The German soccer team, fresh off their 2014 World Cup win over Argentina, headed to Bradenburg Gate upon returning to their homeland to receive a spirited welcome.
On Tuesday, the 23-man World Cup winning German soccer team touched down at Berlin's Tegel airport. There, the men were greeted on the tarmac with cheers and applause and with the steps leading off their private plane decorated with the phrase "World Cup Winners 2014" and accompanied by four stars to commemorate all four of Germany's World Cup wins.
From the airport, the team was shuttled into the center of Berlin via an open-topped black truck that featured the gold trophy emblazoned on its side. The team waved to excited fans as they approached the site of the celebration event at Bradenburg Gate, where a crowd had been gathering from the night before. All told, nearly half a million people came out to welcome the winners home.
"It's like the fall of the wall all over again," one fan told The Guardian. The massive crowd of people, donned in the black, red and yellow of the German flag, shouted out, "So sehen Sieger aus" ("That's what winners look like") as the bus pulled in.
Bastian Schweinsteiger (pictured above), who wore a German flag as a cape for the party, couldn't deny his excited anticipation for the welcome from his country. "We're all excited to see what it will be like," Schweinsteiger told ARD television. "This time, thank God, we have the cup with us."
When Schweinsteiger took to the stage with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and others, they walked out with their hands on each others shoulders – a possible reference to their fallen foe Brazil, who they defeated in a shocking 7-1 semifinal match.
German coach Joachim Low was unfailingly humble accepting the recognition from the country's people. "It was a long way to the title, and a tough one too, but we're delighted to be here with our fans," Low said. "First, we wouldn't have got here without you. We are all world champions."
GET THE FREE uINTERVIEW iPHONE APP FOR LATEST NEWS UPDATES
For More World Cup News:
Kimberly Guilfoyle was a no-show at the Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve bash on Tuesday night…
https://youtu.be/pKZIfMm032o A six-minute fireworks show mounted on an iconic skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan helped people usher in…
The pop star released ‘Soltera’ last month, a feminist afro beats bop that quickly rose…
On Monday, Sen. Kevin Cramer's (R-North Dakota) son, Ian Cramer, 43, was sentenced to 28…
Lavin was actively filming earlier this month for an upcoming Hulu series entitled Mid-Century Modern.
On November 7, authorities revealed that three people had been charged in relation to Payne’s…