Football European Championships-Kreuzberg watches em football

“I hope the rain does not make us a strokes,” says public viewing moderator Louis Richter. It is 3:30 p.m., most tables and deck chairs are still empty, the large LED canvas is switched off. The gray sky on Tuesday afternoon does not exactly attract passers-by to a spontaneous visit to the beer garden of the BRLO brewery in Berlin Park am Gleisdreieck. At 6 p.m., the European Championship game of the German footballers against group opponents Denmark will be shown here. The weather forecast calms the »11 friends« editor Richter. “At the first game there was almost more to the men here than last year,” he says.

An hour later, more and more people flock to the beer garden. Moderator Richter interviews the former professional footballer Kathrin Longt in the preliminary program of the public viewing. “I think it’s great that you can complete the entire beer garden here with a women’s football game,” says the 38-year-old, who ran for FC Bayern. It fills up. The ZDF is there, also a journalist of the French football magazine “So Foot” observes the hustle and bustle. The 800 places are almost all occupied.

Football between beer and fries

The mood is good, beer, spritzer and cola stand on the tables between bratwurst, potato salad and fries. Many are looking forward to the game through which the German national team could move into the quarter -finals in a victory against Denmark. “It’s just like the men’s European Championship: When the first game was won, it really goes off,” says viewer Yvonne Fricke (46). “It’s an absolute hype!”

The sun breaks through the clouds in time for the kick -off, lets the faces of the audience Golden shine and seems towards those who only now step on the site. The fragrance grilled ribs welcomes you at the entrance and is further detached inside the light wood smell of the chips that cover the floor. In the corridor between the entrance and the canvas, the viewers look at the risk. Further back, near the beverage stand, it smells of freshly tapped beer. There are no longer free places.

CONCOUNG as a mood damper

Among the viewers are women and young people who are absolutely excited. And in the 18th minute cheers breaks out: “Yeah!” But the joy doesn’t last long. The gate is withdrawn after using the video referee. The German left -back Sarai Linder receives the applause from the Berlin audience shortly afterwards; She separated the Danish star player Pernille Harder from the ball with a fair duel. “Well disturbed,” says someone. But then a murmur goes through the garden, followed by absolute silence: Denmark took the lead (26th).

The gate has an effect, the fans become quiet, only isolated AHS and OHS can be heard. A cloud pushes in front of the sun as if she wanted to accompany the dark mood. In the 37th minute, there is a soft hope when referee Catarina Ferreira Campos decides on penalty for Germany. This time, however, the video assistant referee intervenes: the handball of the Danish Frederikke Thögersen took place outside the penalty area.

DFB comeback let fans cheer

It is only at the half -time break that people talk and laugh again. The public viewing zone has now filled up even more. Around 30 young people sit on the wooden chips on the floor next to the first few table rows.

While the viewers in Berlin-Kreuzberg compete with new drinks and sour cucumbers wrapped in paper, national coach Christian Wück finds the right words during the half-time break. The German national team shows their comeback qualities in front of 16,000 German fans who fill almost half the stadium in Basel.

When a penalty for Germany is decided in Basel in the 55th minute, many are still in the beverage queue in Berlin. However, this does not prevent anyone from celebrating the equalizer by the German midfielder Sjoeke Nüsken. There is probably no hand on the lap, each arm is torn into the air to celebrate, accompanied by the long -lasting jubilation of the fans.

The atmosphere changes in one fell swoop due to the balance. Just ten minutes later she turns into pure joy: striker Lea Schüller gives German women 2-1 in the lead. People proste in Kreuzberg. A group of young men can even be carried away to clap in time for a moment and call “Germany!” However, nobody wants to participate around them, and so they quickly stop again. There is again applause when the number of spectacles in the St. Jakob Park in Basel is displayed on the canvas: Over 34,000 fans came to the largest EM stadium at the tournament in Switzerland on Tuesday and thus set up the highest value of the tournament.

Not everything is perfect yet

Then the final whistle sounds. Some leave in a good mood, while others are still looking at the Swedes’ game against Poland. The “11 Friends” Championships is the only location to show almost all games of the European Championship, only the last group game of the Germans. The brewery had already awarded the date on July 12th. “I think nobody would have anything here if we now have the third game here,” says moderator Richter.

The guests confirm that this is the case. Anna-Lena Heintze (17) would come back, “but next time earlier”. It was one of those who only found a seat on the floor. She describes the mood as “blatant” and says that she is “positively shocked that it is so full here – very nice!”

Frida Riisnes and Frida Woll (both 29) from Norway also say that they would definitely come back: “It is not too loud, we can concentrate on football and the atmosphere is really relaxed.” However, they also came to Kreuzberg due to lack of alternatives. “We have not found any other place where we could watch the EM,” says Riisnes. The two Norwegians believe that the European Championships in their homeland is more important than in Berlin. “Maybe because the team of women is better than that of men,” says Woll.