Though the German national team lost the final, they were celebrated like UEFA European champions™. The disappointment was simply swept away by cheers 24 hours after their 1-0 defeat by Spain in the final of the 2008 UEFA European Championship™. The German team flew from Vienna to Berlin, where they were welcomed by around 100,000 enthusiastic fans among a sea of black-red-golden flags at the Brandenburg Gate, Germany’s largest public viewing area. “Of course you are disappointed when you get so far and lose the decisive match”, said Michael Ballack. “But we would never have reached the final without the fans”, the captain shouted from the stage. The 31-year-old was battle scarred, with his eyebrow heavily stitched. He had sustained the injury in the final. Once again he had become a loser in an important, memorable match. But the fans put new into heart Ballack and his fellow German players.

The headline in Germany’s largest tabloid, “Bild-Zeitung”, read: “We are proud of you!” with the addition: “Spain were simply better”. The summit had not been reached during their mountain tour, as the team leaders had dubbed the European Championship finals. The last ascent proved too steep, but coach Loew was content with his roped party. “The defeat is hurting”, he said after the final whistle at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium. “But I think we can be very happy with the whole tournament. The team achievements were outstanding during the 45 days we were together”, Loew added. It was the third time, as in 1976 and 1992, that the German team lost the final and finished European silver medallists. They won four matches and lost two in the course of the tournament. While the players of highly favoured teams such as Portugal, Italy and the Netherlands were dispatched to early beach holidays, the Germans once again remained in the competition until the end.

Sixteen hours after the defeat in Vienna the German players appeared totally relaxed, but they were not in true celebratory mood among the crowds on “Strasse des 17. Juni” (Street of June 17). But they allowed themselves to be cheered up by the good mood of their supporters. Signs and cardboard cups boasting “Thank You”, banners inscribed “You are the best” and choruses and singing created a fantastic atmosphere. All players wore T-shirts printed with “That’s how the Germans will go on till 2010“ and figures standing upright side by side, symbolising the unity of the team.

Loew, the great optimist, was already looking ahead: “This defeat will be our motivation to work on a few things, to push ahead and improve further in the coming two years, in order to achieve our aims in the qualification, to make it to the World Cup finals and then play a similarly good tournament”. The opponents in the qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, to be played from September 6, are Liechtenstein, Finland, Russia, Wales and Azerbaijan. Thomas Hitzlsperger expressed what many German fans were thinking: “We are hoping to be capable of improving by one place at the next tournament, and win the title”.