Bastian Schweinsteiger - called "Schweini" by his friends (which actually roughly translates into "Piggy") - is devasted …

Congratulations Spain - you really are Europe’s Football Champion. That title is well deserved - although I still think that the Dutch are an equally  breath taking team.

Germany - once again - didn’t make it to the top. They didn’t play very good and it’s more or less by chance they ended up in the finals.

And I glad it’s over. After a month of madness, endless street parties and over excited fellow countryman I am glad some form of silence and normality is back.

Actually it’s a stupid affair anyway: watching these youngster millionaires sweating it out on the field to make even more money. Almost all of these players are the cream of the top of their national leagues and earn shitloads of money.

So each Euro Championship is mostly about overpaid sport stars duking it out and RAISING their net worth in pro football.

I am actually happy that the Spaniards won the tournament, since it has already helped to heal some of the rift in a still divided country. Spain’s many proud regions usually despise each other and didn’t stand behind their national team in unity. This year was different. So sport and symbolism can have a huge transforming impact - even in so called "modern societies".

So Germany and Turkey play against each other on Wednesday. Once again it doesn’t matter who will win or loose - in both cases it will be a national tragedy around here - with so many Turk living in Germany.

I personally already anticipate a night without sleep, because people will party all night and I won’t get any sleep.

So far my money was on the Dutch team, by the have been kicked out by the Russian - of all teams. At least the boring Italians are also gone. So my money is now on the Spaniards.

But the best news of all: the madness ends with the finals this very Sunday.

Yesterday’s wars are today’s football games. Nationalism and passion boils over when football teams battle for the national pride. Although I don’t like football very much I prefer this form of nationalism over wars and other bloody conflicts.

Today is a tragedy in the making: either Germany or Austria will be kicked out of the tournament. In both cases a national disaster.

Since neither nation likes each other very much a war of words already started last week when it was clear that the German team was in deep trouble after it’s shitty game against Croatia.

Now the mighty German Fußball Nation has to win against tiny Austria - which has been not bad so far in this tournament.

Personally: I don’t care! May the best team win - although I would love to see Austria win, which would result in the bigger tragedy. I think that would be much more entertaining …

So far I think Oranje is the best team - they have played the best games so far and played the most convincing football.

Click images for more water.

It’s supposed to be nice weather around here - but we had to so far the weirdest summer: rains, storms and cold. The EM2008 in Switzerland & Austria suffered from this as well - as the image above demonstrate.

The Euro2008 is starting on 7th of June - and since I hate Fußball this is not going to be a pleasant month. Public viewing and screaming fans will mess up my favorite restaurants and cafes.

Switzerland and Austria are this years hosts - which is odd, but understandable, since both countries are too small to bear the full brunt of football hooligans by themselves. So they share the beer and vomit.

Here is an overview which countries are part of the tournament - hey you can even install some crappy widget on your blog or MySpace page - which I certainly won’t do.

If you are a real football nut, you be in pubs the next four weeks or you’ watch the live stream via the intranets (which will cost you €35 - they have already reduced it from €50) or you simply install FootieFox for Firefox (so your browser tells you what’s going on).

I just wish it was all over already.