Brazil fans hate Argentina so much they’re lining up to buy Germany shirts ahead of World Cup final
Rather than support their neighbour, Argentina, in tonight's 2014 World Cup final, Brazilian shoppers are now queueing up to buy replicas of the shirts worn by Germany's national side.
Argentinian sports magazine, El Grafico, suggests that Brazilians are suffering "a kind of Stockholm syndrome" after the German side delivered a 7-1 hammering defeat to Brazil's national team in the tournament's semi-finals.
The defeat was the heaviest Brazil has ever suffered, setting a fresh record for the first time since 1920, when Brazil was beaten 6-0 by Uruguay. The game also set records on social network Twitter, becoming the most talked about sporting event of all time on the platform.
But rather than support fellow Latin American state Argentina at tonight's tournament final, many Brazilians have decided they'll be wearing German colours. There's a bitter rivalry between the two South American national sides, so strong that many in the host country would like to see Germany triumph.
Shoppers have cleared the shelves of Germany shirts in one store in Rio, forming long queues for the replica kits elsewhere in Brazil's second largest city. Germany shirts have added appeal for Brazilians as their away design – black and red horizontal stripes – mirrors that of one of the South American country's most famous clubs, Flamengo.
en río, los brasucas hacen cola para comprar la camiseta de alemania. abrazo, unidad latinoamericana. vía @KevinKogan pic.twitter.com/TojAhVHNYK
— luciano dolber (@luchio) July 12, 2014