Ann-Katrin Berger.

I was having a good evening getting stuck into my wife and the Windsor Ukulele band getting stuck into their new set at the Swan. It was halftime and I popped on the phone to see what was going on in the Germany V France game.

OMG, a German defender had got sent off for pulling a French forwards’ hair , had given away a penalty and given away a goal. I know this has recently happened in men’s football (Chelsea?) but this was just too “girlie” as “girls” at my table reported it to others.

It turns out that 7.7m people watched the Sweden v England quarter final – complete with the “best and worst penalty shoot-out” – the verdict being a matter of opinion.

We got home just in time to watch the penalties in the Germany v France game and for the first time ever,  I was on Germany’s side. It as because of the German goalkeeper who is an inspiration to anyone who thinks they are in bad shape. It was also with a thought for the foolish girl who’d got herself into such public trouble.

I realise that all my responses are a little “girlie” and not the sort of thing that professional football should be evoking but I’m finding my fondness for woman’s football is growing beyond the levels we had the last time we had a European tournament. There I was still caught up in wanting England to win at all cost and not seeing the funny side of the game.

And here I suppose I am serious in saying that women just better at watching football in every way. Can you imagine football violence from women? Can you imagine boorish chants, I can imagine bitchy chants and hair-pulling as an endemic but I can’t imagine me getting very upset!

And then there is the German goalkeeper, who not only won player of the game for scoring and saving but also kept us all smiling with her very German humour which erupted after saving the final penalty. This lady has had some personal issues to get over

She’d not just saved the football, it turns out she’d had to save her life twice when it was threatened by thyroid cancer.

All we have is now.

Those five words are tattooed on the neck of Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.

Not only do the words themselves hold meaning to Berger, but they physically mark her journey of recovery from cancer, covering up scars from her treatment.

Berger had been in the Germany squad that reached the final of Euro 2022, but during the tournament she had learned her thyroid cancer was back for a second time after four years of being cancer-free.

Fast-forward three years and Berger has not only made a full recovery, but she is back performing at the highest level for her country.

It doesn’t matter much to me whether Spain or Germany or Italy or England win this tournament, I just want to see the wonderful spirit of Berger who is not just lady of last night, but lady of Germany and of the tournament.

I’m 63 and still carry a little prejudice against Germany from that nation’s bad behaviour getting on for 100 years ago. That’s not right, I know but I need a Brecht to read and a Berger to watch and a a Wolf Becke to work with to wash away all that unnecessary ill-feeling.

Football and sport in general should be as much fun as possible and though last night had some terrible faces at the end and after 13 minutes, it was clearly a hell of an evening. I hope we’ll remember it for the heavenly side!