Party totaal: The biggest fanwalk Dortmund has ever seen
Lastly, the UEFA European Football Championship 2024 is taking place in Dortmund. And what a treat: In the second semifinal, the Netherlands and England face each other. Already hours before kick-off, there's a massive party on the B54.
Four hours before kick-off, nothing moves on the B54, one of the main access roads to Dortmund. Engine off. Waiting. No one knows for how long, not even the police. Standstill in the shadow of Westfalenstadion, where the Netherlands and England will play the second semifinal of the UEFA European Football Championship at 9 pm (on ARD, MagentaTV, and in the liveticker at ntv.de). Those closer to the city get an impressive entertainment program: The Dutch fan march is causing chaos. 70,000 people in orange were there, perhaps 80,000, maybe even more.
They sing, they dance. Of course, from left to right. Near the Reinoldikirche, not far from the train station, they had gathered. A stage had been set up there, and it was in full swing. In the rhythm of Snollebollekes. The band around Comedian Rob Kemps has written the unofficial anthem of this EM with their song without deeper meaning. In Hamburg, tens of thousands had already danced through the streets to the Carnavalskraker (genre). In Leipzig, the walls of some old apartment buildings were reportedly shaking. Consideration for architectural sensitivities, however, is of no concern to the orange-clad. It's just one EM party. What the Scots were in the first few days of the tournament, the Dutch have become.
Dutch Brass Band Plays "Hey Jude"
"Naturally, it's good to know that we have strong support from our country," Koeman said about the fan support: "Hopefully, we can make them happy with a win, so we can play in the final on Sunday." Just like in 1988. Back then, in the Munich Olympic Stadium, the Soviet Union, as it was still called back then, was defeated 2:0. Gullit and van Basten scored the goals.
But now, England first, and the great orange wave that is making its way through Dortmund. In the city, there was a wonderful moment. A Dutch brass band with plenty of brass instruments played the Beatles classic "Hey Jude" and sang it together with English fans. Among them, there were reportedly 25,000 on the move in the city. For them, the song is a tribute to their world star Jude Bellingham. In the stadium, they sing the song when the playmaker delivers a big action.
The Express split up just before the stadium. One part turned into Westfalenpark for the Public Viewing, while the other followed the Partybus, dancing to the Dutch versions of "Viva Colonia" ("Viva Hollandia") and "Freed from desire". Pyrotechnics shrouded the train in smoke, as did the pungent smell of grass. By 6 pm, a shiver ran through the city, but the wildly celebrating crowd paid it no mind. In Dortmund, the historic can happen without anything or anyone stopping it. And it was nothing compared to the storms that broke out before the match between Turkey and Georgia and during the duel between Germany and Denmark. This time, there were no Westfalen incidents in the stadium.
"He who hops, has more of the way"
So party in orange. A few Englishmen even joined in, marveling at the spectacle. The fans of the Three Lions had already organized great fan festivals, causing more spectacle than their own team, which, with its market value of 1.5 billion Euros, plays very controlled in this EM and lies further down the chain. Unlike the Dutch, who went on an emotional rollercoaster ride with their team. It's so alluring that more and more people are discovering the adrenaline rush for themselves.
"This is the biggest fan walk Dortmund has ever seen," said a police spokesperson in Dortmund. The population had to reckon with significant traffic disruptions for at least two hours. "The Oranjes don't march in step, they hop from left to right." That took correspondingly long: "He who hops, has more of the way."
It remained peaceful in the city center for a long time, but two hours before kick-off, there was a confrontation at a bar. Fans from both sides clashed. As with X, chairs and other objects were thrown. According to the police, there were injuries. The "Bild-"Newspaper reports of baton charges and ten arrests. Who the aggression came from is still unknown. On the circulating videos, it looks like Dutch fans attacked an English pub.
The Dutch fan march continues to cause chaos in the city, with an estimated 80,000 fans gathered near the Reinoldikirche, hours before the Netherlands and England's semifinal match at the UEFA European Football Championship 2024 in Dortmund. Engagement with the locals is evident, as a Dutch brass band plays a tribute to English star Jude Bellingham with a rendition of "Hey Jude" alongside English fans.
Despite the peaceful atmosphere, tensions flared two hours before the kick-off at a local bar, resulting in a confrontation between fans from both teams. The incident involved chair-throwing and injuries, leading to baton charges and ten arrests according to the "Bild-"Newspaper, with videos suggesting Dutch fans targeted an English pub.
