These days, I sit in the stadium every day and experience an intense time. It makes me realise what football does and how its folklore is part of overcoming the many problems of our time.
That brings us to the Scots. They did everything right. They marched through Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart singing. Even in cities where they weren’t playing, they infected everyone with their good humour. Scottish fans really wanted to play a match against my home club, FT Gern. It took place the day after the opening game and afterwards everyone sat together in the clubhouse until late at night. They used this tournament to celebrate with others. They want to be part of Europe. It’s not just the caterers who will miss them. I’ve been asked what bothers me most about this Euros. I said that the Scots have already gone home.
Participating in the event, sharing in the excitement of victory and defeat, orderly escalation – that’s what every sporting event is about, whether in the arena or on the village square. The whole thing makes us resilient and prevents worse things from happening in the world. That is the calming effect of sporting events. Writers and sociologists say that; I see it the same way. Let’s be who we are, let’s all be Scots!
Europe is a guest in Germany. Twenty-three countries, eight of them neighbours, are currently enjoying my homeland with huge tour groups. What unites them and us is the need for encounters and the desire for exuberance. It is the people who give meaning to a cultural festival such as the Euros.
Because I used to stand on the grass, I’m only now experiencing a lot of things up close. The enthusiasm is enormous. Sometimes people in the stands run a few metres when their team attacks, as if they want to score the goal themselves.
The atmosphere on the streets is buzzing. Fan marches are the new mass phenomenon. Thousands walk through Hamburg, Dortmund or Leipzig dressed up like at a carnival, waving to the grannies at the window and being encouraged by children to wave.
Albanians break spaghetti in front of the Italians. A German saxophonist sends his compatriots into ecstasy before every game. The Dutch jump to their hit by the Snollebollekes – thanks for the catchy tune – in gigantic numbers to the left, then to the right. How marvellously silly! The fans leave smiles in German cities.
This European Championship is a shared experience. The Croatian fans pulled off their water polo caps when Italy equalised, the horror written all over their faces, as was the relief of the Italians. The Georgians were pulled apart by two forces. They defended for a long time against the Czech Republic to earn a first point in their tournament history but in the last seconds victory appeared to be within their grasp, possibly a place in the last 16. But the shot didn’t go in. At the final whistle, they didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The big celebration was then held after the win against Portugal.
In a time when many people live in their bubble, sport creates memories that span generations. Do you remember where you were when Luka Modric first missed a penalty and then scored 32 seconds later to take the lead? Do you remember how you felt when Italy equalised in the 98th minute? Where were you when that Georgia shot went over? Where were you when Georgia reached the last 16?
These Euros have created some great moments in the group stage. At the same time, we witnessed missed chances, balls hitting the bar and (what’s going on?) a bunch of own goals. Playing with feet and head, but not with hands, makes us realise that we humans are flawed. We are real bunglers.
We also complain about other things. About Deutsche Bahn, for example, which we Germans take as valuable feedback to take better care of our public transport in future. A group of Polish fans vilified Vladimir Putin in front of the Russian embassy in Berlin, and the Georgian fans did the same. That’s allowed in Europe. A few Serbian fans chanted pro-Putin. That’s also allowed in Europe.
You also hear nationalistic tones in the stands, and fans glorify pyrotechnics or whistle the anthem of their opponents. You have to talk about that. You can look past it sometimes. There is room for discretion because that’s the way people are, not only rationally but emotionally.
In Europe, things are organised and people are held accountable for breaking the rules. What is a foul and what is not? At what point does nationalism go hand in hand with so much resentment that human dignity is no longer sacrosanct? We need to take a closer look.
A lot of things come to a head in sport, and these Euros are no exception. That’s why culture is important. There’s no point in criticising major events in principle. Their value is evident these days. And in this sense, more Europe means being more Scottish.
Philipp Lahm is the tournament director for Euro 2024. His column was produced in partnership with Oliver Fritsch at Zeit Online, the German online magazine.
