A few days before the start of the 2008 UEFA European Championship, referee Arthur Mellnig is found murdered in a sleeper train in Zurich. There is great excitement at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon: Mellnig wanted to inform the officials about a strictly confidential, extremely concerning incident that could jeopardize the entire tournament. Who knew about it? The German national team also seems to be in danger: Initially, the team's departure from Frankfurt to Vienna is delayed due to a suspicious piece of luggage. Then, a seriously injured man is discovered near their accommodation, who dies shortly after. And once again, at the center of it all is Vienna's quirkiest criminologist: Mario Palinski has learned of an assassination plot that is supposed to take place during the match between Germany and Austria against the President of the European Council.