The scene that ignited German tempers came in the 25th minute when England captain Leah Williamson grabbed the ball in her own penalty area (see first video below). “Amazingly, the referee and the video assistant saw no punishable handball,” wrote the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.
The “Bild” headlined a new Wembley fraud, alluding to the legendary men’s World Cup final of 1966. The international press reviews:
Germany
“New Wembley cheating. Video referee refused us clear hand penalty.”
“German Wembley drama. The DFB-Elf loses the final of the European Championship in the London Football Cathedral extremely unluckily with 1: 2 after extra time. Before that they were denied a penalty.”
“The scene that was later much discussed happened in the 25th minute: Hegering got the ball from a corner in the opponent’s penalty area – and it flew into the outstretched arm of England captain Leah Williamson. Surprisingly, the referee and the video assistant saw no punishable handball.”
“End of the dream trip without a happy ending.”
Video: The disputed one in the video
Great Britain
“The wild EURO final showed that women’s football is not a tamer and gentler version of the game. So much hard work and sacrifice has paid off in two glorious and bone-hard hours.”
“Champions!!! England win Euro 2022 thanks to a late Kelly goal in extra time in impressive Wembley final against Germany.”
“It’s come home! England’s lionesses roar with pride as they celebrate their historic triumph at Euro 2022.”
“The deepest pain in England’s sporting soul has been blotted out. And it’s a liberation accomplished by women – amidst scenes of sheer ecstasy. (…) This is a sport that women in England were officially banned for half a century. As late as the 1990s, women’s football was derided on Fleet Street as ‘a game to be played only by consent of adults in private.’ (…) But today optimism has overcome short-sightedness and contempt one lesson (…): put women first and watch them soar.”
“England crowned champions of Euro 2022 after Kelly sinks Germany in extra time.”
“The fans chanted ‘football coming home’ and England had to defeat a side known for their resilience and whose representatives have stood in their way so many times in the past. But England are standing the test of time Germany overcame. They lived up to their expectations. They took the lead, lost it and then showed their character by winning it back. That made their performance even more meaningful because it was Germany.”
“Kelly’s goal not only brought victory at this women’s European Championship and gave the lionesses their first tournament success in their history. One can assume that it will do much more. (…) Admittedly, win or lose, Sarina Wiegman and their players might have achieved that already. But now they have a trophy to hang everything on.”
France
“England end their curse by winning the Women’s Championship.”
“Sarina Wiegman was voted Best FIFA Coach of 2017 and 2020 for a reason. Five years after winning the European Championship at the helm of the Netherlands, the Dutchwoman kept her crown, but this time with England.”
“The English women rule the Old Continent.”
Spain
“It was their European Championship and they couldn’t fail. England wanted to make their debut and they did it in a big way, with a packed Wembley and against a Germany that didn’t know what it was like to lose a final.”
“England has achieved its dream. Not even the best screenwriters could have written such a perfect story.”
Switzerland
“England are European champions! Joker Chloe Kelly decides the final spectacle in London’s Wembley in front of a record crowd of 87,192 fans in extra time. Germany feels disadvantaged – like in 1966!”
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Denmark
“Finally it worked: football is coming home. A rousing and dramatic final in front of the largest crowd at a European Championship game ever ended with a victory for the home team. An international soccer classic marked the effective end of the Women’s European Championship – and Germany For once, he didn’t win in the end.”
Norway
“Wembley were full of English victory tears but it was Alexandra Popp’s desperate, blank eyes that made the strongest impression. This was her EURO, after all. She was on course to become the queen of the league when the greatest day of football of her life was over , before it really got started. Instead, it became England’s EURO. Football has come home.”
Sweden
“Football is a simple sport. 22 players try to get the most balls into their goal in 90 or 120 minutes. In the end, the team that has the fewest problems, the best players on the bench and the best coach on the touchline wins After a lot of ifs and buts, that’s England.”
Source: Nachrichten
