German plants to run on idle for football final, automakers say

German automakers said Friday they would shut down production lines late Sunday so workers could follow the European football championship final between Germany and Spain.

At Daimler, Volkswagen, Audi and Opel, night crews will start work after the final whistle, while day shifts will be allowed to leave at 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) to get home in time for the start of the match.

Work at Daimler's Rastatt plant, where Mercedes A and B class cars are built, is to be halted until early Monday, the company said.

Like other countries whose teams have advanced to the final stages of a competition that draws audiences in the tens of millions, Germany is enthralled to see its team successfully defend the national colors.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be in the stands as Germany takes on Spain, the government said Friday.

“The chancellor will be in Vienna to cheer on the Mannschaft,” government spokesman Thomas Steg told a media briefing, adding that German President Horst Koehler and several government ministers would also attend the match.