Julian Nagelsmann's team were beaten on penalties by Paraguay in the last 32 on Monday, marking a miserable end to the four-time champions' campaign in North America.
While Paraguay celebrated with a snap public holiday called by its president Santiago Pena, German newspaper Bild's front-page headline described the result as 'The next German football nightmare'.
Its columnist Marion Horn took strong exception to how Germany's chancellor Friedrich Merz had reacted to the defeat.
Merz wrote on his official X account: "Even though the elimination hurts: What a game, @DFB_Team! With your commitment and team spirit at this World Cup, you have thrilled our country. We are proud of you."
Horn said Merz's post was a "disaster" and "devastating", adding: "The brutal World Cup defeat against Paraguay, the coach, the attitude and the performance of the German players are symptomatic of the state of the entire country.
"We are at best second-class: Our economy is experiencing an unprecedented downward spiral in every respect, with bankruptcies and de-industrialisation on a daily basis.
"And German football is now living solely off its past reputation.
"Man!!! Football is a COMPETITIVE SPORT!
"And the worst is yet to come. Following the defeat, Chancellor Merz writes : "With your commitment and team spirit at this World Cup, you have thrilled our country. We are proud of you'.
"Chancellor, that's simply not true!!! I will not accept second-rate treatment. I'm not proud. I'm angry. I'm disappointed. I'm furious! Our children only know Germany as a loser!"
Die Welt columnist Ulf Poschardt took a similar line, in a piece headlined: "Only a successful Germany is worth living in."
"Germany is once again eliminated early from the World Cup, and the Chancellor even congratulates this miserable team: "We are proud of you". No, we are not. Quite the opposite," Poschardt wrote.
Football news outlet Kicker described the result as "a damning indictment of German football – and Nagelsmann".
Former Germany star player and coach Jurgen Klinsmann also had nothing but criticism, describing the performance as a "disaster".
"The way we went out tonight is devastating, is an embarrassment, is something nobody, nobody expected," Klinsmann told ESPN.
"This takes Germany into a huge, huge hole.
"Everything, from the top to the bottom, needs to be questioned, needs to be discussed, and obviously there will be consequences to it, whatever those consequences are."
Asked how much of the blame falls on Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, Klinsmann said: "It falls on everybody from the coaching staff to the federation to every single player that was called into this 26-man roster.
"Everyone is part of this disaster," he said.
11°C