While the sky remained black and the thunder continued to rumble over Dortmund, there was sunshine all around Germany's national team.
The 2:0 victory over Denmark in the round of 16 reinforces the dream of a fourth European Championship title.
The Germans are in the same mood as the Swiss. The European Championship can no longer end as a frustrating tournament. Fans and team are reunited. The young coach Julian Nagelsmann and his staff have succeeded in turning a team tormented by failure back into a united winning team. The players are "slowly erasing the old hard drive and understanding how good they are," said Nagelsmann.
Meanwhile, the fans are already feeling the rush of happiness from the European Championship. Again and again, they sang the "Völlig losgelöst" anthem in the stadium. It was a huge weight off everyone's shoulders: first victory in a knockout game for eight years! The summer fairytale effect is here. The public viewing areas are packed, people across the country are rallying behind the national team again. "The fans were extremely supportive," said Joshua Kimmich after his 90th international match. He spoke of "by far the best atmosphere" that had prevailed at the fourth European Championship match.
The team withstood the pressure of being favorites - albeit with a lot of luck at key moments. Two VAR decisions, which nobody would have seen with the naked eye, tipped the game in the Germans' favor. Nevertheless, the victory was well deserved, the national team has now been unbeaten for eight games and their self-confidence is growing and growing.
The European Championship tests lie ahead
But the really big tests are still to come, the ultimate one probably on Friday in the match against Spain, who are expected to beat Georgia this Sunday evening (from 9pm). "We know that we can beat anyone. But we also know that we can be beaten," said Kimmich.
Danish national team coach Kasper Hjulmand wishes Germany all the best for the rest of the tournament. With regard to the refereeing decisions, however, he also said: "In my opinion, this is not how football should be."
Thunderstorms do not bring Hjulmand luck. On the contrary: they remind him of a tragic moment in his coaching career. The 52-year-old was also thinking of Jonathan Richter that evening. The former FC Nordsjaelland professional was struck by lightning during a training match in 2009. Hjulmand was assistant coach at the time. Richter survived the accident, but his lower left leg had to be amputated.
