Germany's World Cup 2014 winners touch down in Berlin
All you need is Low, apparently. And who can argue? Germany fans lined the streets of a sun-kissed Berlin in their tens of thousands to welcome home the World Cup champions ahead of the largest gathering the city has seen since 1990. Perhaps even a year previous when the wall came down.
The take on the Beatles’ All You Need is Love was emblazoned on a homemade banner, supplemented with ‘we take a bow’. It captured the feelings of a united nation. This achievement – decimating all in sight – cannot be overestimated and is down in no small part to the meticulous planning and continued progression of their head coach, Joachim, over the last eight years.
Ready and waiting: Germany's supporters await the arrival of the country's World Cup stars in Berlin on Tuesday morning
Now that's a setting! Sun-kissed Berlin looked a picture on Tuesday morning as the team enjoyed the adulation
We're back! Philipp Lahm leads out his team of the private Boeing 747, with the steps decorated with a message 'World Cup winners 2014' and four stars
Keep hold of that! Captain Lahm grips the World Cup trophy with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller not far behind
Nice take: One fan raises a banner reading 'all you need is Low, we take a bow' before the likes of Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer made their appearance
Sight to behold: Brandenburg Gate's footballing centre was beginning to fill up very early in the morning as the screen replayed highlights of the final win
And we've landed! The Germany side touched down at the airport Tegel in Berlin before making their way to greet delighted supporters
You've not nicked that, have you? A fan holds a replica World Cup aloft after getting right to the front of the queue to see his heroes
Is it a bird? Jubilant Germans clap and reach to the sky as the plane carrying the winning squad flies over the fan park before touching down
Despite all that, it's unlike him to take any over-zealous adulation, with the 54-year-old destined to leave that to his players.
The victorious 23-man squad were due to reach the fan park at 10am as pictures of them touching down at the city’s airport at exactly 9.08am were met with a chorus of cheers at the heart of the capital.
The hordes had to entertain themselves for a little while longer after the side's flight from Rio di Janeiro was delayed by an hour after a luggage truck collided with the side of the aircraft - a fitting end to a chaotic tournament tenure for the Brazilian transport system.
Not that it bothered the players, although whether they would've enjoyed the crowd's harmony of DJ Otzi's Hey Baby is highly questionable.
They took the last part of the trip to the Brandenburg Gate, just over six miles on an open truck. Not bus, truck. The 'fan mile' had started filling up hours before the arrival, with some waiting overnight to get a place at the front.
'We're all excited to see what it will be like,' Bastian Schweinsteiger told ARD television. 'This time, thank God, we have the cup with us.'
'It will only sink in for us in the next few days.'
Photographers jostled for position just yards from the plane to capture skipper Philipp Lahm - trophy in hand and aloft - stride down the steps decorated with 'World Cup winners 2014' accompanied with four stars.
Yes, this is a side to have won three previous tournaments, but this has taken on special meaning given the previous dominance of Spain, a 24-year wait and heartbreak in each of the last three.
Flags waved, children sat on their parents' shoulders and people bobbed up and down in excitement. A player was yet to turn up; this is a party that has gone on since the 113th minute of Sunday night when pocked-sized Mario Gotze took two touches of sheer brilliance and won't finish for a good while yet.
Pleased: Lukas Podolski (left to right), Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil, Ron-Robert Zieler, Jerome Boateng and Sami Khedira on stage
All smiles: Coaching staff Andreas Koepke (left to right), Low, assistant coach Hansi Flick and team manager Oliver Bierhoff
Looking good, Jogi! Low takes a spot in the cockpit of the delayed flight from Rio di Janeiro with pilots, the captain and World Cup trophy
Proud as punch: Mesut Ozil tweeted a couple of pictures - one when still on the plane with photographers waiting and another including Toni Kroos and Ron-Robert Zieler
Vantage point: One fan, German flag in one hand and phone the other, sits himself on top of a Bratwurst truck to watch the action
Have this! Mertesacker (next to Hoewedes and Christoph Kramer) throws a scarf down to an adoring fan as players spilled out of the top of the truck
Final destination: They waited patiently in party mood for the victors to arrive at the iconic Brandenburg Gate later in the morning
Time out, please: Construction workers take a little bit of a break from work as the truck passes the building they're in
All ready to board? The players are whisked on to a team bus, that includes '2014!' to mark their achievement in South America
Give us a wave! Mesut Ozil (left to right), Ron-Robert Zieler, Erik Durm, Mats Hummels, Shkodran Mustafi and Roman Weidenfeller engage with the fans
Get the beers open! Ozil, Benedikt Hoewedes and Per Mertesacker on the truck
Salute you, sir! Muller greets the waiting crowds at the airport alongside central midfielders Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira
Make way! The team bus starts to leave the airport as it descended on to the sea of supporters waiting and singing
Mean Machine! The Germany side cruised through the centre of Berlin on this truck on their open top parade before taking the stage
On the route: Thousands of supporters lined the streets to welcome their team home after beating Argentina on Sunday
VIDEO World Champions Germany prepare for journey home
Thank you guys! This female fan holds up a message towards the camera ahead of the players' arrival at the fan mile
The Chronicles of Lukas Podolski: The Arsenal striker poses alongside the World Cup with Schweinstiger (left) and former Cologne team-mate Kevin Grosskreutz
Rammed! The side make their way through the public ahead of the big address later in the morning
Nice picture! A man hangs out of a widow to capture Muller lift the trophy alongside Mertesacker
Cool: Miroslav Klose, Lahm, Lars Bender, Khedira and Toni Kroos with the cup and ball as the German team return
The truck slalomed through the packed streets of the city as Gotze tweeted 'Wow, what's going on here ... AMAZING!' and Lukas Podolski posed for his now customary photos. For the record, Schweinsteiger and Kevin Grosskreutz were the unfortunate men involved this time.
The Arsenal man finds himself on the end of a bit of stick for his social media prowess, but there is little doubt the forward who has 116 caps, 47 goals and has played for a decade for a decade is a key cog in this dressing room. 'The most amazing moment of my career. A super 6 weeks,' he enthused.
His tweeting and thirst for pictures is clearly contagious.
Team-mate Mesut Ozil followed suit as he gave his 7.4million Twitter followers an on-truck glimpse as to what the morning felt like, posting pictures captioned 'back in the country of the world champions'.
And they kept the tens of thousands on tenterhooks upon arriving at the gate, with several players peaking out its interior to have a look at the masses below. It felt like the unveiling of a royal baby at Buckingham Palace.
That was until Ein hoch auf uns by Andreas Bourani began to boom out along the mile. You wouldn't get that down Green Park. The chorus to that particular number is 'Here's to us, to this life, and this immortal moment'. A fitting tribute.
When they finally made it on stage they were led by the bashful Low, who said: 'It was a long way to the title, and a tough one too, but we're delighted to be here with our fans. First, we wouldn't have got here without you. We are all world champions.'
Raise your hands: Manuel Neuer (left) and Low enjoy the rapturous applause as they are cheered along the route
Delight: Ozil, Andre Schurrle and Mario Gotze celebrate on the top of the party truck
Per Mertesacker added: 'We're super proud of what we've achieved, especially after all we've gone through. And we're proud of these fans,' before Jerome Boateng whipped up the crowd. 'I can't hear you Berlin,' he queried. They duly obliged.
That went up a notch once Toni Kroos took to the stage moments later, too.
'Miro Klose, Miro Klose, Miro Klose, you are the top man,' he improvised in song. Berlin erupted, as it's likely to do throughout the day. And the next. Probably the one after as well. Germany are world champions, and they know it.
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