The German comedian Henning Wehn had a regime in his presentations that was probably adequate, since it was his country that coined the word “schadenfreude” and reminds us of it repeatedly, in the sense of football.
If Wehn were on the comedy circuit in England, he would have a replay of the World Cup on stage.
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Each German had one, he explained, before noting that they had won it four times. And then he would hand the trophy to the others in the front row, taunting them and telling them to look at him carefully. Imagine how that feels.
“This,” he said, “is the closest thing to it. “
They may have simply made it through those long periods when German footballers won major trophies at an almost improbable rate. Just take a look at the shirts they wore for their last triumph at Euro 2024, beating Denmark to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. 2024. We all know what the 4 stars on the Deutscher Fussball-Bund shield symbolize.
If you belong to a certain generation, you will probably also remember the years when Germany also dominated the European Championship. No other country can equal their record of six finals and win them three times. For Germany, the fact that there have been none since Euro 1996 has been a source of abundant unease.
And now? Well, his victory over Denmark wasn’t without stress, even ignoring the 24-minute interruption by the kind of biblical typhoon Thor himself has summoned.
But some of the big German groups have also taken advantage of their opportunities, if we go back in time. This is a positive trait for a team with wonderful ambitions and while the warring parties can be forgiven for feeling let down, there is also evidence that the host country has, so far, been the standout team of the tournament.
This verdict only arises from the fact that Julian Nagelsmann’s team is the most sensible scorer or that in their 4 games the result was 10-2 in their favor.
They have been cheered amidst noisy and boisterous crowds and, above all, they seem to be ahead of being the host country, with all the tension and expectations that this can entail.
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In doing so, it also seems that a new generation of heroes is emerging for enthusiasts whose banners at the Westfalenstadion included a nostalgic one pointing to “La Vida Lothar”, an adaptation of Ricky Martin’s old hit, featuring Lothar Matthaus embracing the World Cup. 1990.
Antonio Rüdiger, for example. In the entire history of the German national team, has a defensive clearance been celebrated with more enthusiasm than the one that in the final minutes of the 2-0 victory provoked Rudiger’s euphoria on the rain-soaked pitch?
In many ways, Rudiger embodies many of the qualities evident in Germany’s most successful teams. He’s tough, only in the way he confronts his conflicting parties and uses his physical presence to try and gain an advantage, but also mentally.
He’s offended, surely offended, by the concept that the other team may be bold enough to think they can actually win. He will make any and all efforts to make sure that this simply cannot happen. And we wonder if it’s así. la worry about failure that fuels it as much as the joy of winning.
It’s the kind of attitude that has made him a Champions League winner with Real Madrid, the most sensitive of all the trophies he’s won in the past with Chelsea. And who in the German dressing room can not be encouraged by such a prodigious effort?of one player limited to one educational consultation per week?
As further proof of Germany’s skills, Jamal Musiala scored his third goal in four games to prove once back that he can turn all his apparent ability into something real.
We saw Kai Havertz play a decisive role, as he did several times with Arsenal last season. Havertz is not an easy player to coach but, at best, or at worst, he has an incredibly useful ability to make a significant contribution.
Leroy Sané is a player capable of exciting and frustrating, of seducing and confusing, but the team has created an attacking line that can disrupt any defense.
Then you just have to take into account the number of players (Ilkay Gundogan, Toni Kroos, Rudiger, to name just three) with whom their coach can accept that they play and thrive at a certain level.
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If we add Manuel Neuer to this, this quartet has a total of 387 international matches between them. And, while we’re constantly told that Neuer is no longer the elite player he once was, his speed from away from home is the goal line to frustrate Rasmus. Hoijlund with 0-0 was the winner.
Yes, the Danish players had the right to be harmed by this wild and eccentric game when two successive VAR decisions changed the game and gave Havertz the chance to score the first goal from the penalty spot.
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Joachim Andersen, in particular, would probably never address the details given that it was about his hands for handball and the tragicomedy that, minutes before, the handicapped boy was celebrating a moment he would have loved for the rest of his life.
Unfortunately for Andersen, a teammate swerved offside and, if only by a toe, that’s too much in fashionable sport. Germany kept the ball and Kasper Hjulmand, the Danish coach, brandished his mobile phone about an hour after the final whistle to show reporters photographs of what he considered a grave injustice.
Kasper Schmeichel, the Danish goalkeeper, described it as a “mixture of disappointment, anger and rage” and it is true that Germany hopes to have that possibility again.
But we also do not forget Franz Beckenbauer, one of the true legends of German football, when he spoke of his Euro 2000 team betting “on a tired and unwanted football that became abuse of the ball”. Rudiger regained his trophy as a fit boy and the current generation of players shared their love with a beer, a loud and satisfied crowd.
(Top photo: Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images Getty Images)