Day 15: Klose and the Euros legacy
LFC TV's Matt Critchley is in Poland to bring us daily updates as 16 nations compete for the European Championships crown. Here is his latest blog.
It was a conversation that took me by surprise. "Klose is a better player than Gomez," a group of German fans told me in Gdansk city centre yesterday ahead of the game. When you can afford to drop a player who scores seemingly every time he plays, plus his two side-kicks, and still win convincingly, then you know you're onto a winner. This German side most certainly are.
My day started with another reminder that some cities are just not made for some people. Gdansk is a beautiful place but after having my bag and passport stolen last time I was here, I was hoping that this trip would go a little smoother. Sadly we hadn't even left Warsaw by the time we ran into problems. An 'engine fault', detected on the runway (not the best news for a slightly nervy flyer), left me wondering if me and Gdansk were really ever meant to be.
Luckily we arrived safely, after a two-hour delay, and I'm happy to report the rest of the trip passed off without incident.
The rumours had been circulating throughout the day that the Germans were making changes. It seems amazing that they hold so little affection for Gomez. He may be little more than a goalscorer - his all-round team play can let him down at times - but does that really matter if he finds the back of the net with such regularity?
The game itself was certainly an entertaining one and full credit must go to the Greek fans who travelled here in numbers, despite their well documented troubles at home, and gave their side tremendous support. This is sadly the end of the road for them but they have brought something special to the tournament.
It will be England or Italy for the Germans next up but last night was also the end for Gdansk - its final game hosted and complete. Walking away from the stadium - which is magnificent - I couldn't help but wonder what next? This will now be home to Lechia Gdansk, a side that finished eighth in the Polish first division last year. They will never get close to filling the place. It's served a fantastic purpose for these championships, but surely it has to have a sustainable future?
It's a question I imagine a lot of Poles and Ukranians will be asking when this Uefa bandwagon rolls out of town at the start of next week.