireland in their next World Cup qualifying match on September 8. 

Additional reporting by Johann Spiegler.