Spanish teenagers and fans in kilts: Who were the stars of Euro 2024?

Another European Championships done and dusted. These tournaments pack so much in on and off the pitch. How does Germany stand up to inspection?

Was it a success?

If you are Spanish - absolutely. This could be the jumping-off point for a national side with the potential to relive the dominance they showed between 2008 and 2012, when they won two European titles and a World Cup. Their two young wingers, Lamine Yamal (more about him later) and Nico Williams allowed Spain to play the most attractive and productive football of this tournament.

For Georgia, being at their first tournament was already a success. Beating Portugal 2-0 in Gelsenkirchen and making the last 16 was icing on the cake for a very stylish side.

It was less successful for some of the biggest names in world football. Cristiano Ronaldo's ego-driven misfiring for Portugal looked more like the late stages of an increasingly mad dictator as opposed to the lethal footballing force he once was. 

France had the intention of stopping anyone they played, resulting in some turgid matches. Germany may be still wondering what might have been if English referee Anthony Taylor had awarded them a penalty when Spanish defender Marc Cucurella used his arm in their quarter-final. 

Investing in 'Der Mannschaft'

Germany was in a pretty rocky place before the tournament. A survey before a ball was kicked showed 1 in 5 Germans wanted more white players in the national team. The country was beset by a summer party song with the repeated refrain 'ausländer raus Deutschland den Deutschen' meaning 'foreigners out, Germany for Germans.' Not very welcoming for an international party.

But Julian Nagelsmann's team started with a 5-1 win over Scotland and all of the noise dissipated as Germans became more and more invested in 'Der Mannschaft'. However, the Anglo-Spanish alliance of referee Anthony Taylor and defender Cucurella became the bogeymen as Germany lost in the quarters. 

Were Germany good hosts?

For drinking beer in an old town square, this was an unparalleled success. However, this tournament also highlighted the failings of Germany's transport network. 

The Deutsche Bahn rail service impressed at the 2006 World Cup. Not this time. The reality is that Germany's train network was struggling before the Euros; adding into the mix 2.6 million people coming for 50 matches across 10 cities, it wasn't long before things went off the rails. 

The city of Gelsenkirchen became synonymous with long waits of three hours for trains that sometimes didn't come. If they they did, they were full. Germany has been known for being efficient and well run. Euro 2024 showed that not all stereotypes remain rooted in reality.

There was also political tension between Germany and Türkiye over the Grey Wolves hand gesture made by Turkish defender Merih Demiral. He made the far-right extremist salute after scoring and earned himself a ban from UEFA. The Turkish ambassador was even summoned to the German foreign ministry. 

Best on the pitch

This could be the tournament that witnessed the arrival of a football legend. Spain's Lamine Yamal only turned 17 the day before the final. His youth raised questions about whether he would fall foul of Germany's young person employment law that prohibits 16-year-old athletes from working later than 11 pm. 

Thankfully, none of the matches were that late. He became the youngest-ever goalscorer at the European Championships. His long-range left-footed curling effort against France in the semi-finals will be watched for years. There's a reason Barcelona reportedly have a one billion euro buyout clause in his contract. 

Georgia's winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was another attacking superstar.   

Overall though, the tournament will not go down as one of the best from a footballing sense. Too much emphasis on not conceding goals and not enough willingness to go forward made watching France and England a particular chore at times.

Nice little earner?

Phillip Lahm, the legendary Germany fullback and Euro 2024 Tournament Director, announced that close to a billion dollars in earnings from the tournament will be invested back into youth football across UEFA - "from Iceland to Azerbaijan."

The championships have also benefitted the ailing German economy that has huffed and puffed and struggled to get back in gear after Covid. The hospitality sector is expected to have reaped around $1.1 billion over the four weeks. The football is also expected to have been a boost for consumer confidence across Germany - something the country has sorely lacked in recent years.

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Fans back at the party?

After Covid disrupted Euro 2020 and the World Cup in Qatar where many fans just didn't go, this was the first time since the 2018 World Cup in Russia the real 'tournament experience' was on offer and Germans love their football. 

Scotland's team was fairly woeful on the pitch, but off it, their 'Tartan Army' of fans lit up the tournament. The Dutch bouncing through the German streets in orange was always entertaining.

We watched a bizarre incident where some Polish fans decided to get into the fan zone in Berlin by throwing beer bottles at the police. They ended up in custody and missed the match. England have tried to move away from their hooligan past but groups still rounded on the celebrating Spanish after the final. The English themselves had been attacked by a section of the Dutch support in Dortmund before the semi-finals.

Despite these lowlights, entertaining football not always being on offer and it raining a lot, it was a great championships. There is something about major football tournaments that you just cannot beat. Roll on the World Cup in two years in Canada, U.S. and Mexico.

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