World Cup: Germany Welcomes Conquering Heroes Home

 

 Members of the team disembarked form their plane with the World Cup prominently on display

LIVE: A victory parade through the streets of Berlin for the World Cup champions

Tens of thousands of German football fans in Berlin have gathered since daybreak to welcome the return from Brazil of their World-Cup-winning team.

The flight bringing the triumphant players to the capital touched down from Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday morning.
Celebrations will take place at the Brandenburg Gate, where the players will display the famous gold trophy.
The mood in the country is euphoric, with huge crowds expected for the parade through the city.
Many people have bought replica shirts with four stars on, marking Germany's fourth World Cup title.
Team greeted The team's 1-0 victory over Argentina in Sunday's final sparked delirious scenes across Germany.

 

The winning team's Boeing 747 landed at Tegel airport after flying a lap of honour over the "fan mile" in front of the landmark Brandenburg Gate

The cup win has been celebrated by a wide cross-section of German society, especially younger people who have been out on the streets in force to celebrate

Thousands gathered on a viewing stage at Tegel airport to witness the arrival of the plane, a Lufthansa jet rebranded "Fanhansa" for the team.
"This is a historic event," 34-year-old bus driver Bernd Hesse told the AFP news agency.
He said that fans of the team had waited 24 years for a German World Cup victory, the first since the country was reunited in 1990.
"It's not every day that you get to see something like this," Mr Hesse said.

Demand for replica World Cup shirts - especially those with four stars on to mark the country's fourth title - has reached an all-time high

The mood in Berlin and elsewhere in Germany is euphoric after the World Cup win, with huge crowds expected for the parade through the city

Those members of the team that play for Bayern Munich will also get a separate welcome parade in Munich later.
The BBC's Steve Evans in Berlin says that as many as half a million people are expected to greet the team when they arrive in central Berlin with the World Cup.
The triumphant side will appear on a stage in front of the Brandenburg Gate at one end of what is called the Fan Mile, where hundreds of thousands of people watched on big screens as Germany won the trophy on Sunday.
Our correspondent says that Berlin has been transformed for the arrival, with the old sponsors' logos for the tournament torn down and new ones for the home-coming put up.
Commercial opportunities are being maximised, our correspondent says.
It is not clear if Chancellor Angela Merkel will appear during the celebrations. She was photographed with the team shortly after the final whistle at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
The German victory in Brazil was the first time the competition had been won in South America by a European nation.
Source:bbc.co.uk