Three more sleeps and then it will be the Red Devils’ turn for the first time at the European Championships in Germany. Yet the Belgian supporters still seem to have to wake up. And weather forecasts seem to play an important role in this. “If there is a little sun, the country will be turned upside down.”
In Germany they are already warming up for the European Championship, where the host country will kick off against Scotland tonight at 9 p.m.
The Red Devils have already noticed that. Their open training attracted around 1,600 spectators. Many football fans in Ludwigsburg did not miss the opportunity to see Kevin De Bruyne at work, among others.
Belgian supporters in Germany seem to have to wait until Monday, when the Red Devils play their opening match against Slovakia. 30,000 tickets were sold for the Belgians’ group matches, 10,000 per match.
“We are at the highest figure ever,” says Manu Leroy, CEO of the KBVB. “Even more tickets were sold than for the European Championship in 2016.”
I have a feeling it’s going to explode.
Manu Leroy, CEO KBVB
However, the European Championship fever seems to have yet to rise within the Belgian borders. It is now a bit of a search for tricolor flags and black-yellow-red mirror covers.
However, Manu Leroy is not worried. “I have the feeling that it will explode and the atmosphere in the stadium will be great,” he says. “There are also many requests for large screens. So if there is a little sun, the country will be turned upside down.”
Leroy touches on an important point there: the European Championship atmosphere takes some time, but so does the summer weather.
The Belgian supporters also had little luck on Monday. “It will be changeable,” weather forecaster Jacotte Brokken predicts. “It is cloudy and there is a chance of rain. Supporters should bring rain gear.”
Only one European Championship village
It is not the weather reports that they want to see in Antwerp. The only Belgian European Championship village is being built there on the Scheldt quays.
A major investment that may literally fail. “We have calculated that we will cover our costs with the three group matches,” says employee Filip Pasmans.
“If the weather is bad, it may only be profitable from a fourth or fifth match onwards. We have our fingers crossed that the Red Devils will go far.”
It may partly explain why, despite plans, no supporters’ village has been built in Ghent and Bruges.
Bruges Mayor Dirk De fauw saw no candidates for a European Championship village. “You generally notice that the atmosphere around the European Championships is not that present in the city,” he says.
“There are pop-up bars with a large screen, but we will not see a full square like in the past.”
In Antwerp they pray not only to the football gods, but also to the weather gods.
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2024-06-14 15:25:29
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