How Germany's stars reacted to Euro 2020 exit

Pinch yourself again, England fans, just to check it actually happened.

The Three Lions won a European Championship knockout game... and they did it against Germany.

Gareth Southgate's men gave a great account of themselves over the 90 minutes, limiting their opponents' attacking threat to a relative minimum, and scoring two well-worked goals to seal a 2-0 win and a place in the final eight and a date with Ukraine.

That sounds good, doesn't it?

Still, when one team wins, another loses.

Germany will look back at some great opportunities - particularly Thomas Muller's one-on-one with Jordan Pickford - as moments that could (and should) have changed the game. But for Die Mannschaft, their hopes of adding to their previous glories are over for another year.

So, what did the Germany players and coach Joachim Low have to say about Tuesday's Euro 2020 exit at Wembley stadium?

Thomas Muller

“That was it, that one moment that sticks in your mind and keeps you awake at night,” Muller said on Instagram of his missed one on one, with the score still at 1-0.

“The kind of moment you work for, train for, live for. The moment where it falls on you to get your team back on level terms in a tight knockout game and send an entire football nation into ecstasy.

"To have this opportunity and then waste it hurts like hell. It hurts to think about the whole team, my team-mates and our coach, who all put their trust in me to be there and deliver at exactly that moment.

“But most of all, it hurts because of all the Germany fans out there who stood by us and supported us throughout this tournament, despite the difficult circumstances.”

Kai Havertz

"We kept creating chances after we conceded, but didn't take them. It was a bitter evening. But we're all in the same boat and we're a unit," Havertz - whose volley was saved by Pickford - said.

"England don't have too bad a team. If you crash out in the round of 16, of course it's disappointing, but now we have to move on."

Joachim Low

"It's a big disappointment for all of us. The belief in this team was absolutely there. But in games like this, it's crucial to consistently take advantage of the few chances you have," Low said, as cited by Tz.

"When things like Thomas Müller's chance happen, you just have to accept it. He normally scores in a situation like that. Today we needed that goal, but I can't blame anyone.

"I believe that some of our players will still develop. We have a lot of young players. They will learn from this. At the European Championships in 2024 at home, some will be at an absolute top level.”

Manuel Neuer

"After the final whistle, I looked towards the coaching bench and of course it's a sad feeling when I saw Jogi,” Neuer told ARD.

“He's a great guy and a great person and has achieved so much with us as a trainer. It's damn sad that the era is ending like this.

“Former players owe him a lot and he shaped that era. That hurts."

Mats Hummels

Hummels wrote on Instagram: "So, that's it. The European Championship is over for us and I'm sitting here on the bus and don't want to admit it. I can't really collect my thoughts either, but I feel the need to write what's going on inside me.

"The disappointment is huge for all of us. In the end we only won one out of four games and then somehow deservedly went home. On the other hand, I have seen how much we have invested in the last few weeks, not only individually but also as a group.

"I had a lot of fun being with the national team again and I thought we had what it takes to win this tournament. That sounds very strange with our defeat today, of course, I am aware of that.

"At this point I will put an end to the text for the time being, it is always difficult to grasp these thoughts so soon after leaving..."

Timo Werner

Chelsea's Champions League winner Timo Werner was magnanimous on social media, writing: "Even the day after, the elimination still hurts a lot and it is difficult to classify this defeat. We gave everything, but we have to admit that something was missing to get through against England.

"Thank you for your fantastic support over the past few weeks! We'll be back!

"And congratulations to England."