Thank you, Koc!

Back in Germany, and it has been raining for two days straight. That gives me a chance to reflect for a moment on Euros in Istanbul.

Having been part of the organisation staff for Berlin Euros, I find it hard to find an "objective" view. And despite of the bias, I truly believe that this was probably the best Euros ever.

Of course, the nature of the event was different from holding it in a big city - here, no transfers were required, everything was close by.

The org comm really lived up to their promises: The competition ran on schedule for most of the time. The food was good, especially for the dinners. The nightlife was very diverse, and speaking of culture: I imagine the trip to Istanbul was just great.

And lastly, also the weather played along: With temperatures around 30°C and a steady breeze, competition days were very bearable. Even more so, climatized rooms ensured that concentration could be upheld during the rounds.

As a summary: What a fantastic competition, and thank you to everyone who made this happen.

From this perspective: All the best to Tallinn Euros, we are looking forward to meeting under the northern summer!

PS: There is a little downside though, The mood was slightly gloomy amongst several prospective Euros hosts I talked to. One debater told me: "We would love to host Euros in 2009 or 2010, but we have no idea how we could possibly match this experience".