Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said images of fans celebrating in the streets inspired the hosts to continue their Euro 2024 run, saying the “special” scenes reminded him of the 2006 World Cup on home soil.
In 2006, hosts Germany defied low pretournament expectations to go all the way to the semifinals before losing to eventual champions Italy in extra time in Dortmund.
The 2006 World Cup became known in Germany as the “summer fairytale” for the tournament’s positive impact both on and off the pitch.
Nagelsmann said the images “pushed” the hosts to “create more pictures and more videos” to rival the celebrations of 18 years ago.
“It’s special when we see the pictures and videos of the fans and how they celebrate in the cities.
“When we talk about 2006 it’s always about that, we don’t talk about the results, we don’t talk about the games — it’s always about the fan zones.
“At the moment I feel the same,” the coach said, adding, “We’re not done yet.”