Since kicking off just under a fortnight ago, Germany’s summer in the spotlight has afforded observers a few lessons. Here are five things we’ve learned during the group stage of Euro 2024. Expecting efficiency? Think twice Perhaps the most talked-about takeaway from so far has been this: .
Surprised? Well, while locals are well accustomed to a , transport headaches came as an unwelcome shock to tens of thousands of visiting fans. The country that many supporters expected to find – where things work as advertised and the trains run on time – has turned out to be a mirage. Many have faced delays, overcrowding, or unexplained cancellations, in various locations right across the country.
Some cities have managed to handle the pressure – Hamburg, Frankfurt, Leipzig among them – but Cologne, Düsseldorf, Munich, and above all Gelsenkirchen have made energetic contributions to the dismantling of the German efficiency myth. On the walk to the Cologne Stadium on Wednesday evening, one supporter told DW of his disbelief and dismay. A veteran of previous tournaments, he summoned wistful memories of happier days.
"I was here in 2006, and there wasn't a late train all summer!" Old-school football enjoying a renaissance The clipboard-wielders, data nerds, statisticians and tacticians might have taken over in the world of club football, but it seems there's still space for anarchy in the international game. Several matches so far have delivered a welcome shot of old-school, hi.
