The Height of Fandom: Football Mania at the UEFA Euro 2024

Football fans around the globe are on the adrenaline surge these days with their favorite teams and players taking part in the second-biggest global footballing event, the UEFA Euro 2024. Defending champions Italy, the hosts Germany, FIFA World Cup 2022 runners-up, France, everyone’s football love affair post the FIFA '18 WC Croatia, the ultimate football legend, Ronaldo’s Portugal, my personal favorite Kane’s England, Pedri’s Spain, Lukaku’s Belgium, Shaqiri’s Switzerland, Hjulmand’s Denmark and over 20 other teams, having the top in the world players from the length and breadth of the European subcontinent are all up and set to take the world by storm with their marvellous play in the ongoing month-long extravaganza.

There has been much hype about cricket for decades, the bat-and-ball game that has now well-stretched its legs into 20 countries that are a part of the ongoing T20 WC, and is just getting more popular with every passing year. All thanks to the Indian Premier League – an Indian brainchild that was embarked in 2007, has completed 17 seasons so far, and is just getting grander and captivating tens of millions of viewers every season. The gigantic stature of the IPL could be assumed from the fact that the media rights of the league for five years starting from 2022 stands at a whopping $6.2 bn, making it the 2nd highest-valued league after the USA’s NFL, and way ahead of the Wimbledon, the NBA, or the PGA.

The admiration expressed by the viewers for their players and teams is worth watching, not just in the ICC World Cup and IPL, but even in the bilateral series. From breaking the decibel limits on every boundary or wicket, to expressing heartful emotions after each missed delivery; from praying with their hands folded and fingers crossed, to adorning themselves with all funky shades of attire; from high-on-energy sloganeering, to shaking their legs on the tunes of Indian party numbers, it’s great watching how strongly these fans feel about their teams.

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'Hold my beer', football fans say!

This cherishing cricket madness will seem astounding to you as long as you haven’t watched an intn’l football match. Day-to-day league matches in country-specific leagues like the Champions League, Bundesliga, Premier League etc alone invite ardent followers and peak energy multifolds more in comparison to the highest-grossing nail-biting cricket matches. FIFA World Cup or the UEFA Euro where the entire nation's respect is at stake is something next worldly altogether. Watching a live match right from the stadium may seem like a distant dream and is unfeasible for many, so the live broadcast (this year Sony Sports Network) does it all for us, and how! 

Watching the Switzerland vs Hungary match on the inaugural day of the UEFA Euro 2024, I realised that the citizens of one of the wealthiest and happiest countries in the world (we all epitomize and daydream about) behave as if they are the most uncivilised (at least during the UEFA Euro matches). After Embolo scored a goal in the last few minutes of the game against the Hungarians, the Swiss fans went absolute rogue and blew the stadium with their exuberance. The confederation of Switzerland globally acclaimed for taking a peaceful neutral stance for centuries (except after the Russia-Ukraine war) turns into a vehement supporter of its team every time it comes to the global football stage, and yes, they did the same this season.

From hurling beverages in the air to littering the playfield, not just the global charts toppers Swiss, but also the sophisticated English, and many other die-heart fans from the so-called elite and well-mannered developed nations go rowdy and indulge in such hooliganism expressing their outright delight and blasted excitement.

And surprisingly that’s no big deal in most of the matches. It isn’t so that such abnormal fandom is being witnessed for the first time in a football stadium. In fact, it did end quite moderately in this instance. Things sometimes go beyond the extreme limits involving manhandling, brawls, and arson causing serious injuries to the fans/players and forcing the referee to halt or abandon the game altogether. Though it’s a rarity, the celebrations and resentment both are always on the threshold point of turning into a tragic affair.


Photo by Jannik Skorna on Unsplash

Besides condemning such extreme behavior from the spectators, it’s always a pleasure watching thousands of supporters loudly singing, cheerfully grooving, synchronously waving, and magnificently flaunting their admiration towards their teams taking big national flags in their hands, wearing uniform attire, displaying cheesy posters, and coloring their bodies in the national colors.

Swiss fans breaching the limits of a healthy celebration and civilized behavior by impinging upon others and creating intolerable nuisance should be abhorred. But, this unbridled zeal and relentless devotion of the fans towards their teams and players somehow supersedes it all (pardon). 

Henceforth, every time a player or a team is commended for playing a sterling, high-on-nerve game, all the high-spirited and full-of-life fans should also get a special mention for creating a perfectly conducive environment in the stadium.

Anant Vyas

Engineer by Early Education, Corporate Communication & PR Professional by Passion, and Artist by Heart

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