Article by Geoff Nudelman
Growing up with American soccer over the last decade, you couldn’t go five seconds without making comparisons to the European game. Whether it was the pitch, the quality of play or even the TV broadcast, we were always looking at how those across the pond did it and whether it was better or worse than how we did it stateside.
As I made plans late last year to attend this summer’s European Championship in France, the trip transformed from a check off the bucket list into an opportunity to truly immerse and enjoy the world’s game in a new environment.
Picking an itinerary wasn’t easy. On a twentysomething budget and with 20+ group stage matches, the planning process became more like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book with something different at every turn. I eventually decided on three matches: England vs. Russia in Marseille, Belgium vs. Italy in Lyon and Italy vs. Sweden in Toulouse.
I started my trip in Paris three days before the tournament started and enjoyed the buildup around the city. Seeing a huge orange soccer ball dangling from the middle of the Eiffel Tower really signaled the aura of France’s biggest fan zone (along with fencing for what seemed like kilometers around the entire neighborhood). I imagined this is what Super Bowl week feels like.
With the ongoing strikes, every completed train ride felt like a success, so arriving in Marseille on time was a welcome relief. Between the massive British contingent and the vocal minority of Russians overtaking the city, the tension in the air was almost instantaneous after leaving the city’s main train station.
With a 9pm (local time) kickoff, the next day meant a full day of drinking, singing and general discourse leading up to the match. The late kickoff also meant more time for the tension to boil over into the warm Marseillais evening.
Around 4:30 pm, as we shouted “Don’t Take Me Home” for the umpteenth time, throngs of fans starting throwing whatever they could find down an alley way steps from several bars at the Old Port. This was the first time in person I had seen sport boil over into fruitless hooliganism.
As the swarm grew, my group looked for an escape option, but Marseille’s windy streets uphill from the Vieux Port didn’t offer much respite. We managed to find a tiny bar to lay low until things quieted down.
As I approached the Stade Velodrome, it became clear that security was as tight as a Presidential visit. There were only two main entrances and after a couple of loud “bangs” 90 minutes before kickoff, one walkway was now shrouded in tear gas thanks to clashes on the stadium’s north side.
Moving forward two days to Lyon, where Belgium and Italy were scheduled to battle in one of the tournament’s marquee matchups. Demonstrations once again highlighted match day as Belgian fans took over the bars near Place Bellecour lighting flares and being loud, but generally peaceful supporters. The match was a much quieter experience, although Italy’s master-class display against a strong Belgian side left cries of “O Vittoria” late into the night.
In Toulouse, It felt like 60% of Sweden had traveled to the southern city for their vital match against Italy. And when the Swedes come into town, it becomes an instant party. Every single Swede I met was joyful and plainly excited to be part of such an international event. Although their team didn’t pull through, their famous yellow and blue flag was proudly waved well into the night.
Coupled with the current political climate in Europe, the Euros offered an environment for ardent soccer fans to feel even more nationalistic. The clashes and demonstrations I witnessed in Marseille and Lyon offered a glimpse into a fractured continent loosely bound together by sport.
In American soccer, the closest thing that resonated would have been a Portland/Seattle derby back in the USL days, but even now, things have quieted down substantially from more boisterous times.
It’s my hope that we continue to compare American soccer to the European game and learn from the sincere passion and accord their fans hold. Let’s continue healthy competition, but not to the level of riot police, tear gas and massive security barricades. There’s plenty of respect for the American game overseas and it’s our job as fans to continually urge growth in MLS and better USMNT development overall.
It was a privilege to enjoy Euro 2016 in France and it only whetted the appetite for what could be an even more fractured tournament in two years in Russia.
