More than half a million people welcomed the Germany team home in Berlin, after their 4th World Cup win this year in Brazil, after having defeated Argentina.
The victorious national football team arrived last Tuesday. Photos of them from the media showed Captain Philip Lahm leading down the team in the plane's stairs, holding above his head the golden trophy. Bastian Schweinsteiger, the trusty midfielder, was close to him and wrapped in a German flag.
Berlin's 'fan mile' was covered and jam-packed by the huge party that football is. The 1.3 kilometre road, stretched from the west of the city to the historic Brandenburg Gate all showed colours of the German flag- black, red, and gold. It was seen in their clothing, face paints, wigs, bandanas and their little German flag props.
Moreover, the celebration would not have been complete with beer. Some fans even started drinking way before the team arrived. It was a feast, no doubt.
They chanted, "Football's coming home!" upon the arrival of the national heroes now.
Even some people from places far from Berlin travelled to the capital just to join in the homecoming parade.
This is already the fourth time that Germany had won the World Cup. However, their previous winnings were actually made possible through a team called West Germany. So, this is their first time to win as a unified team. The years that they won were 1954, 1974, and 1990.
As expected, almost all television channels and newspapers boasted and congratulated the team. They also highlighted the team's four attributes: self- confidence, togetherness, fierce, and modern.
Also, Mario Gotze, the lone scorer from the 1-0 Germany versus Argentina final was the fan favourite. His name was chanted all over the city. Schweinsteiger was much celebrated, too, after he exited the game with a bloody eye after an injury. The coach Joachim Low was also a star.
The team got better since their 2006 World Cup hosting. The spirit, and of course, the championship has helped them gain pride in their nation despite its dark past.
With reports from: the guardian.com
