A Qatari TV show has brutally mocked Germany after the four-time World Cup winners were dumped out in the group stages for the second successive tournament.
Despite a 4-2 win over Costa Rica, Germany failed to qualify as Japan produced a stunning upset over Spain which meant the Samurai Blue would top the group on six points while Spain finished on four.
Watch the world’s best footballers every week with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. LIVE coverage from Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Carabao Cup, EFL & SPFL. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
However, the German team’s most memorable moment in Qatar was perhaps their pre-match protest before the opening game against Japan.
For the team photo, every German player covered their mouth as a way of protesting Qatar’s human rights abuse and strict laws against homosexuality in the nation.
Germany went on to lose the match 2-1 and faced criticism from some quarters that felt the team focused too much on the protest rather than the game itself.
They recovered to draw with Spain and smash Costa Rica, but it was ultimately all for nothing.
And a group of people on a Qatari TV show couldn’t help but poke some fun at the Germans, as they all sat around on coaches waving goodbye with their hands covering their mouths.
South Korea celebrate dramatic win | 02:02
MORE COVERAGE
‘Iconic’ red card in World Cup history as Brazil stunned; benches clear in fiery clash
Arnold says note showed rivals ‘didn’t have a plan’ as fresh vision emerges of genius Aussie act
‘Never seen anything like it’: Brazil bottle history as ‘absolutely mad’ group stages come to an end
FIFA REVEALS CRUCIAL FOOTAGE THAT DECIDED CONTROVERSIAL JAPAN WINNER
FIFA has revealed the footage they used to make the ruling on Japan’s controversial winner against Spain.
The Samurai Blue’s winner was initially disallowed as the linesman adjudged the ball to have gone out of play before it was crossed into the box and finished by Ao Tanaka for Japan’s second goal.
But after a lengthy VAR check, the decision was overturned and it sparked jubilant scenes amongst the Japanese team.
A day after the game, FIFA posted the video they used to make their divisive judgment on their social media.
However, the decision to post the video came in for criticism given fans inside the ground and watching at home do not see the same angles and footage the officials do.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville was one figure who took aim at FIFA.
“Why don’t you allow access to the real-time angles and footage that VAR officials are looking at to broadcasters?” Neville wrote on Twitter.
Uruguay swarm referee in ugly scenes | 00:27
PL GREAT’S PREDICTIONS COME BACK TO HAUNT HIM IN WORST WAY POSSIBLE
Liverpool great and renowned football pundit Jamie Carragher has been left with an awful amount of egg on his face as some of his World Cup predictions came back to bite him.
In a video for The Telegraph, Carragher gazed into his crystal ball to tip which teams would make it out of the groups and which nations would unfortunately come last.
Remarkably, Carragher tipped five of the six competing nations from Asia — Qatar, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan and South Korea — would come dead last in their respective groups.
However, the former England international couldn’t have got it more wrong.
Australia, South Korea and Japan all made it through to the knockout stages, with the latter topping Group E with victories over European heavyweights Spain and Germany.
Although Iran didn’t make it to the Round of 16, they also did not finish last as they secured a famous last-gasp win over Wales, who Carragher tipped to come second in Group B.
Funnily enough, the only Asian nation Carragher did not predict to come last was host nation, Qatar, who lost every single game and scored only one goal.
And even though Carragher also got Saudi Arabia’s last place finish in Group C correct, they came from behind to beat World Cup favourites Argentina in an upset for the ages.
