EM 2024 - What a wonderful contrast to the World Cup in Qatar!
Clear, the weather: sometimes this, sometimes that – typical German. The train notoriously unreliable, the "Volunteers" in their green Adidas jackets very neat, sometimes overwhelmed. And poor Gelsenkirchen a "Shithole", as a British blogger noted, to which one could call out: Looks like home to you, dear man?
EM 2024 in Germany: No Döner-Shop Without Live-TV
The whole hustle and bustle didn't fit with what was going on: balmy nights, through entire street corridors the excited voices of reporters echoed, no Döner shop without Live-TV, not even Serbia against Slovenia. The budget constraints of the traffic light coalition: pushed into "Heute-Journal" during halftime. But everyone had to go to the bathroom. Important is on the field, there the true world history is being written, what a wonderful shift in significances.
Croatian fans with water polo caps, Dutch fans in orange refuse collection uniforms, in Leipzig before the arena two girls selling homemade good luck charms: left divine support for Croatia, right for Italy. And in the stadiums, when roaring "Fire" thundered from the boxes: Thousands of tanzing anticipation for what was about to come, great drama, great feelings.
What a Contrast to the soulless Desert-WM
There really was such a thing: the great Cristiano Ronaldo, who comforted his weeping teammate Pepe, who was actually one of the tough sort, like a small child. The German national team coach after the loss against Spain, with a broken voice and tear-glazed eyes. Despite the Turkish wolf salute, despite Uefa commercial crap in the stadiums (seven euros for half a liter of beer!), despite full stands and faulty climate control systems: what a contrast to the soulless WM in the football desert of Qatar 2022!
Football celebrates itself, and with it everyone for whom this wonderful game means something. Long ago a billion-dollar business and yet not to be killed. It touches the soul, to this day. That was great. And that will remain.
*Tilman Gerwien experienced the 1974 World Cup in Germany. The DFB team won the title. The mood was worse back then, the weather also.
The European Championship in 2024 is set to take place in Germany, with news and headlines about the event filling Live-TV screens in Döner shops across the country. This is in stark contrast to the World Cup held in Qatar 2022, which was criticized for its soulless atmosphere and commercialization. In Leipzig, fans can purchase homemade good luck charms before matches, with Croatian supporters dressed in water polo caps and Dutch fans donning orange refuse collection uniforms. Despite budget constraints and logistical issues, the European Championship in Germany is a celebration of football, bringing together fans from around Europe and touching the soul of those who love the game. Serbia and Slovenia even faced off in the streets, with excited reporters echoing their voices throughout entire corridors.
