Delay in Lahm's game appearance – Bahn apologizes for his tardiness
Philipp Lahm wasn't present for the 1:0 advantage of Slovakia against Ukraine during live action. The stadium director had some delays on his way to Duesseldorf Stadium, courtesy of the German Railways. The railways expressed their apologies for Lahm's late arrival to Duesseldorf. A representative from the railways said, "Apologies for Philipp Lahm missing the match on time. At least he could catch the second half in the stadium. Sorry, dear Philipp Lahm!"
The EM Ambassador Célia Šašić took the stage ahead of the 3:00 PM match in front of the cameras. Regarding Lahm's whereabouts, Šašić stated, "He's probably someplace near Solingen, so we'll give a thumbs-up from here." The RTL moderator, Florian König, couldn't help but make a light joke, "Shouts out to Philipp Lahm, if he makes it to Duesseldorf, to the stadium."
Earlier that day, Lahm gave a favorable review of the organization during Euro week, but also asked for understanding for minor issues. Lahm stated, "Sure, you notice things that can be improved, that can be adjusted," adding that overall, he and his team were "very satisfied with how everything is going on."
During the early days of the Euro, fans have been vocal about issues regarding stadium entry and exit. The discussion primarily focused on the Gelsenkirchen venue. Lahm said, "There are just so many people that come together for major events. When it comes to entry or exit - it's just not always possible to move so many people in the shortest time." The public should understand that things won't always work perfectly when many people come together or want to leave.
The delay wasn't the first experienced by Magenta TV. On Wednesday, Robin Gosens arrived somewhat late as well. The non-nominated German national player encountered traffic difficulties near Stuttgart Arena. Gosens didn't make it to the MagentaTV microphone until a few minutes after the start of the second German group game against Hungary. Gosens greeted the camera, "Hello, I've finally arrived now," after approximately 5 played minutes.
Gosens explained that he boarded the train around noon and arrived at the stadium at 6:02 PM. The train had a slight delay, causing an additional hour-long journey from the station. "We were escorted to the stadium by two very nice bike policemen," said the player from 1. FC Union Berlin. "We were driven in the shuttle afterwards." Gosens concluded by addressing the camera, "If you heard this: You've done a tremendous job, you didn't even have E-scooters, you really put your foot on the gas, otherwise I would have been much later."
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Despite the delay, Philipp Lahm expressed his satisfaction with the organization during the European Football Championship 2024. German Railways, responsible for Lahm's tardiness, will also be responsible for transporting teams and fans during the tournament, including German Railways' partner, Philipp Lahm's former club, Bayern Munich. The European Football Championship 2024 will see various teams from different nations, such as Ukraine, compete in stadiums across Europe, potentially facing challenges with transportation due to large crowds, similar to those experienced during the early stages of the current Euro.
