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| France’s players an fans celebrate after Antoine Griezmann scored the second goal of their semi-final against Germany and France at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille. Photograph: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images |
The din that greeted the final whistle served as an exorcism. The
French need never shudder again at the memory of traumas suffered at the
hands of these opponents in Seville and Guadalajara three decades ago,
or even the deflation endured in the steamy heat of the Maracanã at the last World Cup.
They have wrested themselves free of a hold the Germans have had on
them in competitive fixtures stretching back over half a century and in
the process, removed the world champions from the tournament.
It was Antoine Griezmann, entirely appropriately, who skipped in delight at the head of the line of triumphant France players towards the home support on the Virage Sud
at the final whistle, the victors leading the crowd in their version of
an Icelandic “Huuh” before breaking away in frenzied celebration of
their own. Those crammed into the stand, where the Russians had
infamously charged English supporters almost a month ago, bounced along
in sheer delight, waving their tricolores and drowning out the music blared out of the PA system with a chorus of La Marseillaise. This was an outpouring of joy.
