Press comments after the end

“EURO scandal! What a mockery for the Germans”

Huge disappointment for Toni Kroos (left) and Joshua Kimmich after the bitter European Championship exit

(Bild: AP/Matthias Schrader, APA/AFP/Fabrice COFFRINI)

Over and out - the German title dream is over! However, a penalty that was not awarded made the headlines. "EURO scandal! What a mockery for the Germans", railed Italy's "Gazzetta dello Sport".

Hosts Germany were narrowly beaten 2:1 after extra time by Spain in the quarter-finals of the European Championship on Friday. This is what the international media wrote:

SPAIN:
"El Mundo": "Spain cries blood to beat Germany and reaches the semi-finals after an agonizing and unforgettable extra time."
"Marca": "Heroic deed by Spain. In a game of extra time, epic and grandeur, Spain writes an unforgettable page of history. A leap from Merino seals a historic afternoon. Luis de la Fuente's team don't negotiate the word 'impossible'."
"AS": "With brains to the final. (...) For Quincoces, Zarra, Arconada, Quini, Camacho, Zubizarreta, Butragueño, Joaquín, Busquets... for them and for all those who have tried to beat the hosts of a World Cup or European Championship in their time and failed. Test passed."
"Mundo Deportivo": "La Roja suffered against a strong Germany and are through thanks to a last-minute extra-time goal from Merino. The host nation's curse is over: Spain are through to the semi-finals."

Mikel Merino headed Spain into the semi-finals.

(Bild: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

GERMANY:
"Bild": "Penalty cheating! For us you are the winners. 1:2 defeat after a great fight against Spain. Huge anger after the denied hand-held penalty... screw it, then we'll be world champions."

"B.Z.": "Penalty rage! England referee denies us a clear handball penalty! It was a huge fight! Our team came back after Spain scored. And now the European Championship is over for us. Sh...ade."
"sueddeutsche.de": "Not deserved: European Championship final stop after Spain shock. Over and out. The great rivals Spain are no match for the passionate national team. The European Championship home tournament ends in bitter disappointment after a great fight."

Huge disappointment for Toni Kroos (left) and Joshua Kimmich after the bitter European Championship exit

(Bild: AP/Matthias Schrader, APA/AFP/Fabrice COFFRINI)

GREAT BRITAIN:
"The Sun": "Mikel Merino has ended Germany's summer fairytale with a sensational late winner."
"The Guardian": "Mikel Merino breaks the hosts' heart. Spain knocks Germany out of the European Championship. Germany's second summer fairytale is over, but Spain's continues."
"Daily Mail": "Spain breaks Germany's heart."
BBC: "A tearful Germany suffers a bitter exit. Deep down, German fans perhaps never really expected their team to make it to the European Championship final. But that doesn't make the dramatic 2-1 defeat to Spain any less painful."
"Telegraph": "15 yellow cards, 39 fouls and an English referee: the glorious madness of the Battle of Stuttgart. From delirium to desolation. Rarely has a host nation suffered a more crushing defeat. Shortly before the end of extra time, when Germany were already mentally preparing for the penalty shoot-out, which has become a national art form, Spain struck."

Referee Anthony Taylor was in the spotlight several times.

(Bild: AFP/Fabrice COFFRINI, Screenshot ORF)

ITALY:
"Gazzetta dello Sport": "EURO scandal! This penalty was not given to Germany. What a mockery for the Germans. Not even the inadequacy of a referee like Taylor can tarnish the memory of a quarter-final from the museum. Two national teams faced each other who showed everything you could wish for from a soccer team in human terms: Technique, tactics, personality, courage, resilience. Applause, nothing but applause."
"Corriere dello Sport": "Germany accuses Taylor. Spain cheers, but Germany is punished. He ruined this too, in front of the whole world. Anthony Taylor, the worst referee in circulation, has managed to tarnish the most important game of the European Championship."
"Tuttosport": "Spain olé, Germany knocked out. Taylor's mega mistake: German fury."

FRANCE:
"L'Équipe": "The end of an era. It took nothing less than a dramatization like this to come to terms with the departure of the best midfielder of the past 15 years. Toni Kroos had good reason to have cramps in extra time, flushed like everyone else by the ways and emotions of a high-level quarter-final in which Spain found the strength to force their luck just seconds before the end."
"Le Parisien": "Despite heroic resistance over 120 minutes, Germany had to concede defeat to Spain."

SWITZERLAND:
"Blick": "Drama exit! Germany in the valley of tears. From ecstasy to a deep hole: A last-minute goal in extra time sends hosts Germany on vacation. Spain are in the European Championship semi-finals. That's bitter. 'Completely detached' becomes 'completely exhausted'. The Germans are defeated by Spain in the quarter-finals of their home European Championship in dramatic fashion. The dream of hosting the title is over."
"Neue Zürcher Zeitung": "Late exit in a great match: in the 119th minute, hosts Germany have to admit defeat to Spain. The quarter-final was hard-fought, the match was so intense that it almost overwhelmed the crowd. The defeated Germans have nothing to reproach themselves for"
"Berner Zeitung": "At first completely detached - the Germans are suddenly completely disintegrated. They tremble, they attack and save themselves in extra time. But then the tournament ends dramatically for the Germans in the quarter-finals against Spain."