Beer 1, Brothels 0

When the World Cup kicked off a month ago, there was a ton of controversy about Germany’s legalized brothels and whether women had been trafficked into the country to service football fans. FP ran a piece at the time that took you inside a brothel and the scandal. So, we’d be remiss not to fill ...

607967_Brothel5.jpg
607967_Brothel5.jpg
BERLIN - MAY 16: German escort girl Jaqueline awaits customers at Berlin's exclusive Night Club Bel Ami on May 16, 2006 in Berlin, Germany. Escort girls across Germany are anticipating booming business in June as soccer fans from around the world will descend upon the country for the World Cup. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

When the World Cup kicked off a month ago, there was a ton of controversy about Germany's legalized brothels and whether women had been trafficked into the country to service football fans. FP ran a piece at the time that took you inside a brothel and the scandal. So, we'd be remiss not to fill you in on the final score. 

When the World Cup kicked off a month ago, there was a ton of controversy about Germany’s legalized brothels and whether women had been trafficked into the country to service football fans. FP ran a piece at the time that took you inside a brothel and the scandal. So, we’d be remiss not to fill you in on the final score. 

Turns out that football, beer, and prostitutes don’t mix after all. The Daily Telegraph‘s Berlin correspondent reports that the brothels didn’t get anywhere near the business they were expecting. One hooker laments that the “fans were happier to celebrate with beer than sex.” But there was one silver lining for these ladies of the night: Italy’s progress. Indeed, the World Cup winners were such good customers that the owner of Berlin’s biggest brothel even found himself willing the Azzurri on in their semi-final against Germany.

It’s a pleasant surprise to find that Germany’s brothels didn’t get rich off the tournament. But it does make you wonder if they asked Sven-Goran Eriksson for advice on tactics.

James Forsyth is assistant editor at Foreign Policy.
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