- 29 Jun 08, 09:00 AM
Vienna
Something's got to give at the Ernst Happel Stadium on Sunday. Germany's mental rigour comes up against a Spanish outfit that is widely regarded as the most complete team at Euro 2008.
And when the losers trudge off, beaten and vanquished, they can console themselves with the thought that they are far from alone in their abject disappointment. Both countries are at fever pitch as the final moves ever closer, with the match dominating television, radio and newspaper coverage.
I was watching a German TV channel the other day and, through the course of the final few minutes of a chat show, the female presenter put on a German baseball cap, then a scarf and finally starting waving a flag around. Mercifully, the programme then came to an end.
The fan miles in Germany have been packed to the rafters throughout the tournament. The one in Berlin is actually 500 metres longer than it was during the 2006 World Cup and 500,000 will attend on Sunday to watch the final on the big screens.
The fascination in Germany with their team's campaign is in part attributable to the fact that there have been so many ups and downs, creating an emotionally engaging experience for the viewer. Germany have been inconsistent; they tasted defeat to Croatia during a difficult group stage, saw off the fancied Portuguese, but then required a last-gasp winner against Turkey.
A recent survey in Germany even suggested that 55% of the people watching the matches are women, the theory being that females love being part of a shared viewing experience and have become engrossed in their team's travails.
As for the snappily dressed Loew, he is a huge hit with the ladies in Germany, even if his reputation as 'Cool Jogi' has been questioned by a national press that feels he has lost his head at times on the touchline.
Journalist Marc Schmidt believes that many informed football fans in Germany acknowledge Spain are the worthy favourites on current form but wonder whether they will come unstuck, as Portugal did in their quarter-final meeting. But he reckons there are a lot of fans who simply haven't considered losing and are looking forward to a victory parade in Berlin on Monday.
Certainly, there is a strong body of opinion that Spain are the team under the most pressure. Loew said on the eve of the final that his team are "under a positive pressure" now that they have reached the final, whereas Spain skipper Iker Casillas talked of the need to be "successful for 44 million people".
Arguably, victory is more important for Spain, who have not won a major title since the 1964 European Championship, while Germany have reached 11 finals in the intervening 44 years.
Winning Euro 2008 would ensure that Spain complete a process of reinvention, casting aside both their reputation as perennial underachievers and the notion that regional differences are so strong that they undermine the national team.
As Spanish football expert Gulliem Balague said: "The success of the Spanish team is breaking all kinds of clichés, stuff like people from Catalonia not being able to play with people from Madrid."
If the 1982 World Cup was Spain making a statement to the world, announcing itself as a country that had left behind the Franco era, then Balague feels that the success at Euro 2008 is about the Spanish proving something to themselves.
"Now we are saying that it is fine to feel Spanish," said the Barcelona-born journalist. "You can be Spanish and be Catalan. Spain is a nation of nations but it is also something else. I can be identified by everything Catalan but everything Spanish as well."
Balague believes the Spanish flag has been hijacked in the past for political reasons but that in Austria and Switzerland it is the symbol of a united and successful team. "I'm completely proud of what is going on here, of my country winning," he added. "It makes me emotional to see it."
Spanish fans have travelled to the tournament in great number and from all parts of the country, while the exploits of the team have captivated the viewing public back home. Balague's mother, no fan of football, has been ringing her son for regular updates.
For years, supporters of the team have chanted a line that translates roughly as "we just come here to drink and we don't care about the score". It hints, perhaps, at the expectation levels of the past. But the expectation levels have changed through this most memorable month.
And as Spain coach Luis Aragones said on Saturday evening: "The one who comes second is soon forgotten."
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It is not just only Spain and Germany,here in Africa you get to see not big but normal sized TV all-over the places,fans sitting and waiting for the final to begin,most of them are the club fans who are looking for their players.
I am confused,what to watch,there are three programes on TV tonight which i was looking forward to,i dont want to miss all of them,i dont know how would i manage to do it but i will have to,if i dont manage to do that,i will go for the Final.
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Hi!
I have had some many people asking me: why don't you guys sing the anthem while is playing?
Very simple answer: WE DONT HAVE WORDS!!
would you be able to pass this information to your commentators/ presenters? I wouldn't like people to think we are angry characters that don't love their country!!!
would you please please please do this for us before the game???
Thanks a lot!
A hopeful Spaniard, genti
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The commentators have already mentioned before at least one game involving the Spanish the reason for no one singing during the anthem.
Hopefully the Spanish will have something to sing about after the game ;-)
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Paul:
Thank you for you and your colleagues hard work on the coverage of this tournament, it's been very good indeed.
It's a shame that the same can't be said of the main protagonists in front of the camera.
As this is John Motson's last tournament, please can the BBC make this a fresh start in other areas too? For instance, what on earth has Alan Shearer done this past season and during Euro 2008 to deserve a regular place on the MOTD panel?
The panel for MOTD desperately needs reinvigorating. The quality of Martin O'Neill's comments has embarrassed the two Alan's cliche-ridden words, quite frankly.
I know that they're tied to contracts but Match of the Day analysis was a complete bore last season. Aside from a few pearls of wisdom once in a blue moon, it was full of clichés and obviousness. What a refreshing change it was to watch MOTD2 on Sunday nights.
Break-up the golf-course chums or us football fans with be bored to death if we have to endure another year of the two Alan's almost every single week. It may even drive us to long for ITV!
There is so much for the BBC to be proud of in its football coverage - online, radio, etc. TV is starting to lag behind though.
Whilst Chiles is superb in his role and Lineker is usually reasonable, Hansen has nose-dived in the last few years while Shearer has never got going.
We're not asking for razzmatazz, just pundits who are going to tell us something we don't know instead of endless clichés.
Please, we beg of you, find some experts of the quality of O'Neill, Desailly and Strachan to give us some insight on MOTD.
You and your colleagues behind the scenes deserve better for your hard work than what's being done by the regular pundits in front of the camera.
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A nation expects? I'm not so sure. I was in Catalunya yesterday and can say that there was absolutely no evidence of Spain being in the final other than a hurriedly assembled rack of shirts in the local carrefour. What non-spanish would not know is that only half the matches in the first round were even shown on TV. In general there just is not the same level of interest as in some other countries. I've been in Germany, Holland and England during world cups and previous euro champs and the atmosphere would be electric in those places in comparison.
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It's not due to a lack of knowledge of the competition, just due to a lack of affiliation with Spain. Most people here consider themselves Catalan and not Spanish. The history is complicated and unfortunate. It is a real shame for the visitor to Cataluña though, I can't think of a good place to watch the final tonight, I'll probably end up in a british bar, as silly as that sounds. Would love to be in Plaza de Colón in Madrid where passionate fans have been gathering in huge numbers for each game.
Barcelona's awful performance in the league has also probably reduced the enthusiasm of the locals.
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I live in Madrid though my residence is Paris. I followed the World Cup and European Cup that France won from Paris where the atmosphere was really fantastic. Yesterday I went to Plaza Colon to check out whether my wife and I could watch the match today. I was completely shocked by the limited facilities and was warned by the security guards that it would not be very safe. I confirm that the first stage of the matches was not shown on public TV but shared with a paid channel. I just can't understand the Spanish attitude....... or simply is it that they have to get used to winning ?
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Not singing the Spanish anthem? That's because most players don't consider themselves Spanish. It's like Scots singing God Save The Queen (although Flower of Scotland is dreadful). Go for it Spain - the ruthlessly efficient Germans have won enough trophys.
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Very big ask singing a national anthem if it hasn't got any words.
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alanjj,
As Fletch has pointed out, the Spanish anthem has no words, and thus, it's kinda difficult to sing along with it.
To say it's because most of the players don't consider themselves Spanish is utter nonsense and complete conjecture. And it's nothing like Scots singing GSTQ.
I agree with you on Spain winning, though. They've been the best team in the tournament for me, second half against Sweden aside.
Fletch, brilliant work throughout the tournament, it's been a pleasure and a breath air reading your blogs. Cheers man!
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Spain's matches weren´t shown on public television? Yes, they were! I live in Madrid - they were shown on Cuatro (which is the equivalent of Channel 4) and also on pay tv (Canal Plus). Maybe it's different in the Basque country or Catalonia but they spend their lives trying hard not to appear Spanish. (A leading Basque politician was asked who he was going to support in the semis - he said he wanted Russia to win, not Spain.)
As for Señor Balague - I applaud his pro-Spanish stance but many Catalans actually couldn't care less about the Spanish national team. No lesser figure than Joan Laporta, the Barcelona chairman, said a few months ago: "Catalonia is not Spanish but a country between Spain and France." Surely, if that is the case, the Germans are up against two countries tonight? No wonder they are the underdogs...
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I'm currently living in the Basque country and I can say that all the Spain games have been on normal TV and that all the local pubs have shown all the matches.
Unfortunately, openly supporting Spain in bars is not always that common as the political situation makes people a bit wary of it but this doesn't mean that they aren't supporting them. Every single person I have spoken to has been excited and truly wants them to win. When Spain has won their matches the roars haven't come from bars but have been heard in the courtyards between people's houses where they've been watching it with their friends.
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With regard to Hopper's comment, I'm afraid he /she hasn't got any understanding of Spanish History or attitudes. The nation DOES expect (I live here, I know), but only after beating Italy in the quarters on penalties. That got rid of so many demons in one fell swoop, as did winning in yellow in the semis.
Like Neo in the Matrix: The Spanish are "starting to believe".
As regards the lack of flags and display, the flag until recently was a sign of support for Franco and his ideals. It is only now starting to be used to represent Spain itself as a nation.
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By the way, in the group stages, at least one match a day was on TV for free
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Would Alanjj please read the comments again - THERE ARE NO WORDS IN THE SPANISH ANTHEM.
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The catalans consider themselves a separate country? They can stop making demands of the Spanish Government then. They get more moeny than any other region here because they are the key to a government getting into power. Let's see how well they do if they are suddenly cut off.
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To the people who say that Spain defeating Italy was a watershed moment - I have heard that off so many people.
And niall45 - Guillem made that point as well about the Basque country - a sensitivity about openly celebrating Spain's success.
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Expectations are often the most gratifying aspect of any anticipated event, even more than the event itself, so maybe the final denouement will be anticlimactic. But even leaving aside the typical media overkill, it's been a pleasingly entertaining affair and even more so, a hugely profitable one. Estimated revenues of over 1.3 billion euros and added spin-offs is more than double those of '04. Little wonder that that German TV presenter was furiously trying on caps and scarves and flags. That's what it's all about, pumping ratings and advertising and merchandise sales. One of the great triumphs of sports marketing in recent years has been to get more women interested in spectator sports, thereby potentially doubling the consumer base of this lucrative industry. Women not only "love being part of a shared viewing experience", they love dressing up, as well. By the way, is that German female fan in the photo above, Jurgen Klinsmann's sister? She certainly bears a striking resemblace to him!
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quickquip - I honestly couldn't say. Do tell, what are you going to do once the tournament is over? Do you have other blogs in mind in which to deliver your telling critiques and punchy prose?
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"With regard to Hopper's comment, I'm afraid he /she hasn't got any understanding of Spanish History or attitudes. The nation DOES expect (I live here, I know), but only after beating Italy in the quarters on penalties. That got rid of so many demons in one fell swoop, as did winning in yellow in the semis.
Like Neo in the Matrix: The Spanish are "starting to believe".
As regards the lack of flags and display, the flag until recently was a sign of support for Franco and his ideals. It is only now starting to be used to represent Spain itself as a nation."
ihateidiots, did you actually read my comment? can you tell me what is incorrect in it?
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