And so, it ends. After 31 days, 51 games, a river of tears and tidal waves of euphoria, the curtain has come down on the 17th edition of the European Championships.
This carnival of football captivated a worldwide audience for a month and brought us many moments which will be recalled for generations.
It also wasn’t without its flaws and limitations, however, both on and off the pitch.
And, despite the arrival in Germany of a wonderfully entertaining and well-behaved Tartan Army, Steve Clarke and his team contrived to let them down.
Here, Mail Sport’s JOHN McGARRY looks back at the highlights while reflecting on some aspects which won’t be recalled quite so fondly.
EURO GOLD STARS — Sensational supporters
Given the restrictions Covid placed upon the delayed 2020 tournament and the unwieldy pan-European format, every supporter who made the trip to Germany was intent on making the most of the occasion. And didn’t they just.
Tens of thousands of Scotland fans travelled to Germany and won respect for their behaviour
The sheer volume of Tartan Army foot soldiers was hard to comprehend. Every man, woman and child was a credit to their country in Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart.
We saw the Dutch dancing in the streets. We heard the cowbells of the Swiss. The noise the Turks made was deafening. The followers of each of the 24 nations provided a truly extraordinary backdrop.
Boldness of the underdogs
We’ll come to the one notable exception later. But, from the moment Albania’s Nedim Bajrami netted against Italy inside 23 seconds, you sensed that many of the unfancied nations would be out to prove a point.
Slovenia were unbeaten in the group stages and took Portugal to penalties in the last 16.
Austria also got on the front foot and beat Poland and the Netherlands to progress.
Georgia players and staff celebrate their historic qualification for the knockout stage
Slovakia beat Belgium and gave England the fright of their lives in the last 16 before Jude Bellingham’s overhead kick.
Georgia were a joy to behold, defeating Portugal and even going ahead against Spain before going out on their shield.
The young guns
The next generation didn’t just take the stage. They stole the show.
Lamine Yamal lit up the tournament with his breathtaking skills and an outrageous goal against France. This all came before his 17th birthday on Saturday.
Nico Williams, who turned 22 the previous day, was electrifying down the opposite side for Spain.
Jamal Musiala, 21, was unplayable when he was in full flight for Germany.
Xavi Simons was one of a number of young stars who announced themselves on the big stage
Turkey’s Arda Guler showed impossible levels of composure for a 19-year-old.
Kobbie Mainoo’s poise and game-intelligence for England belied the fact he’s still only 19, while Xavi Simons, 21, showed what he’s capable of even though the Netherlands ultimately came up just short.
VAR
It wasn’t perfect — it probably never will be — but its application did enhance the competition. It’s to be hoped that this is the version we see more of in club games at domestic and European level.
The semi-automated offside was such a painless and fast process. The reasons why decisions were made were swiftly communicated. By and large, VAR didn’t go looking for things that no one else had spotted.
The ludicrously low threshold for handball and the general ambiguity of the rule remains a bigger problem than VAR itself.
Referees no longer hounded
Before any tournament, there always seems to be a new diktat. Many in the past have served little purpose.
However, by allowing only captains to talk to referees, UEFA did make a change for the better.
We were spared the unseemly sight of officials being surrounded by a gang of angry players. Such intimidation has no place in the game.
The good news is that there’s talk of this being extended into European and domestic football.
REGRETS … THERE WERE A FEW — Faded grandeur
This was a tournament too many for some. For Cristiano Ronaldo to still be playing at this level at 39 is extraordinary. But he is simply not the player of old.
Cristiano Ronaldo reflects on what may just have been a tournament too far for the global icon
For long enough, Toni Kroos’ decision to retire looked ridiculously premature. By the time Germany had been beaten by Spain, he was beginning to look his age.
Luka Modric can still produce moments of sorcery. The Croatian is almost 39 now, though. And it showed.
Olivier Giroud is France’s all-time top scorer, yet he really should have bowed out after the World Cup.
The mindless minority
The behaviour of supporters inside and outside of stadia was generally excellent, only to be marred by a few cretins.
We saw pitch invaders in five different matches. This happened four times during the game between Portugal and Turkey and twice after the final whistle. Do they really believe it’s an appropriate time to get a selfie with Cristiano Ronaldo?
Kevin De Bruyne has a laser aimed at his face during Belgium’s group stage clash with Ukraine
There was a worrying moment after the Spain-France semi-final when a steward tried to get a hold of one such invader and careered into Alvaro Morata. The Spanish forward could have been seriously injured.
Kevin De Bruyne had a laser aimed at his face. The throwing of plastic cups onto the field was another disgrace.
German inefficiency
Held up as the ultimate supporter experience, Germany fell some way short of expectations.
As hundreds of thousands of supporters soon discovered, the idea that the country’s trains run without a hitch is a myth. Many were delayed or cancelled.
The Netherlands’ team discovered this to their cost the day before their semi-final with England in Dortmund. With their train cancelled, they flew from their base in Wolfsburg instead.
There were major delays getting fans into stadia. Although a welcome idea, the fan zones did not have the capacity to cope with the numbers who travelled without tickets.
Missing a classic
We saw some very good games. Austria’s 3-2 win over the Dutch in Group D was terrific.
Austria players savour a 3-2 win over the Netherlands that made Europe sit up and take note
Spain’s win over Germany in extra-time in their quarter-final was a compelling watch.
The first-half of Spain’s win over France in the first semi-final was the best 45 minutes on show. England’s late triumph over the Netherlands was also hugely dramatic.
But we did not get a game for the ages — one to rival France’s win over Portugal in 1984 or Portugal’s victory on penalties against England after a 2-2 draw 20 years later.
The format which sees four third-placed teams progress probably doesn’t help matters. There’s not enough jeopardy and not enough drama in the group stages.
Scotland
There’s no point in pretending otherwise. The performance of the national team was just awful.
Steve Clarke won few friends or admirers as Scotland stunk the place out on the field
Losing to Germany would have been no disgrace. The manner of the 5-1 capitulation in the opening game was humiliating.
Having gained a point in an improved display against the Swiss, the Hungary game was an opportunity to create history. Instead, Steve Clarke’s players went out with a whimper.
There’s a way to exit a major competition. It simply could not be further removed from Scotland’s feeble effort.
