The movement of "closing the mouths" made by the German national team players in their opening match in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar against Japan caused wholesale problems within the national team's camp in the national team's dressing room, and led to disputes between a number of players who refused to participate in the campaign.

The behavior of the German national team players came in protest against the decision of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) to ban the wearing of a badge that supports homosexuals, and this behavior caused widespread criticism of the German players by a number of stars, including the Belgian captain Eden Hazard, who stated - earlier- "The German national team should have focused on playing football, not passing political messages," he said.

Players felt exploited

"Fox Sports" stated that the news leaked from within the German national team camp after the exclusion revealed clear defections between the players, which affected the general atmosphere within the team, and contributed - to a large extent - to the sudden exit from the first round. Although he entered the competition, he is a candidate to compete strongly for the title.

The site quoted sources close to the German national team as confirming that "there was no complete consensus among the elements of the German national team regarding making this movement."

The German national team signed one of its worst participations in the World Cup (Anatolia)

"Contrary to what the German Football Association tried to show, by claiming that the movement was unanimous among the players, the reality was quite the opposite," the report said.

And the source confirmed that "some players felt that they were exploited in order to participate in this campaign, even though it contradicted their beliefs."

A group of players had already skirmished, even before entering the pitch to take on Japan.

The report stated that the captain of the national team and Bayern Munich goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, was one of the most prominent supporters of this movement.

Campaigns of ridicule and widespread accusations of the Football Association

The German national team was subjected to a widespread campaign of ridicule on social networking sites around the world.

Because of the insistence on caring for issues far from football, instead of focusing on competition, which increased the pressure on them, and accelerated their early exit from the first rounds.

The fans in the stadiums respond to the German national team players in a similar way (Reuters)

For its part, the German press poured out its anger on the players and the technical and administrative staff of the German Football Association, blaming it for what it described as the "spherical disaster" that struck the country.

According to Sky, the exclusion from the first round was not due to the Costa Rica match or Japan's controversial goal against Spain, but rather to the debate that arose since the Germans' first day in Qatari territory.

And according to a report by the site, "the first to blame is the director of the German Football Association, Oliver Bierhoff, and the president of the association, Bernd Neudorf, who allowed football to be turned into a political discussion, which derailed the players from their focus."

The site revealed that the players were still discussing the matter of making this move on the night of their first match against Japan, instead of the Turk on the game only.

The German national team finished the group stage in third place, with 4 points, after its defeat in the first match against Japan 2-1, a draw against Spain 1-1, and then its victory over Costa Rica 4-2.