Overview
- Germany’s campaign ended with a 1–3 defeat to Slovenia (21:25, 25:17, 29:31, 22:25) in a match they had to win to reach the round of 16.
- The team again faltered in tight moments, having earlier squandered eleven match points in the opening loss to Bulgaria, and top scorer Erik Röhrs (22 points) lamented giving away close sets.
- Captain Georg Grozer expressed deep disappointment, said he will return to club duty in Shanghai, and confirmed he intends to continue with the national team.
- Officials and observers highlighted the absence of experienced players such as Johannes Tille, Lukas Kampa, Ruben Schott and Julian Zenger as a factor that weakened the side.
- Calls intensified for structural reform, with proposals for a unified nationwide youth system and a full-time national coach to turn recent progress into consistent results.