“Gru, Gru” instead of “Tooooor!”.
In the European Championship game against Portugal, which the German national soccer team won 4-2, the team received tremendous support from Joachim Löw.
A city pigeon followed the spectacle almost undeterred on the pitch and quickly became the secret star of the game alongside Robin Gosens.
The bird followed the entire first half with interest and unusually fearlessness.
And not in the first row of the stadium seats, but directly in the Portuguese penalty area.
Doreen Dormehl
Editor for social media.
Follow I follow
Annina Metz
Editor for social media.
Follow I follow
Reason enough for numerous football fans to proclaim the animal the twelfth man of the German team on social media while the game is still in progress.
And to integrate the pigeon directly into the game.
At the same time as the match, eager Twitter users built collages that put the pigeon on the German offensive.
Did the pigeon really want to take part?
Startled by the many soccer players around her, she fluttered on from time to time.
However, she did not really want to break away from her very special position.
Much to the delight of the audience:
Still others attested to the animal that it just wanted to have a relaxed football evening:
In the end, the evening wasn't quite so cozy.
After all, two Portuguese own goals shook up the stadium in the first half.
The pigeon also enjoyed a first-class view of that.
No wonder that the following tip in the direction of the Portuguese was not long in coming:
Or was the animal on another mission?
Another Greenpeace protest?
We remember: During the match between Germany and France, a man landed with a motorized paraglider on the stadium lawn in Munich to draw attention to the protection of the environment.
Two men were injured during the landing approach in the unsuccessful protest.
Since no environmental agenda could be determined, it was quickly speculated whether the dove had returned to its biblical properties.
Did she want to take on the role of mediator as a dove of peace?
Unfortunately, she did not reveal her true agenda even after the game.
Even in an interview with reporter Katrin Müller-Hohenstein, she was absolutely silent.
It remains up to the creative Twitter users to consider in which mission the bird mixed up the EM game.
Either way, the pigeon became the “man of the match” for many and was extensively praised for its tireless commitment, which was rewarded with a victory for the German national team.
Maybe she'll need a new mascot soon?
The application of the city pigeon should have been received!