‘HAHAHA’ – schadenfreude sweeps web after German downfall

MOSCOW: The Internet turned cruel for Germany fans on Thursday as online mockery swept the globe following the defending champions’ shock World Cup elimination.

A stream of memes and jokes f looded social media after a stunning 2- 0 defeat to South Korea condemned Die Mannschaft to their earliest exit in 80 years.

“Don’t mention the VAR,” was a common refrain, while Brazilian media gleefully took their revenge for Brazil’s 7-1 humiliation by Germany at the last World Cup in 2014.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA...” read a tweet from Fox Sports Brasil that ran to 272 characters.

In dramatic scenes in Kazan, Kim Young- gwon’s stoppagetime opener was ruled legitimate after intervention from the Video Assistant Referee, before Son Heung-min added the second goal minutes later.

“Germany’s fastest exit from Russia since 1943,” posted one user, while another tweeted a picture of Germany towels reserving all the seats on an empty plane.

Mexico fans were particularly delighted after South Korea’s lastgasp win allowed them to qualify for the last 16 behind Group F winners Sweden – while Germany fi nished rock bottom.

Aeromexico offered a 20 percent discount on flights to South Korea, tweeting an image of a plane with doctored “AeroCorea” livery and the slogan, “We love you Korea!”

Ryanair tweeted a picture of an unhappy Germany fan, offering “Loew fares” – a reference to German coach Joachim Loew.

One joke in German showed a supermarket check- out assistant asking Loew, “Do you collect points?” with the coach answering, “No.”

Meanwhile, England strikerturned-TV-presenter Gary Lineker revised his famous maxim that “Footbal l is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.”

“Football is a simple game,” Lineker tweeted.

“Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans no longer always win. Previous version is confined to history.” — AFP