Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann 'fights back tears' as he opens up on the hurt of his side's Euro 2024 exit... but insists the hosts 'did not deserve to lose against Spain'

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Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann insisted that his side didn’t deserve to lose to Spain after they were knocked out of the Euros by Mikel Merino's 119th-minute winner.

‘Congratulations to Spain,’ said Nagelsmann. ‘It was a game of two halves. We invested so much to win the game in extra time so a draw in the game would have been well deserved but with the last chance, we conceded. 

'I told the players we didn’t deserve to lose,' he added.

And the Germany boss admitted the hurt of the missed opportunity of winning a tournament on home soil.

‘I'm fighting back tears. It hurts because we won't be able to do better for another two years and I'll probably never experience a home tournament again in my career, said Nagelsmann. 

Julian Nagelsmann admitted he was 'holding back the tears' after Germany were knocked out of Euro 2024

His side suffered a late 2-1 defeat by Spain on Friday night, but the Germany boss insisted his side 'didn't deserve to lose' 

Nagelsmann stated that his side had 'created a great symbiosis with the people around the country' 

'We have created a great symbiosis with the people around the country. If we had performed badly, it would have been deserved and then we wouldn't have to fight back tears. 

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'There was not one single second where my players did not give everything.' 

The 36-year-old was left to rue what could have been after Germany were denied a penalty by referee Anthony Taylor for what looked like a handball by Marc Cucurella.

‘I don’t want to talk about the handball,’ he said. ‘We have 50 robots that give us our coffee, so I think we need AI to assess the intention of crosses for penalties,' bemoaned Nagelsmann.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente praised his team after they recovered from Florian Wirtz's 89th minute equaliser, having taken a second half lead through Dani Olmo.

'This is the moment to value what we have achieved and value the quality my players showed,' said De La Fuente.

Kroos (centre), who is now set to retire from professional football, sunk to his haunches at the final whistle

Mikel Merino (centre) scored the winner for Spain in the 119th minute of extra-time to seal the game

Spain boss Luis de a Fuente hailed his side after they recovered from Florian Wirtz's 89th minute equaliser

But the Spain boss claimed Kroos (left) should have been shown a red card for his tackle on Barcelona midfielder Pedri (centre, bottom) 

'This team has heart. I know these footballers and their sporting ambition is insatiable,' he added.

But the 63-year-old said that he felt the retiring Toni Kroos’s challenge on Pedri in the opening few minutes should have been a red card, with the Barcelona midfielder replaced by Olmo, who went on to score and get an assist in a man-of-the-match display.

Spain will be without Pedri, as well as Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand and skipper Alvaro Morata for Tuesday's semi-final in Munich. Carvajal was sent off in injury time while Le Normand and Morata picked up bookings but De La Fuente remained optimistic.

'We have certain casualties but this is football,’ he said. ‘We are excited that our country is excited.’