Beiruting News

The German football team has returned to Berlin, with the World Cup in tow. The players and coach Joachim Löw took to the stage at the Brandenburg Gate, letting their hair down at home after their Maracana triumph.

Several players took to the mic for brief and often amusing chants or messages to the crowd - including several displays of inter-club unity, with players from rival Bundesliga sides often demonstratively walking out arm-in-arm.

Some of the fans in Berlin who were interviewed on national television showed off their new German replica jerseys, complete with a fourth star to include the 2014 victory. Not wanting to "tempt fate," only a small contingent of the jerseys were pre-produced ahead of the World Cup final - and the national supply immediately sold out on Monday. However, jersey-makers Adidas have announced that they placed a post-haste order for more than 10 million more of the replicas, which are made in China.

The national team arrived at the Brandenburg Gate at around 12.30 p.m. local time (1030 UTC), after a slow cruise through the city center. Players stopped to sign autographs and chat to each other, on their way to the main stage where tens of thousands had also gathered to watch every German World Cup game.

Germany boarded an open-top truck in Berlin on Tuesday for their tour into the capital, having returned from Brazil as World Cup winners. Coach Joachim Löw cut a satisfied figure, having claimed a major title at the fourth attempt as Germany's top tactician. The 54-year-old wore a pair of silver aviator shades, chatting with various players on board. Jerome Boateng was amongst the revellers, sharing a shot of himself and Mesut Özil taking in the atmosphere on Twitter.