Was Euro 2024 a success off the field? Sort of

Trains let Germany down

Germany's main train operator, Deutsche Bahn, has received heavy criticism after the network failed to cope with the mass of extra people in the country for Euro 2024. Those inside Germany knew that train delays and cancellations had become a regular fact of life long before the tournament, but those outside Germany were shocked that the supposed punctual and efficient nation no longer had a train service to be proud of.

The most galling episodes for Deutsche Bahn were when tournament director Philipp Lahm was late for a game due to the trains, and the Netherlands had to take a bus and a plane to Dortmund for the semifinal when the train from their base in Wolfsburg failed to turn up. Even though Wolfsburg is less than 300 kilometers (186 miles) from Dortmund, they missed the pregame press conference.

Where was the sun?

The 2006 World Cup in Germany is remembered as the "summer fairy tale" by Germans partly because of a blissfully warm summer where fans hung out in fan zones drinking and being merry. This tournament has seen some packed fanfests but also a raft of closures due to torrential storms.

Dortmund seemed to be hit the worst, and Germany's last-16 win over Denmark was suspended for 30 minutes in the first half because of a thunderstorm that threatened the safety of the players. To be fair to the Dortmund grounds people, the turf held up remarkably well against the barrage of rain, which also was apparent before England's semifinal win over the Netherlands.

But images of torrents of water gushing off the Dortmund stadium roof, leading some fans to remove their jerseys for an impromptu shower, were among the most memorable of the tournament.

Hooligans largely stay away amid tight security

There were a few fights away from stadiums, Dutch fans attacking a handful of England supporters in a Dortmund pub before the semifinal, Italians plotting to ambush Albanian spectators and a few English goading the Germans after the hosts were eliminated, but generally, visitors behaved themselves.

One exception is German prosecutors investigating an allegation of rape against an employee of the Albanian national team at their hotel.

There were a few fisticuffs inside stadiums, but the major problems were illegal flares, plastic cups flying everywhere — even in celebration — and some controversial chanting (see below). A man on the stadium roof in Dortmund ended up just being an overly keen photographer. The time it took to get into stadiums, given all the security checks, was a bugbear among fans early on amid horror stories of three-hour queues. Gelsenkirchen was particularly criticized. The situation appeared to settle down as the Euros wore on.   

Too much politics?

Turkey defender Merih Demiral's two-match ban for giving the controversial wolf salute, which critics say is a far-right symbol and against ethnic minorities in and around Turkey, dominated the news agenda for days. A huge fan march in Berlin was stopped because supporters made the gesture.

Turkey said the salute simply celebrates "Turkishness" and reacted furiously to the ban, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"Honestly, UEFA's two-match ban on Merih has cast a serious shadow over the championship. It is inexplicable, it is a purely political decision," Erdogan said as Turkey went out against the Dutch in the last eight. Demiral had scored twice in the last-16 win over Austria where he unfurled the gesture.

France captain Kylian Mbappe even used the tournament to urge French voters to reject the far right in the recently held French elections. The National Rally, France's mainstream far-right party, ended up finishing third in the two-round vote despite the polls in the first round.

Meanwhile, Serbia briefly threatened to quit the tournament after being upset by anti-Serb chants from Croatia and Albania fans in a game between the two. Albania striker Mirlind Daku even received a two-game ban for leading nationalist chants about Serbia and North Macedonia.

A 24-team tournament, back to being played in one nation rather than 2021's continent-wide and coronavirus-hit affair, was bound to increase the chances of politics getting tangled up with football. The next men's World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico is so spread out with 48 teams that similar scenes may not be avoided.

Dutch and Scots add color

But Euro 2024 was not all bad. Germans fell in love with their team again after years of woe, and the famous beer flowed across the country, unlike at the most recent World Cup in Qatar. Putting a big artificial turf carpet down on the tarmac in the main fan zone in front of the Brandenburg Gate was a nice touch, and prices were not exorbitant.

The orange-clad Dutch fans, with their large marches and compact side-to-side dancing, were an obvious highlight. Almost everyone recognized how Scotland supporters added to the party atmosphere with their kilts, bagpipes and humor — even if their stay lasted only for their three group games.

Time may make us look back kindly on a tight-knit Euro 2024, given the oddities of Euro 2021, Euro 2028 being spread across Britain and Ireland and the vastness of the next two World Cups (2030 will be held in six countries across three continents!).

But it will not be remembered as fondly as the 2006 World Cup.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold