After Euro 2020’s delay, as well as the tournament being spread over 11 host countries and played under Covid restrictions, this year’s tournament has seen a return to a single host country and full stadiums. Forget the football, the real action in Germany – the displays of passion, loyalty, humour and, yes, despair – truly belongs to the supporters from 24 nations who are making this tournament a worthy celebration of the game.
Euros fever hits Dortmund and Munich: a huge Adidas advert of Florian Wirtz (above), another advert featuring Germany’s captain, Ilkay Gündogan, and shoppers shelter from the rain next to German-flag coloured balloons (below left and right). Locals walk past Euros branding on a hoarding and a shop window display showing footballs next to knives and razors (bottom left and right).
The opening game of the tournament saw the hosts take on Scotland, who were appearing in their second consecutive, and fourth overall, European Championship tournament.
German fans outside (above) and inside (below) the Munich Football Arena before kick-off.
Scotland fans inside the Munich Football Arena cheer their team before kick-off.
The goalscorer Niclas Füllkrug celebrates Germany’s 5-1 victory with his daughter (above), and fans walk away from the Munich Football Arena, which is illuminated in the colours of the teams.
There were fears that Turkey’s opening game against Georgia would be called off due to an epic biblical storm with water cascading off the stadium’s roof in Dortmund.
Torrential rain as two leaks in the roof pours water on to seats (above left), police run for cover (above right) and fans wring out their shirts underneath the stands after they got caught in the thunderstorm at Dortmund (below).
Turkish fans welcome their team bus into the ground (above) and Georgia fans cheer their team during the game.
Turkey fans light a flare after Kerem Akturkoglu scored the final goal during injury time of their 3-1 victory (below), which the Turkish fans celebrated with gusto in Dortmund city centre.
More dancing in Dortmund, this time outside the BVB Stadion before Albania’s game against Italy.
Albania fans, many wearing the traditional Albanian hat called a Qeleshe, wait to gain entrance into the stadium many hours before kick-off, fans look happy to get inside the ground (top), fans look for their seats, and an Albania fan with balloons takes in the view from the top of the famous Yellow Wall end of the ground (above).
Albania fans get in the mood before kick-off, an Italian fan has a food based banner, which has been a theme for banner banter during the tournament.
The sharp haircut and tattoos of the Italy defender Federico Dimarco (above), the Azzurri’s captain and keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma celebrates with their fans after the defending champions’ 2-1 win over Albania.
England, Euro 2020’s beaten finalists, faced Serbia in their opening match, and following the completed dissolution of Yugoslavia in 2006, this is the Eagles’ first appearance at a European Championship.
An England fan wearing chain mail walks into the ground (top) and fans from both countries relax outside the ground (above).
England captain Harry Kane takes off his anthem jacket as excited mascots run off just before kick-off, the ripped socks of England’s Jude Bellingham, who scored England’s only goal of the goal (above), the England bench don’t look too engrossed in the game during a nervy second half hanging on to a one goal lead.
Volunteers who perform the flag ceremony before kick-off wait to run on to the pitch.
The England players gather for their team photo before kick-off (above), conditions were not idea for the players as the pitch cut up pretty badly during the match, and the roof was left closed in sticky 25C heat which made for a humid atmosphere inside the Frankfurt Stadium.
The Denmark fans were the happier set at the final whistle as England surrendered the lead and ended up being lucky to scrape a draw.
Belgium fans walking the long green carpet that has been laid out in the city to guide fans to the fan zone, public viewing areas and stadium in Dortmund (above), differing emotions for the fans in the Dortmund city centre fan zone – joy for the Romania fans and despair for the Ukraine fans during Romania’s 3-0 victory.
It has been 26 years since Scotland have appeared in a tournament on the European mainland, which means the Tartan Army are out in force and making the most of their time over in Germany, with the refrain “No Scotland, no party” becoming their catchphrase.
Scotland fans enjoying themselves at Munich’s Marienplatz and bars in the surrounding streets (above), cheers as a delayed train turns up at Cologne main station to take the Tartan Army to the outskirts for their game against Switzerland. The famed German efficiency hasn’t been evident on the train system during the opening stages of the tournament.
Further cheers when the train arrives at the technology park on the outskirts of Cologne when a policeman chants “No Scotland, no party” (above), and fans have a rest outside Cologne Stadium.
The Swiss contingent inside the stadium feature some natty, and some not so natty, dressers and some banner banter (above), a corner of the stadium that houses the Swiss fans also features an art installation, see if you can spot it (bottom) and the setting sun illuminates the Scottish fans (above), for whom the party is now over.
