WOLFSBURG: Euro 2024 hosts Germany slumped to a shock 4-1 home loss to Japan in their international friendly on Saturday, deepening the sense of crisis hanging over them after their third straight loss less than nine months before the continental tournament. The four-time world champions, who crashed out of last year’s World Cup group stage after also losing to Japan, have won just four of their last 17 international matches, putting coach Hansi Flick’s future in doubt. They next face World Cup finalists France on Tuesday. “We have to be honest and say that Japan were better. They let the ball run, they played the right spaces, carved out their goals. They were better,” Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan said. “We made far too many individual mistakes. We have to admit that we are just not on the same level with teams like the one today. It is hard but the trend speaks for itself.” “We have to accept that we are just not good enough at the moment. That’s the reality. Maybe we even think we are better than we are.”