‘I still wonder what would of happened if Ballack sat out that Spain match.’
We may never know.

But I know my father, he was rooting for Spain to win the final. He had originally wanted a Spain-Portugal final from the start of Euro 2008 (I just casually asked him who he fancied in the final and he replied that), and so imagine my delight during the quarter-finals between Germany and Portugal which we both watched, I was the one who stuck my tongue out at him after the final whistle has been blown. I really did that. I mean, I rarely beat my father in anything, football predictions included.

But we all know the conclusion during the final in Vienna. My father having the last laugh in the family. He had the right to be happy. I did not throw temper tantrums after the final whistle, given I knew Spain were the worthy winners. After 44 years as well, they had waited for this.

I understand the feeling even more, especially during the Olympics in China in August, my country ended 48 years of hurt of not winning a medal (a silver medal in the women’s table-tennis team and interestingly, the Germans lost to the Chinese in the men’s table-tennis team final). We came so close on the previous two Olympics…before the entire country celebrated in this edition. You wouldn’t want to know how the newspapers reacted here on August 16, the day after we beat the South Koreans to enter the final. Pure joy. It’s like the National Day all over again here (given we only celebrated it on August 9 and that is the day where we celebrated my country’s day of independence and she turned 43 this year). Of course I am happy, given the last time Singapore won an Olympic medal…my father had not even attended school yet (still a young boy at that time and he said that he remembered he heard the news of Singapore winning a medal) and while my mother, she’s too young to even know about it back then. Coincidentally enough on the day we beat the South Koreans in China, it was actually also the day of my birthday.

Added in the fact that the Bundesliga is on TV in my country for the first time in my memory (the opening day of the season being on August 15)…triple happiness. Singapore winning an Olympic medal after 48 years, the Bundesliga on TV here, my birthday. Everything happened on August 15.

So turns out Frings has been agitating too. I would not be happy either if I got replaced by Hitzlsperger in the starting 11. Now we have to see if Ballack is injured out of the game. If he is, then he should stay on the bench for his own good. I still wonder what would of happened if Ballack sat out that Spain match.