A stream of disappointed Germany fans poured out of Berlin’s fan zone Friday evening, some in tears, after a dramatic 2-1 loss to Spain sent the host nation crashing out of the Euros.
“All I can do now is drink to drown my sorrows,” said 22-year-old student Cedric Seiberlich, as he left the fan area at the Brandenburg Gate where 70,000 people had watched the nail-biting quarter-final.
The defeat in extra time brought a brutal end to Germany’s hopes of a fairytale Euros victory after years of underwhelming performances at major tournaments.
“The dream is over,” wrote the top-selling Bild daily, speaking for an entire nation.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz tried to put on a brave face, telling broadcaster ZDF that the Germany team had left the tournament “with their heads held high”.
After the final whistle rang out and the crowds emptied out, Jannis Dochnahl was one of a few stunned supporters to stay behind in the Berlin fan zone, staring into space.
“The two teams were evenly matched, but Spain got lucky,” the 20-year-old said, decked out in Germany’s black, red and gold colours.
Like many fans, he voiced dismay over a controversial decision to not award Germany a penalty after a Jamal Musiala shot connected with the arm of Spain’s Marc Cucurella inside the box.
“I saw us going further, but now I guess Spain are the favourites,” the civil engineering student added.
Despite the frequent cheers in Berlin for veteran Thomas Mueller and retiring Toni Kroos, the pair were unable to turn the tide for the host country.
Ten-year-old Jonas Klose, wearing a Musiala jersey, was being consoled by his father Jens after the match.
“We usually stay home, but we don’t regret coming. The people were enthusiastic, and the weather is beautiful,” the 47-year-old told AFP.
4,000 euros
Suzie Montoro came to the fan zone with her partner Tobias Lagemann.
The pair spent “more than an hour-and-a-half” each on elaborate make-up in Germany’s colours, said Suzie, who is an artist in the capital.
The die-hard “Mannschaft” fans shelled out nearly 4,000 euros ($4,300) combined to attend five Euros matches. “But Tobias is out of money, so we came here tonight,” Suzie smiled.
At the Brandenburg Gate, a few clashes between Germans and Spaniards prompted police intervention and a warning from organisers at half-time.
The tension was mirrored on the field where several yellow cards where handed out, and one red.
The overall atmosphere still delighted Oskar Schwab, an Australian of German origin, despite the painful defeat in the end.
“At home, football culture isn’t very important, it’s always special to see so many people getting excited about this sport,” said the 22-year-old, beer in hand.
But the evening ended with his own dream going unfulfilled: “To see the crowd go wild with joy.”
