As Euro 2024 reaches the half way mark with the knock-out rounds to come the tournament has run fairly smoothly, but has not been without troubling incidents from flare ups of violence and severe transport issues for fans.
The Local considers the issues the tournament has had and what Germany has done to solve the problems.
Flare ups of violence and hooliganism
Overall the tournament has been largely trouble free especially when compared to previous European football tournaments. We are a long way from the dark days of Euro 2000 and even Euro 2016, which were both hit by major outbreaks of trouble.
But there have been flare ups, most recently on Tuesday in Munich ahead of the Denmark vs Serbia match.
As thousands of Serbia fans gathered at Marienplatz there were clashes with police with bottles and chairs thrown in the direction of officers. Seven fans were arrested and several officers were injured. Images of the clashes were posted on social media.
On Munich’s Marienplatz, Serbian fans brutally clash with the German police ahead of the Serbia-Denmark game tonight. pic.twitter.com/2suQZLhCQ0
— Jakub Bielamowicz (@KubaBielamowicz) June 25, 2024
There have been other clashes too, notably a huge brawl involving Serbia and England fans before their opening clash in Gelsenkirchen. There were also clashes between Turkey and Georgia fans inside the stadium during their Group F match.
Wow it’s all kicking off between Turkey and Georgia fans… 😳😨pic.twitter.com/n7dgfWkJGY
— The Away Fans (@theawayfans) June 18, 2024
But there were fears of a lot worse in the run up to the tournament, with German police openly admitting they had no idea how England fans would behave and how many Serbian hooligans would travel to the country.
Ap News, for example, wrote that “a recent surge in violence around football games is contributing to concerns over security when Germany hosts the European Championship.”
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But German interior minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) insisted that police and security forces were ready for “all imaginable dangers”, adding that 22,000 officers would be on duty every day during the tournament.
German police have been working with foreign police forces to communicate about threats, particularly ahead of high-risk matches.
It appears that police efforts are by and large working to prevent any outbreaks of mass violence.
Cities overrun by fans and travel chaos
For those who don’t follow football or enjoy joining in the fanfare, among the more pressing issues with Euro 2024 is that German cities are overrun with fans.
With match games happening in ten cities around the country, and matches being broadcast on TVs from what feels like every bar and corner store in the country, the tournament is impossible to ignore. But not everyone is happy about it.
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A survey by the opinion research institute Civey found that roughly half of Berlin residents are annoyed by the closure of Straße des 17. Juni for the city’s “fan mile”, which is the country’s largest fan zone. The fanzone will remain in place until July 25th.
READ ALSO: Where are the fan zones for Euro 2024 in Germany?
Outside of fan zones, residents have noticed congestion on city streets and packed public transport on match days in some areas.
As would be expected, virtually everything – from Deutsche Bahn trains to local pubs – is operating at a higher capacity with 2.7 million fans from abroad visiting Germany this month.
In particular, public transport in Gelsenkirchen has proven to be a hotspot for travel chaos following matches. The issue was initially reported after the England vs. Serbia match, when crowds of fans were left waiting for trains for hours after the game ended.
READ ALSO: ‘Welcome to Germany’ – Euro 2024 travel chaos raises questions about German efficiency
Perhaps bizarrely representatives from local transport companies brushed off any criticism, suggesting that trains and buses were running effectively, but similar issues were seen again after the Spain vs. Italy match a few days later.
England fans might understandably fear returning to Gelsenkirchen for their last 16 match on Sunday.
It’s not all bad – in fact, for many it’s all good
Even among those who don’t tap into the football frenzy, the championship and all the events and tourists it brings, do offer a chance for local German residents to meet an interesting mix of European visitors.
Among some of the touching highlights so far were Germany falling in love with Scottish fans and Turkish immigrants celebrating their home country’s victory across the country.
Despite the aforementioned challenges, the overall experience of Euro 2024 has so far been positive off the pitch (perhaps apart from for Scotland and England fans).
With the big matches yet to come the hope the stakes will be raised both on and off the pitch.
READ ALSO: How (and where) to watch Euro 2024 games in Germany this week
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