Tens of thousands of jubilant fans massed at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate earlier today to welcome the World Cup winners and new national heroes bringing home football’s top prize for the first time to a reunified Germany.
The flag-waving crowd erupted in applause after news spread that the flight bringing the triumphant players to the German capital from Rio de Janeiro touched down at the airport shortly after 0800 GMT.
Crowds began massing in central Berlin before dawn and thousands more supporters gathered on a viewing platform under warm summer sunshine at Tegel airport to meet the plane, a Lufthansa jet rebranded “Fanhansa” for the team.
“This is a historic event,” said 34-year-old bus driver Bernd Hesse, who managed to follow all the matches in Brazil on the radio when he was behind the wheel.
He noted that Germany fans had waited 24 years to bask in the glory of a World Cup victory, the first since the reunification of the country following three wins by the former West Germany.
“It’s not every day that you get to see something like this,” he said.
The German media ran banner headlines and normally staid business daily Handelsblatt even joined in the national celebration.
It quoted the head of Germany’s top bank Deutsche Bank, Juergen Fitschen, singing the national side’s praises.
“The German team embodies many of the qualities that typify Germany today: commitment, discipline, technical skill and tactical know-how,” he said.
