Soccer - Oranje party in Dortmund before the European Championship semi-final
Before the EURO semifinal match between Netherlands and England in Dortmund, the city center is orange-handed. According to the police, up to 80,000 Dutch fans from the neighboring country and at least 25,000 English fans are expected around the game in the Ruhr region city.
For the afternoon, the Dutch fans have planned a huge fan march towards the stadium and to the Public Viewing in the nearby Westfalenpark. If, as expected by the police, a large portion of the Dutch fans participate, this will be the "biggest fan march Dortmund has ever seen", said a police spokesperson.
Police spokesperson: "He who hops, has more of the way"
The population must reckon with significant traffic disruptions during this time - at least for two hours. "The Oranje don't run in a straight line, they hop from left to right", said the police spokesperson. That will last accordingly: "He who hops, has more of the way". The fans of the Dutch national team have made an impression with a collective hop dance from left to right in the fan zones before previous matches of their team.
Already in the early afternoon, the fan zone at Friedensplatz was filled with more than 6000 people and accordingly closed. In the bars and clubs of the city center, Dutch fans in their team's orange jerseys dominated, with English fans only occasionally present.
Dutch fan chants were heard repeatedly. Aside from occasional pyrotechnics burning, it has been peaceful so far, said the police spokesperson.
- Despite the anticipated large turnout of Dutch and English fans in the city center of Dortmund for the EURO semifinal game between Netherlands and England, the police encourages people to plan their leisure time accordingly to avoid significant traffic disruptions.
- The Police in North Rhine-Westphalia anticipates that the fan march towards the stadium in Dortmund, led by Dutch fans, will be the "biggest fan march Dortmund has ever seen" due to the expected high number of participants.
- After the police spokesperson's encouragement for fans to "hop" during the fan march, Dutch soccer fans can be seen performing a collective hop dance on the left and right sides in the fan zones prior to the game, creating a lively atmosphere in the city.
- With England's soccer fans making occasional appearances in the bars and clubs, the city center of Dortmund is heavily dominated by Dutch fans in their orange jerseys, their chants echoing through the streets.
- The police in the Netherlands are pleased to report that the behavior of Dutch fans thus far has been peaceful, despite the occasional use of pyrotechnics in the fan zones, ensuring a safe and enjoyable leisure time experience for attendees in the country's second biggest city.
