A widely criticised post on X from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after Germany's World Cup exit was a communications error, government sources said on Tuesday night.
Confirming a report from the Tagesspiegel paper, the sources spoke of a “coordination error” which was “unfortunately very regrettable.”
Merz had faced a huge backlash and ridicule over the post made after Germany lost 4-3 on penalties against Ecuador in the last 32 on Monday.
"Even though the elimination hurts: What a game," Merz wrote on X.
"With your dedication and team spirit at this World Cup, you've inspired our country. We're proud of you."
The chancellor's post swiftly garnered criticism, with many social media users questioning whether they had watched the same match as Merz.
The Bild tabloid accused Merz of making "a fool of himself," and shared a mocking post from Russian businessman and special presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev who said: "Merz is good at always encouraging a failure."
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, an MEP for the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), reposted Merz's comments on X, writing: "I don't know which was worse. The match or this analysis."
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party claimed Merz had become "so accustomed to glossing over" his party's performance "that he simply can’t help himself."
Approval ratings for Merz's conservative bloc have plummeted for months, while the AfD, Germany's largest opposition party, has topped a number of recent surveys.
Merz took to X again later on Tuesday to double down on his support for the German team.
"We celebrate success together. And we stand together in defeat," he wrote.
"That is what makes us strong. Anyone who wears the eagle on their chest deserves our support, not our ridicule."
This year, Germany reached the knock-outs for the first time since their last triumph in 2014. In 2018 and 2022, they went home after the group stage.
