THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BERLIN — Around 100,000 Germany fans welcomed their team home to the capital on Monday after a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Spain in the European Championship final the day before.
The cheering crowd waved German flags and signs bearing slogans of appreciation as the team players appeared one by one on a stage in front of Berlin’s landmark Brandenburg Gate, kicking soccer balls into their midst.
"Ballack: I love you," said one woman’s sign at the event on the so-called "Fan Mile," a venue set up for open-air viewings of the tournament matches. An estimated 600,000 gathered there on Sunday to watch the live telecast of the championship from Austria.
Another fan expressed the hopes of many that the team will build upon their strong showing in the European tournament for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa: "See you in 2010," the placard read.
It was a bittersweet celebration, however, after the loss to Spain.
"It’s naturally disappointing when you’ve come so far," team captain Michael Ballack said in an interview on the stage in the nationally televised event. "So many weeks hard work, including the qualifying, then to get to the final game and then to lose. It’s always bitter when one loses a final, that’s clear."
The top-selling Bild newspaper on Monday proclaimed "Spain was simply better" in smaller text above a much-larger headline of "We’re proud of you in any case" over a nearly full-page photo of popular midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger sitting slumped on the pitch after the loss..
Berlin’s B-Z tabloid simply said "Danke" or "Thank You."
"The spirit is outstanding — in the stadiums and also on the Fan Mile," said Lukas Podolski, who played in left midfield throughout the tournament and scored three goals, but none after the group stage. "One can only say ‘thank you."’
Germany coach Joachim Loew said Germany was already looking ahead to the World Cup in two years.
"We’ll make the qualifying and should the Spanish play …. then we will beat them," he told the cheering crowd.