The chancellor’s office called the post of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz a “mistake” regarding the defeat of the German national team in the 1/16 finals of the World Cup, Tagesspiegel reported, citing sources.
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Earlier, the German national team lost in a penalty shootout to the Paraguayan team in the match of the 1/16 finals of the FIFA World Cup, which takes place in the USA, Canada and Mexico. After that, Merz wrote on the social network X that despite the burden of defeat, the German national team, with its dedication and team spirit, gave the Germans unforgettable emotions. The Chancellor also expressed pride in the team. After that, Merz was attacked by a wave of criticism and ridicule from both commentators and political opponents.
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“The wrong tweet, the wrong time, the wrong button,” the federal chancellor’s office told the Tagesspiegel newspaper.
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The whole incident was described as “very unfortunate.”
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After that, Merz published a second post on Tuesday, as the first one, according to government sources, was allegedly “posted by mistake.” Merz’s second post no longer appealed to “pride,” but called for unity at the moment of defeat. The chancellor said that the team “deserves support, not ridicule.”
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According to Tagesspiegel, for the match, which ended well after midnight German time, the press service prepared several options for the chancellor’s reaction on social media. According to this version, at night, contrary to preliminary agreements, the wrong tweet was eventually published.
