After all, the weather outlook was not particularly good, which is why many pubs and bistros had refrained from setting up televisions outside. The Havanna, said an employee, had not even applied for permission to do so. A screen was set up inside, and a large screen was running further back. The bistro was full, but business, the employee said, was nowhere near as good as previous tournaments because of the weather and Corona. Only the Spago was showing the game outside.

"They're playing for time now," one of the spectators under the umbrellas there chimed in about the English national players when they finally had the ball in the third minute of the game. Next door, a small birthday party waited under two umbrellas for a place in the dry. Emilia was celebrating her 17th birthday, that was the real occasion for her, the soccer game was a good bonus. European Championship fever? "When Germany plays, yes." She wasn't too worried about the packed stadiums. "I think as long as they keep all the measures, everything will be fine."

Lars, who had come with his girlfriend and with a bit of luck still found a seat without a reservation at Spago, didn't care; the atmosphere was important to him. Spectator chants are part of it for him, as is company while watching. "When I watch, it's in a pub." European Cup fever? "So-so."

Those looking for a more open-air atmosphere could stop by the Kulturgarten at Römerbad, for example. There were still many free seats, at noon only about 1500 tickets were sold, according to BonnLive managing director Julian Reininger, double that would have been possible. "We noticed that people were watching the weather." Otherwise, there was a good turnout at Kaiserplatz, among other places. There were various flat screens outside, chants could be heard under the umbrellas, the mood was great. Pascal was also sitting there with his buddies. European Championship fever? "42 degrees," he said. Anyone who is not enthusiastic "has no business being here. Even the weather can't shock a real fan. The group did not find it cool that there were the 45,000 spectators in the stadium in Corona times with the emerging delta variant. "They just risk a lot to make money," criticized Pascal. But not to watch in protest, that was out of the question. One of his friends, however, expressed understanding for the fact that fewer people have tuned in to the European Championship so far than in the past. The Corona pandemic had created a distance to soccer.

Pascal's feverish temperature probably cooled down after the final whistle. One had the impression that the desire for the tournament had just awakened a little. Now Germany is out, and it is doubtful whether the gastronomy in Bonn will experience another real public viewing until the final.

(Original text: Stefan Knopp/Translation: Mareike Graepel)