The coach Joachim Löw said that it would be difficult to repeat the 2014 World Cup title

Prior to the game against Mexico in the 2018 World Cup, Joachim Löw, coach of the German National Team, told the Diario de Yucatán: "It's hard to repeat the title, but we want to have a good start". Now it seems that it will end up happening, or at least that is the feeling that remained after the hard and unexpected fall of the German team against the Aztecs, in the opening of Group F. This strengthens a trend that has been repeated with the champions of the World Cup in the last 40 years, both in the debut and in the overall tournament after which they won the World Cup.

The European team lost by a minimum difference against the 'Tri', led by Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio, thanks to a solitary score by Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano. In this way, the German group joined the 'black list' of national teams that have started with defeat their defense of the world title, four years later.

The 'blacklist'

The first to enter this unwanted list was Argentina. The 'albiceleste' team debuted in Spain 1982, losing against Belgium 1-0 with a goal score by Erwin Vandenbergh, according to the newspaper La Nación. Eight years later, in Italy in 1990, the gauchos were again victims of that curse. At the start of the orbital contest, the team led at that time by Carlos Salvador Bilardo lost against Cameroon, with a goal by François Omam-Biyik.

In Korea/Japan 2002, the same thing happened to France, who with a luxury team began the defense of the title falling against Senegal. Then it was the turn of Spain, which was beaten by the Netherlands in Brazil 2014, thus leaving the image of an 'invincible team' remembered in South Africa 2010, as La Nación points out.

However, unlike the Spaniards and the French, Argentina went far in the World Cup that had started losing, especially in Italy 1990. In that World Cup managed to qualify for the final, although the team lost against Germany 1-0.

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Some have come far, but …

A similar fate befell Italy in South Africa 2010. According to the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, 'La Azzurra' could not even reach the round of sixteen after finishing fourth in their group, behind Slovakia, Paraguay and New Zealand. However, not everything can be pessimism in Germany.

The Brazilian National Team, for example, who after winning the 1994 U.S. Championship, reached the final in France in 1998 and the quarterfinals in Germany 2006. This was after lifting the maximum trophy in Korea/Japan 2002.

Consequently, the 'Teutons' should raise their heads and look ahead in the remaining matches to try to change the story that states that since 1962, when Brazil repeated its title in Chile after winning it in Sweden 1958, no National Team has obtained the victory four years later.

How did the selections go after being champions?

• Spain, champion in South Africa 2010: eliminated in first round in Brazil 2014
• Italy, champion in Germany 2006: eliminated in first round in South Africa 2010
• Brazil, champion in Korea-Japan 2002: eliminated in quarterfinals against France in Germany 2006
• France, champion in France 1998: eliminated in the first round in Korea/Japan 2002
• Brazil, champion in the USA 1994: runner-up in France 1998 before the host
• Germany, champion in Italy 1990: eliminated in the quarterfinals against Bulgaria in USA 1994
• Argentina, champion in Mexico 1986: runner-up in Italy 1990
• Italy, champion in Spain 1982: eliminated in the last sixteen against France in Mexico 1986
• Argentina, champion in Argentina 1978: eliminated in second phase in Spain 1982

Interruption by World War II

• Italy, champion in France 1938: eliminated in the first round in Brazil 1950
• Italy, champion in Italy 1934: champion again in France 1938
• Uruguay, champion in Uruguay 1930: did not qualify for the 1934 World Cup in Italy

LatinAmerican Post | Yeinson Fajardo Bohórquez

Translated from "Alemania y la 'maldición del campeón' en Rusia 2018: Nadie repite título desde 1962"