The fans are back in football: before the opening game of the European Football Championship between Turkey and Italy, hundreds of fans made their way to the historic center of Rome. On Friday afternoon, numerous red-clad Turkey fans could be seen in the city’s popular squares and tourist attractions, taking photos and waving their national flag.
In the evening several hours before kick-off, numerous supporters of both teams gathered in front of the Olympic Stadium. The mood was peaceful and exuberant, the first fan chants and cheers could already be heard – it was a bit like in the times before Corona, when the fans turned the big tournaments like the European Championship or a World Cup into gigantic fan parties .
They could be heard very well in the stadium. The Turkish and Italian fans were loud as if the stadium were full. There were only 16,000 people who were admitted under the pandemic conditions. In Rome there were also some public viewing areas, as will be the case in the other European Championship cities, where the Italians celebrated their team. Many journalists said that football was back – but that’s not true, it was never gone. But the followers are back – and that’s something special.
