- Alcaraz breezes into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Gaza cultural heritage brought to light in Geneva
- 'Bullet for democracy': Trump returns to site of rally shooting
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF
- Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
- Honduras arrests environmentalist's alleged murderer
- Padres pitcher Musgrove needs elbow surgery
- Supreme Court lets stand rules to curb mercury, methane emissions
- Boston beat Denver in NBA exhibition season opener, but Jokic says omens are good
- Chagos diaspora angry at lack of input on islands' fate
- Biden says 'not confident' of peaceful US election
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- Lukaku stars as Napoli beat Como to hold Serie A top spot
- Ohtani set for MLB playoff debut as Dodgers face Padres
- Pogba's drug ban cut to 18 months from four years
- Devine leads New Zealand to big win over India in Women's T20 World Cup
- Bosnia floods kill 16 people
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Prosecutors seek dismissal of rape charges against French rugby players
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- Bolivia's Morales says claims he raped a minor are a 'lie'
- MLB Reds hire two-time champion Francona as manager
- Daniel Maldini receives first Italy call-up for Nations League
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- Ancelotti points finger at Madrid's 'lack of intensity'
- Haiti reeling after 70 killed in gang attack
- Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok 'piercing challenge'
- What happens next in Iran-Israel conflict?
- Country star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations
- Stubbs hits maiden century as South Africa make 343-4 against Ireland
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
- Odegaard injury has forced Arsenal to be 'different', says Arteta
- Ratcliffe refuses to guarantee Ten Hag's Man Utd future
- Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court
- Mauritius to hold legislative election on November 10
- Britain qualify for America's Cup final after 60-year wait
- IMF asks Sri Lanka to protect hard-won gains
- Morata returns to Spain Nations League squad after injury
- Irish regulator to probe Ryanair use of facial recognition
- Public allowed to see video evidence in France mass rape trial
- US hiring soars past expectations in sign of resilient market
- Under-fire Ten Hag 'together' with Man Utd hierarchy
- Guardiola talks of Man City love affair as financial hearing rumbles on
- De Bruyne out of Belgium Nations League squad
- Japanese trainer Yahagi hopes Shin Emperor achieves 50-year-old Arc dream
- UK's Starmer hails 'landmark' carbon capture funding
- As EU targets Chinese cars, European rivals sputter
- Bosnia floods kill 14 people
- Tennis world number one Swiatek splits with coach Wiktorowski
Emotional Nagelsmann lauds returned belief despite Germany's Euros exit
An emotional Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann said Saturday the team's "belief in ourselves has returned" despite a 2-1 extra-time elimination by Spain in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
Germany pushed Spain all the way in Stuttgart on Friday, coming from a goal down to send the game into extra time when Florian Wirtz scored an 89th-minute equaliser.
The host nation had a penalty claim denied late before conceding a Mikel Merino goal in the 119th minute.
The tearful coach praised the team after almost a decade of failures at major tournaments and said the performances, built on passionate home support, had bridged gaps between fans and the national team.
"The faith has grown, (the fans) believe in us again," Nagelsmann told reporters at Germany's base camp in the Bavarian village of Herzogenaurach.
"A few months ago it would have been unthinkable for us to come back from a goal down.
"You can tell I'm fighting back tears because it was very emotional. I've always said we need the fans behind us across the country.
"From March onwards, it was clear that the fans felt something. When we see the videos of fans, it's emotional. We would have liked to have given the supporters even more."
Nagelsmann took over in September after Hansi Flick became the first coach in Germany history to be sacked.
After two successive World Cup group stage eliminations and a last 16 loss to England at the Euros in 2021, Germany won just three of 11 games in 2023, giving rise to fears of a disastrous showing on home soil.
The 36-year-old coach however steadied the ship, bringing in a host of new players and dropping several big names from the squad.
Friday's loss was Germany's first defeat in 2024 after an eight-game run which included wins over France, the Netherlands and Denmark.
Asked if he had successfully reset the nation's hopes, Nagelsmann said: "I think we all saw that the hard drive has been cleaned.
"I don't know if it has definitely been completely erased, but it definitely has been cleaned.
"We are much more solid and our belief in ourselves has grown."
Considered young for a national coach, the former Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig manager was only given a nine-month contract when appointed.
In April, the coach however extended his deal by two years, taking him past the 2026 World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Speaking immediately after the match, Nagelsmann said "we want to become world champions" and on Saturday told reporters he wishes the next major tournament was sooner.
"That's the bitter thing about being a national coach, there's too much time between tournaments for you to get back on the attack.
"I'm very happy I extended my deal. I'm looking forward to attacking again but I need a couple of days before I'm ready."
T.Vitorino--PC