The European Cup has been soaked in beer. In the fan zone and outside the stadium. In the halls and in the stands.
Everyone got wet. To the amusement of fans, players and, to the amusement of everyone without a leash, reporters kept hiding from their laptops and walking into press conferences smelling of alcohol.
Get a little violin. Maybe a towel.
We do need to talk about the plastic cups that cascade down from the stands towards anyone taking a corner kick or a goal kick.
First, though, the beer.
The official sponsor of the competition is German beer manufacturer Bitburger, and the bar in the hall is exclusively stocked with their products. For example, at a match at the Allianz Arena, Pils, Radler and a glass of non-alcoholic beer cost €7/500ml. At the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, they pour Kolsch beer, a sweet beer usually served in small cylindrical glasses. There is no limit on purchase quantities and fans can drink anywhere in the stadium.
But there are exceptions.
England’s group stage match against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen only served beer with an alcohol content of 2%, compared to the usual 4.8% alcohol content. The game is considered high-stakes. Other special measures are also in place, including a ban on alcohol in the stands. It is unclear whether England’s last-16 match against Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday will be subject to the same restrictions.
However, even if the alcohol content is lower, most traveling supporters enjoy a different degree of freedom when it comes to drinking than their counterparts back home.
Low-alcohol beer on sale during Serbia’s match against England (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
Since 1985, fans attending Football League matches in England have been banned from drinking “on the pitch”. In Scotland, the rules are even stricter: no alcohol is allowed in the stadium at all.
In Spain, only non-alcoholic beer is allowed. In France, Ligue 1 does not offer alcohol sales at its venues. In Serbia, bars around the stadium are only allowed to open two hours before kick-off.
Then there is Germany.
UEFA’s approach when staging matches is to adapt its food and drink rules to local legislation, and alcohol is a big part of Bundesliga matchdays in Germany. It’s not unheard of that restrictions could be imposed during high-stakes matches, as happened at Euro 2024, but not being able to watch football with a drink in hand is fundamentally un-German.
Of course, the club makes a lot of money from beer sales. Almost all events in the first two levels have a brewery as a sponsor. Schalke’s Veltins Arena has a 5-kilometre pipe connecting the stadium to the local brewery. So on any given weekend, German terraces are spewing beer. Watch Dortmund’s yellow wall when a goal is scored; in the right light and at the right angle, the entire stand looks like weeping with joy.
Regarding this, I couldn’t help but feel a little scared. For example, before England fans traveled to Germany, the British Foreign Office issued a warning about the strength of German beer. But so far, concerns about overconsumption have not materialized. There were few arrests and there was little trouble, although many supporters spent the long day in the sun-drenched beer garden.
Competitor spoke to a member of staff at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday evening. He said he and his team have had few behavioral issues during games so far. They were always on alert. So far so good, none of the games in Munich have been considered high-risk, although booze was served at the games in Munich.
Plastic cups are troublesome, though, and they’re everywhere — including at press conferences. Dragan Stojkovic was asked on Tuesday night whether a Serbian fan throwing a ball at Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel caused unnecessary disruption, leading to his team being eliminated after a goalless draw.
“Please ask me about football,” Stojkovic pleaded.
A beer is served as Schmeichel plays against Serbia (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
So far, three countries have been fined for fans throwing objects into pitches – Croatia, Scotland and Albania – and more are set to do so. Antoine Griezmann had to dodge a beer glass when taking a corner kick as France faced the Netherlands in the group stage. Germany’s Toni Kroos came under similar fire in the first half against Switzerland in Frankfurt, as did Italy’s Lorenzo Pellegrini against Croatia.
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Before the game in Leipzig, some fans and reporters on the lower floors were hit by plastic cups from above. Later, the ball actually hit a ball that landed on the court. Substitute Yusuf Poulsen had to help clear the penalty area on Tuesday night when Schmeichel was targeted in an incident Stojkovic was questioned about.
Fans responded with jeers and plastic when Gareth Southgate approached them full-time after England’s 0-0 draw with Slovenia; a fine is expected from the Football Association.
Is UEFA planning action?
when asked about beer glasses Competitor On Tuesday, a spokesman said they would wait for the full report before making any decisions. Something is happening, but we’re not quite sure what yet.
Plastic cups are generally not a problem in Germany. In March 2022, a match between Bochum and Monchengladbach was canceled because the assistant referee was hit in the head by a beer glass. In 2023, a 3.Liga match between Zwickau and Rotterweis Essen was called off at half-time after the referee threw a beer in his face. But such incidents are rare, perhaps in part because of changes in legislation.
In 2023, many German stadiums began to promote the use of reusable cups. At participating stadiums, fans pay a deposit for the trophy off-site and can get their deposit back by returning the trophy after the game. Bayern Munich has had such a policy since the 2018-19 season, but many other clubs have since adopted it. Environmental impact is one of the consequences. Fans’ desire to keep their trophies and deposits is another reason.
The atmosphere at the Euro 2024 matches has been great so far and, with few exceptions, the fans are enjoying their time together. They filled the stadium and city center with noise and joy, and while there was some confrontation, the prevailing mood was benevolent and full of friendly competition.
A Belgian fan prefers a helmet to a plastic match cup (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Considering that the continent has not hosted a football tournament without Covid-19 restrictions for many years, this argument does not hold water. Many seemed to treat the tournament as a holiday, determined to make the most of the tournament experience, although there were certainly some nagging organizational issues that would arise in the opening days.
Supporters only make headlines when they behave inappropriately. While significant progress has been made at this World Cup, there are still queues and delays, but they deserve recognition for their contribution to Euro 2024. Colorful, atmospheric and festive.
Enjoying your freedom is also part of it.
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(Above: Plastic cups on the pitch during Slovenia’s match against Serbia; photo by Clive Mason, via Getty Images)
