The UEFA Euro 2024, hosted by Germany from June 14 to July 14, 2024, concluded with Spain lifting the trophy after defeating England in the final. This tournament unfolded in the midst of a political climate in Europe where far-right ideologies dominate, although there were some left-wing electoral victories during the event, notably in the UK and France. The championship also revealed numerous political messages intertwined with the ongoing developments in Europe and globally.
The Rise of Xenophobia
Football, the world’s most popular sport, brings together a wide variety of cultures and sometimes unites historically adversarial nations. Euro 2024, for instance, marked the first time that nations like Serbia, Albania, and Croatia—countries with a history of conflict—faced each other in the tournament. These matches exposed deep-rooted tensions, as spectators exhibited negative and hostile behaviors, manifesting in the following key incidents:
1. Balkan Conflicts in the Stands
The tournament saw an outpouring of antagonistic slogans and chants, not only from fans but also from some players. Albanian striker Merlin Dako, for example, used a megaphone after his team’s draw with Croatia to lead anti-national chants targeting countries both inside and outside the tournament. He incited hatred with slogans like “Curse Macedonia” and “Curse Serbia.” Serbia, in turn, threatened to withdraw from the tournament unless Albania and Croatia were penalized for their fans’ hateful and racist chants. Simultaneously, Serbian supporters brandished banners declaring Kosovo as part of Serbia, with slogans such as “Kosovo is Serbia,” while waving Russian flags and chanting the name of President Vladimir Putin.
2. The Far-Right Presence
A survey conducted by the German public broadcaster ARD before the start of Euro 2024, involving 1,304 Germans, revealed that 21% of respondents preferred having more white players on their national football team. The survey also highlighted a political divide, with 47% of supporters of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party agreeing with this sentiment.
Throughout Euro 2024, several incidents involving far-right supporters were reported, particularly acts of hostility and hatred directed at immigrants, Muslims, and people of non-European descent. Austrian fans, for instance, held up banners reading “Defend Europe,” a well-known rallying cry against Islam and immigration. English supporters echoed similar sentiments with banners proclaiming “Stop the Boats.”
However, these far-right displays were not confined to the spectators. Players also entered the political fray, though often from a different perspective. Several French national team players, including Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, urged their fellow citizens to refrain from voting for far-right candidates in the recent parliamentary elections, calling for the protection of France’s multicultural identity. Their stance provoked backlash from Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party, and her party members, who criticized Mbappé, the team captain.
Germany faced several criticisms for its organization of the Euro 2024 tournament, particularly concerning its infrastructure and services. Philipp Lahm, the tournament’s organizing committee director and a former captain of the German national team, expressed concern over Germany’s failure to develop its infrastructure over the past decades, citing insufficient investment. Opinions were divided on the budget allocated for the tournament, with some believing that 650 million euros was too little to host an event with 24 teams, while others saw it as excessive. The key criticisms included:
One of the main issues raised was congestion and delays in public transportation. Both fans and teams experienced difficulties reaching the stadiums due to train delays or cancellations. For instance, the Dutch team had to resort to using a bus and plane to travel to their semi-final match against Britain, despite the distance between Wolfsburg, where their train was supposed to depart, and Dortmund, where the match was held, being less than 300 kilometers. Even Philipp Lahm himself faced a similar issue, as he too was delayed by train problems. These transportation issues persisted from the opening match in Munich between Germany and Scotland to the final days of the tournament. The German railway company, Deutsche Bahn, has been plagued by frequent labor strikes in recent years, with workers often threatening to shut down train operations.
Fans attending Euro 2024 encountered two major problems: overcrowding and long waits to enter the stadiums. For example, Scottish fans had to wait over an hour to be seated during their opening match against Germany. Additionally, the stadiums lacked proper coverage during heavy rain, a standard feature in modern venues that are designed to protect the players, fans, and the pitch from inclement weather.
The readiness of the stadiums was also questioned. Countries hosting major tournaments usually prioritize their stadiums, ensuring the playing surfaces, seating capacity, and other technical aspects are evaluated and prepared long before the event. However, in Euro 2024, some unexpected issues arose. Germany was awarded the tournament after receiving 12 votes against Turkey’s four, but Switzerland’s team, for instance, found themselves unable to use their designated training ground in Stuttgart due to it not being ready. These organizational mishaps should have been resolved earlier through coordination between UEFA and the German Football Association. Furthermore, several players and coaches, including those playing at Frankfurt’s stadium during Denmark’s match against England, complained about poor pitch conditions.
Politicization of Sports:
In 2018, Germany produced a series called “Dogs of Berlin,” which explored the murder of a German football player of Turkish descent, focusing on the violence and extremism of neo-Nazi groups while portraying Turkish gangs attacking stores and extorting money. Six years after this politically charged drama, and following Germany’s competition with Turkey to host Euro 2024, Turkish player Merih Demiral reignited political tensions by using sports for political purposes. After scoring a goal against Austria in the Round of 16, Demiral celebrated by making the “Grey Wolves” hand gesture. This gesture is associated with a banned organization in Austria and has been under surveillance in Germany since 2018. The proposal to ban the group coincided with the airing of “Dogs of Berlin” at the time, making Demiral’s gesture a continuation of the political tensions from 2018.
The incident escalated into a diplomatic row, with both Germany and Turkey summoning their respective ambassadors. The European football governing body, UEFA, launched an investigation under Article 31 of its disciplinary regulations, and German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated that “the Turkish far-right has no place in our stadiums.” Her remarks highlighted the association of extremism with Turkey via the “Grey Wolves,” while seemingly implying that extremism from other right-wing groups might be tolerated. The diplomatic tension between Berlin and Ankara could have been avoided if the Turkish player had been punished according to tournament rules. Instead, officials from both countries chose to escalate the situation, potentially creating an unnecessary diplomatic crisis and adding another chapter to the political use of sports in the relationship between the two nations.
Recalling the Past:
Germany’s organization of Euro 2024 also revived debates about its infrastructure, particularly considering its position as Europe’s largest economy and one of the world’s top five economies. This led some in the Arab world to compare Germany’s hosting of this tournament to Qatar’s organization of the 2022 World Cup, which also saw diplomatic tension between Berlin and Doha at the time.
Several reports compared the cost of hosting major events like the World Cup or continental tournaments with the financial returns. Host countries typically see both immediate and long-term economic benefits. For example, a report from “The Economist” published on November 18, 2022, analyzed countries that hosted the World Cup from the UK in 1966 to Russia in 2018. It concluded that Russia was the only host nation to see short-term financial gains, with a 24% return on investment.
Generally, host countries do not reap significant profits in the same year they host the tournament, as most of the expenses are incurred in the years leading up to the event. Russia, France, and Germany were exceptions due to other factors. Germany, for example, relied on the infrastructure it had built for the 2006 World Cup for Euro 2024, thus minimizing additional spending. Officials argued that the expected profits for 2024 are not comparable to those of Qatar, which hosted a major global event for the first time in 2022. Qatar invested heavily in new infrastructure, including airports, stadiums, hotels, and roads, which will continue to benefit the national economy through tourism, job creation, and attracting investors. This understanding is shared by every country that has hosted a major sporting event. For example, a report by McKinsey estimated that Russia’s hosting of the 2018 World Cup would boost its economy by $13.3 billion over the following five years.
In conclusion, Euro 2024 sent numerous political messages, reflecting the current mindset of both the governing elites and the public. Racism and xenophobia found fertile ground in the stadiums, streets, and train stations, undermining values of coexistence and acceptance of different races, cultures, and religions. Germany’s organizational shortcomings demonstrated that such failures are not limited to small or large countries, nor to Arab or Western cultures. The country might see substantial financial gains from this year’s event, but it will likely face long-term criticism from its Western allies and strained relations with other nations due to the recent tensions.
