Merkel rallies German team at Euro 2008

Angela Merkel, Germany's frowsy Chancellor, is so engrossed in her national teams's progress in the football Euro tournament – they play against Turkey in the semi-finals this evening – that she has taken to sending the players text messages to pep them up before and after matches.

In one missive, she chided the German winger Bastian Schweinsteiger for being suspended for the Austria game. It seems to have done the trick (Germans, of course, respond to the smack of firm leadership). "She told me that I shouldn't do the same stupid things again. When Frau Chancellor says you have to do something you have to do it."

A government spokesman confirmed Merkel would attend the Turkey-Germany match this evening in Basel, after being forced to miss Thursday's quarter-final against Portugal because of the EU summit in Brussels. Fellow leaders, among them Gordon Brown, were amused to hear her phone pinging during talks. "They were texts sent by aides giving her updates on the team's progress."