Every match day morning we look back at the past and the coming European Championship, give lessons in European football clichés and let a colleague from abroad take a look at this country. You will also receive these texts as “The Summer Mail” by email in the morning if you subscribe to our “What now?” newsletter here.
The scene of the previous day
Ronaldo’s tears. Fortunately, even 39-year-old men no longer have to be ashamed of their feelings these days. And so Cristiano Ronaldo cried uncontrollably during the break in extra time against Slovenia. He had just missed a penalty. Before that, he had simply not been able to do anything right. He mistimed headers, hit free kicks into the sky, and now this. We armchair psychologists are certain that Ronaldo was not only crying about his slip-up, but also about the feeling that it was all over. At least: Ronaldo took part in the penalty shootout against the bravely defending Slovenians, this time aiming perfectly into the corner. And because Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa simply saved all three Slovenian penalties, Ronaldo is in the quarter-finals. But is he doing himself and his team a favor by playing there?
The other game:
France – Belgium 1:0
The game of the day
Austria against Turkey (9pm, MagentaTV), because: Austria is coming homeThat may sound a little strange at first, after all the game is being played in Leipzig. But this Leipzig is not only known for Johann Sebastian Bach, as the birthplace of the Kaulitz brothers and for nasty German (“Ei verbibbsch!”). Leipzig has also been hijacked by an Austrian soda manufacturer. Ralf Rangnick once formed Red Bull football here, where the players seem so excited as if they had bathed in the drink before every game. The Austrian national team now plays a similar style with some former (and perhaps a few future) Leipzig players, although without the RB in its name. They overwhelmed today’s opponents Turkey 6:1 in a friendly match in March. This time it doesn’t even need that many goals to reach the first quarter-final in Austrian European Championship history. Then the Almdudler would also be replaced as the national drink.
The rest of the game:
Romania – Netherlands (6 p.m., ARD)
Who will be important today?
Ianis Hagi, the boy with the last name. His father Gheorghe is a Romanian folk hero, they called him “Carpathian Maradona”, his goal at the 1994 World Cup against Colombia is iconic. Ianis learned to play football in an academy named after his father – and his father repeatedly interfered in his son’s career. The son had not yet made the breakthrough. Fatherly comments such as the one that his son was more talented than he was and reminded him of Zinédine Zidane could only have helped to a limited extent. Even in the national team, which now has to play against the Netherlands, the father has already demanded more playing time for his son. Coach Eduard Iordănescu once countered with the most typical of all youth coach statements: “I can’t listen to every parent.”
Phrase of the day
“send to market”
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(send to market, Turkish)
If a player, usually a defender, is completely outplayed by his opponent by changing direction and ends up lying on the grass, then he is sent to the market. Negotiating is pointless.
Who is already European Champion?
Germany, in underwater rugby. The aim is to stuff a ball into a metal basket that is on the bottom of a pool. Players dive and wrestle against each other, but of course have to surface occasionally. Only referees are supplied with oxygen. Why all this? Well, why not? At the last European Championship in 2022 in Stavanger, Norway, the German team had the longest stamina.
What was the quote of the day?
“It is without a doubt my last European Championship.”
(Cristiano Ronaldo after the game against Slovenia. At least he realized that he is not Benjamin Button.)
Every match day morning we look back at the past and the coming European Championship, give lessons in European football clichés and let a colleague from abroad take a look at this country. You will also receive these texts as “The Summer Mail” by email in the morning if you subscribe to our “What now?” newsletter here.
Ronaldo’s tears. Fortunately, even 39-year-old men no longer have to be ashamed of their feelings these days. And so Cristiano Ronaldo cried uncontrollably during the break in extra time against Slovenia. He had just missed a penalty. Before that, he had simply not been able to do anything right. He mistimed headers, hit free kicks into the sky, and now this. We armchair psychologists are certain that Ronaldo was not only crying about his slip-up, but also about the feeling that it was all over. At least: Ronaldo took part in the penalty shootout against the bravely defending Slovenians, this time aiming perfectly into the corner. And because Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa simply saved all three Slovenian penalties, Ronaldo is in the quarter-finals. But is he doing himself and his team a favor by playing there?
