Personal positive takeaways from the EUROs
I don’t care that he couldn’t maintain his form (because neither could anyone else), Robin Gosens is still a mentality monster and I adore his fighting spirit to the core, showing everyone what this team can be about. The urgency of a Lukas Podolski, the will of a Miroslav Klose, the humilty of Per Mertesacker… I hope this boy will still go places.
Everything Leon Goretzka stands for. The values, the spirit, the urgency. Sending hearts for the sake of equality, diversity and love. I can’t even applaud him enough.
Jamal Musiala is our future and I cannot wait to see him thrive soon, looking at that young little Bambi out there, even if he didn’t get many chances to shine yet, was pretty amazing.
A rainbow armband for every successful tackle, every scream of joy, everything it stands for. Bowing down to our captain, Manuel Neuer.
Mats Hummels’ redemption arc - he is one of the clear winners of this tournament and, for the first time since WC 2014, I can truly and genuinely say: I am tremendously happy for him, f*ck that own goal, he came back with the best attitude one could wish for and I’m here for it.
Thomas Müller being our real coach - his enthusiasm, his attitude and his way of leading, also being a positive role model for every younger player who also already displays talkative and supportive behaviour (looking at Goretzka again here!) is everything we were missing in the past two and a half years and whether he decides to stay or not… It was an honour to see him out there again.
Joshua Kimmich, our future emotional leader - there have been those before him who suffered the same defeats, but came out of it stronger. I can’t even tell you how much he reminds me of Bastian Schweinsteiger sometimes and we all know how THAT turned out in the end… <3
The team spirit - you could feel it, you could hear it, you could see it. Whether it’s playing music together, fooling around, holding hands… I for one couldn’t notice any divide within the team and its groups and even if the results on the pitch are what matter in the end, this is the way to go for the future. It always has been a good sign and I’m sure it will be one again eventually.
The glimpses of future success - I can’t even list everyone I want to continue seeing in the future, but Sané, Havertz and Gnabry already showed us what could happen next. Again, ALL players had their inconsistencies and there is literally no need to blame a single player for any of our defeats. They’ll be finding themselves. And they’ll find each other. Give it time.
Honourary mention: It’s not over yet, but all of this wouldn’t be half as amusing and entertaining if it wasn’t for Christoph Kramer, Per Mertesacker and Bastian Schweinsteiger doing their best to provide analysis, banter and support. Let me quote Basti here: “I will [get in touch with Thomas Müller eventually], but right now, it’s best to leave him alone.” Thank you for being marvelous, nostalgic as hell and beautifully honest.
I might add to this list soon, but at the top of my head - this is what will remain.
