The referee was partial. He did not begrudge it to us.

This time Jens Lehmann did not blame it on the new ball.

DON’T BE MISTAKEN. Once the staff around coach Jogi Löw identifies a goal, they do pursue it with admirable determination. What’s more, they have a talent to raise the team’s awareness in original ways. This time, they worked out a graphic theme for their endeavour: Climbing a mountain peak.

The project “Bergtour 08″ – mountain tour 08 – was revealed to the press in May. Standing on the tallest German mountain, team manager Oliver Bierhoff was giving away that,

We were looking for a place in Germany which links us to the host countries. Both geographically and symbolically.

A plethora of analogies followed. The team was referring to their hotel as the base camp. Coach Löw had mountain guide printed on his official shirt.

He sent the most talented group on it’s way up. Thanks to their leader, Michael Ballack, they reached the stands of the Viennese stadium. He lead them all the way up. Finally, they conquered the K2 of European football and they really deserve it!

On June 19th sarolta wrote:

italy: no, they won’t even make it to the semi-final
netherlands: no, because i don’t like them, i don’t know why

so spain, because villa – torres is the best striker due, and the defense of all teams seems to be shaky, and because it is the season of red fruits

From Who wins?, 2008/06/19 at 11:41 PM

TOMORROW night the trophy will be awarded on the stands of the stadium. I would like to see the following order: German captain Michael Ballack should be the first to receive a medal. Carles Puyol should be the first to lift the cup.

GER-ESP 1-1 (ESP wins) 

YOU MAY ask yourself why anyone would spend a few months wage on watching a football match? I thought that the black market was crazy before the EURO. But finally, having been there, it makes much more sense. It really doesn’t compare to a club match atmosphere or other national matches.

Is it witnessing sports history? Is it the magic of the patriotic mass?

I doubt that it’s because of the supporting programme. It sounded all so nice, though:

The spectators’ warm-up programme is not limited to the first and last matches: there will be an entertainment programme for all 31 Euro matches to get spectators in the stadiums in the right mood. The entertainment programme will make the countdown to each kick-off a special experience for the spectators.

As soon as the stadium doors open, a DJ together with 3 speakers around the pitch will cheer up the fans for the three hours until the match. The fans, their love of football and their emotions are the themes at the heart of the programme.

Among others, the fans and their love to football are embraced with a decibel competition – who is loudest – and even an attempt to pass a giant fabric football from one end of the stadium to the other as fast as possible. Speaker 3: “Today we are going for the Guiness Book!”. What’s more:

The pre-match highlight will be a 40-strong group of gymnasts, whose acrobatics show will accompany the teams’ entrance onto the pitch and culminate in a depiction of the tournament logo.

You might have enjoyed the choreography already. It’s the teenagers in black pants tumbling around on the grass before the teams enter the pitch. I should acknowledge that their task is made difficult by  waving these giant fabric triangles. The latter are necessary for the culmination when they are flipped over and, surprise, display the tournament logo.

Speaker 3, who is MCing all matches in Vienna has a very likeable accent. Styrian? However, when switching to English he tends to confuse minutes with seconds. “It’s only 20 more seconds until the match starts here in Vienna”.

15 minutes later, right after the triangle-ceremony, the teams enter the stadium under deafening applause and the White stripes. The respective team captain sends a video message from the walls , telling the fans to respect the opponent’s anthem.

Later, during half time, the DJ is trying to please the crowd with his music selection. 15 minutes can be a very long time. Finally, it’s speaker 3’s time again. “Enjoy the last fifty-five seconds” he said with great modesty.

If you hoped that the closing ceremony will be more professional, I have some bad news. The Austrian gymnastics federation sent out a call for volunteers. It said:

Are you 16 years or older and in good health? [...] Although you have to be member in a gymnastic club, there is really no need that you know how to do gymnastics.

All of this to comfort those who fear that football is selling out. Even the gymnasts are down to earth.

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JOSEF HICKERSBERGER will no longer be the Austrian coach. A few hours ago, he told the newspaper Der Standard that he was burnt-out. Further, he alluded to being sent-off the pitch against Germany when he said:

The transition to normality begins, I feel detached. Maybe it was symbolic.

Nevertheless he stressed that he was satisfied with the job he had done.

Having the EURO at home – it was a gigantic experience for everyone. Including myself.

Good-bye Austria’s rose!

IF THE LAW of the lucky Turks holds we can expect that Jens Lehmann is going to hit a  low-flying Swiss duck with his kick-off. Via two posts the ball could finally bounce into the German net during over-time.

Still, it’s not going to be enough:

GER-TUR 1-1 (GER goes up)

RUS-ESP 2-1

Russia was too impressive lately, but GK Akinfeev can always let one slip in.

Reader Claudio pointed at the following article on the UEFA site:

Italy striker Luca Toni was sporting a moustache during training today, perhaps hoping that his present likeness to ‘Zorro’ will make him more dangerous in front of Spain’s goal.

Missed chances
But it will take more than a few whiskers on the FC Bayern München forward’s upper lip to rediscover the form that enabled him to score 39 goals in all competitions in his first season in Germany. Including the chance which concluded in the former ACF Fiorentina forward collapsing in a heap under Eric Abidal’s penalty-conceding challenge on Tuesday, Toni passed up three gilt-edged goalscoring opportunities against France within the first 25 minutes.

Toni patience
So, is it time for Donadoni to drop the big target man? [...]

It’s an old football law: a striker is as good as his score card. So Toni’s no good. No matter wether he was unlucky or not. Somebody differs: his coach. He won’t overlook that Toni was fouled 7 times in a dangerous area against France alone. One of them was the penalty he earned after a marvellous timing and a beautiful control.

ANd anyway, why should he care about Zorro? Maybe he just wants to rediscover that Bavarian spirit in him. The spirit that unites him with 3-times Olympic luge champ Georg “Schorsch” Hackl.

Auf geht’s, “Toni”!

van Nistelrooy (NED)

Podolski (GER)——————-Sionko (CZE)

Sneijder (NED)–Modric (CRO)

Senna (ESP)

Lahm(GER)–Stranzl (AUT)–Servet (TUR)–Bosingwa (POR)

Boruc (POL)

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