The reason for Germany's shock elimination: video games?
In Germany it is being reported that Joachim Low had to take action in Russia when he discovered that his players were playing too many video games.
Many things have been blamed for Germany's exit from the World Cup: complacency, poor selection, poor tactics...One thing that hasn't been blamed up until now, though, is videogames.
However, according to German newspaper 'Bild', the former world champions were caught playing 'FIFA' and 'Call of Duty' until the early hours of the morning at their team hotel.
Joachim Low and Oliver Bierhoff, the team's director, took a drastic measure, deciding to cut off the internet connection at the facilties where the Germans were based.
'Die Welt' reports that the squad's behaviour was like that of "children on holiday or at a pyjama party more than professionals and adults on a mission for the title".
Germany ended up falling at the first hurdle, seeing themselves knocked out in the group stage of the World Cup for the first time in their history.