BERLIN, June 20 - Tens of thousands of flag-waving Germans celebrated into the night in scenes reminiscent of the 2006 World Cup after their ouster from the team on Portugal 3-2 Thursday to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2008.
Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger - known affectionately by fans as "Schweini" - was hailed as a national hero after having scored the first goal and setting up with other pin-point free-kicks to the head Miroslav Klose and captain Michael Ballack.
"Schweini-Cool!" was the title in Germany at the top-selling newspaper Bild on Friday, which reserved a full inside page to scenes of jubilation Berlin fans decked in red, black and gold colors of the German flag.
Former football great Franz Beckenbauer, who questioned the chances Germany after a narrow victory over Austria on Monday, called the performance compared to Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal "fantastic" and predicted a trip to the final.
Even Chancellor Angela Merkel, a regular presence in the stands during Germany to host the 2006 World Cup, took the act, taking the time a summit of EU leaders in Brussels catching part of the match.
"I do not have time to see the first goal, but I can run a dinner (of EU leaders) very motivated," Merkel told German television. "It was a sensational performance."
The police estimated that about 14000 fans had gathered on the Kurfuerstendamm boulevard to West Berlin to celebrate the victory, dancing in the streets, extending lamp-posts and blocking traffic.
The crowd of several thousand people were also seen in Hamburg, north of Munich in the south and Cologne in the west.
Ont announced that the "Fan Mile" in Berlin's Tiergarten park, which drew crowds of more than 1 million during Germany to execute the semi-finals of the last World Cup, would be implemented again next week for the final phase of the tournament.
Much of the German press coverage focused on "Schweini", which had to watch the match Austria is the red after being carded for a push in Germany of the first round loss to Croatia.
The platinum blonde-winger, who plays for Bayern Munich, was captured on television talk with Merkel in Vienna, who attended the meeting in person with several members of his cabinet.
"She told me I had to do, she said that I should just play as I did before and not do anything stupid so that what I did," said Schweinsteiger after the victory of Portugal. "I think when the Chancellor tells you to do something, you listen."
Germany now face a semi-final clash on Wednesday against the winner of Friday's match between Turkey and Croatia.
A wrestling with Turkey would be huge in Germany, where over two million people of Turkish origin live. In Berlin, which houses more than 100000 Turks, many fans have joined both Turkish and German flags on their cars and balconies.
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