Basketball, not a Chancellor’s phone number: What that baffling “Live‑Ticker” page really was
Short answer: The “Germany vs Slovenia quarterfinal live ticker” is real—but it’s basketball, not football. And that headline about the Chancellor’s phone number? It doesn’t match the page at all.
Here’s what happened—and what’s actually true.
The oddity that started it all
- The article title promised a scoop about getting the German Chancellor’s phone number “in minutes, without a hack or data leak.”
- The page content, however, was just one line copied again and again: “Jetzt im Live‑Ticker: Das EM‑Viertelfinale Deutschland gegen Slowenien.”
- In plain English: the title teased political digital security. The body was a sports live ticker. They don’t belong together.
Most important correction
- Bold correction: The “EM quarterfinal Germany vs Slovenia” is accurate only for EuroBasket 2025 (basketball), not UEFA Euro (football).
- If you read “EM” as football, the claim is false. Slovenia did not play Germany in a Euro 2024 quarterfinal; Germany’s quarterfinal was against Spain, and Slovenia exited earlier against Portugal. Source: ESPN match logs for Euro 2024 Round of 16 and QFs (https://www.espn.com/soccer/match/_/gameId/703936?utm_source=openai)
So—does this game exist? Yes, in basketball. Verified details:
- Fixture: Germany vs Slovenia, EuroBasket 2025 quarterfinal
- When/where: Wednesday, September 10, 2025, tip-off 20:00 CEST in Riga, Latvia
- Venue: Xiaomi Arēna (the building formerly known as Arēna Rīga)
- Naming-rights change confirmed here: LSM (https://eng.lsm.lv/article/economy/business/28.01.2025-arena-riga-renamed-xiaomi-arena-for-five-years.a585414/?utm_source=openai)
- Live coverage in Germany: RTL (TV), RTL+ and MagentaSport streams; several outlets carry live tickers
- RTL: https://www.rtl.de/sport/basketball-em/deutschland-gegen-slowenien-live-bei-rtl-tv-oder-stream-so-seht-ihr-das-viertelfinale-id6671203.html?utm_source=openai
- FR: https://www.fr.de/sport/sport-mix/deutschland-gegen-slowenien-live-im-tv-und-stream-hier-laeuft-die-basketball-em-93922248.html?utm_source=openai
- ran: https://www.ran.de/sports/basketball/europameisterschaft/news/deutschland-vs-slowenien-live-viertelfinale-der-basketball-em2025-uebertragung-im-tv-livestream-und-liveticker-586657?utm_source=openai
- Tournament schedule and bracket: NBA.com’s EuroBasket hub (https://www.nba.com/news/eurobasket-2025-schedule-standings-results?utm_source=openai) and Eurosport (https://www.eurosport.de/basketball/europameisterschaft/2025/deutschland-slowenien_mtc1602837/live.shtml?utm_source=openai)
How we know the bracket fits
- Germany reached the quarterfinal by beating Portugal 85–58 in the Round of 16. FIBA recap: https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-eurobasket-2025/news/germany-race-clear-in-the-fourth-after-portugal-give-early-scare?utm_source=openai
- Slovenia advanced by beating Italy 84–77, with Luka Dončić scoring 42. Eurohoops: https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurobasket/1865701/luka-doncic-drops-42-in-riga-slovenia-outlasts-italy/?utm_source=openai
- Bracket timing: Finland beat Georgia earlier and awaits the Germany–Slovenia winner in the semifinals. Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/finland-beat-georgia-make-eurobasket-final-four-2025-09-10/?utm_source=openai
What the original page got wrong—or left out
- Bold correction: “EM” is ambiguous. In German media, it can mean multiple European Championships. Without stating the sport, the headline misleads readers who default to football.
- “Now in the live ticker”: Whether “now” is true depends on when you read it. Outlets often post tickers hours early. The scheduled start is 20:00 CEST. NBA.com’s schedule confirms the timing (https://www.nba.com/news/eurobasket-2025-schedule-standings-results?utm_source=openai).
And the headline about the Chancellor’s number?
- Verified: There is no supporting text on that page about accessing the Chancellor’s phone number. It appears to be a mismatched title and body—likely a publishing or CMS error rather than evidence of hacking.
- What we don’t know: Why the mix-up happened. Common causes include placeholder text, copy-paste errors, or an auto-fill bug in the content management system. We have no evidence of a hack or data leak.
- What we can’t verify from the page: Any claim that someone can get the Chancellor’s number “in minutes” without hacking. Treat that claim as unsubstantiated unless or until documented evidence appears.
Small but telling details the fact-check surfaced
- Venue naming confusion explained: “Arena Riga” and “Xiaomi Arēna” are the same building, renamed after a 2025 sponsorship deal. Sources: LSM (https://eng.lsm.lv/article/economy/business/28.01.2025-arena-riga-renamed-xiaomi-arena-for-five-years.a585414/?utm_source=openai), Baltic News (https://balticnews.com/arena-in-riga-gets-new-name/?utm_source=openai)
- Coaching footnote: Some previews reference assistant Alan Ibrahimagić due to head coach Álex Mumbrú’s recent illness and return; FIBA’s R16 report reflects that context (https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-eurobasket-2025/news/germany-race-clear-in-the-fourth-after-portugal-give-early-scare?utm_source=openai)
How to decode “EM” headlines so you don’t get misled
- Check the sport: Look for “Basketball-EM,” “Fußball-EM,” or a tournament logo or venue.
- Confirm the schedule: Cross-check with a neutral listing (NBA.com for basketball; UEFA.com for football).
- Be wary of “now”: Live tickers may go up early. Verify the tip-off or kickoff time.
- Scan for context clues: Player names help. “Dončić” screams basketball; “Gündoğan” screams football.
Bottom line
- Bold finding: The Germany–Slovenia quarterfinal “live ticker” is accurate for EuroBasket 2025 basketball, airing tonight from Riga with TV and streaming options in Germany.
- Bold correction: It is not a football quarterfinal, and the separate, sensational headline about the Chancellor’s phone number is unsupported by the page content.
- Uncertainty we acknowledge: We can’t determine from the outside why the page mixed topics. Nothing on the page proves a hack; a publishing error is the simpler explanation.
Our process We compared the repeated “Live‑Ticker” line with official schedules, broadcaster listings, and postgame reports for the Round of 16. We flagged the ambiguity around “EM,” verified the venue rename, and cross-checked the bracket sequence to ensure the semifinal path (Finland awaiting the winner) matched today’s results. All sources are linked above.
If you spot the full, intended article about the Chancellor’s number, send it our way—we’ll fact-check that, too. Until then, stick with the verified game: Germany vs Slovenia, 20:00 CEST, Xiaomi Arēna.