The best fans at the 2024 European Championship

The 2024 European Championship in Germany has delivered a month-long feast of thrilling international football matches.

The prestigious tournament has also provided fans from across the continent with the opportunity to demonstrate their passion for their national team.

Much like the action on the pitch, some sets of supporters have done a better job than others – a point perfectly evidenced at the first semi-final between Spain and France.

Spain went into the game as the favourites in the Euro 2024 betting and got the job done after a hard-fought encounter against Les Bleus.

However, the game was marred by incessant booing directed at Spain full-back Marc Cucurella, who had been involved in controversial incident in the previous round.

Germany were convinced they should have had a penalty against Spain after the Chelsea star blocked the ball with his arm in the box, but referee Anthony Taylor waved away their appeals.

Spain went on to win the game in extra-time and Cucurella quickly became public enemy number one with the home nation’s bitter supporters.

German fans in the stadium booed him every time he touched the ball, which created an unsavoury atmosphere throughout the game in Munich.

While their antics undoubtedly painted the Germans as sore losers, fans of other nations have done their bit to create a positive atmosphere at Euro 2024.

Albania, Georgia, Ukraine and Turkey supporters can all lay claim to being among the best fans at the tournament after giving vociferous backing to their respective teams.

While their efforts have been extremely positive, they have been overshadowed by a group of supporters who have truly made their mark in Germany.

The orange-clad Netherlands army are not difficult to spot wherever they go, but they have a taken things up a notch during this tournament. 

A dance tune by Dutch party act Snollebollekes has become the unofficial anthem of the national team and sparked a viral craze on social media platforms.

‘Links Rechts’ (‘Left Right’) is a simple tune which has had thousands of Dutch fans singing and dancing in unison inside and outside the stadiums.

The song has even caught on with the players, who performed it on the pitch after they recovered from a goal down to beat Turkey in the quarter-final.

Snollebollekes’ lead singer Rob Kemps has been in Germany during the tournament, and entertained Dutch fans before their group stage game against France.

He stood on an open-top bus and orchestrated the Dutch fans to jump left and right. The footage of was shared widely on social media.

The song has previously been heard at Formula 1 races, with Dutch motorsports fans giving it a regular airing whenever Max Verstappen wins.

However, it has taken on a deeper meaning this summer, with many Dutch football fans claiming it demonstrates a sense of unity which is not always prevalent in their nation.

Regardless of the motives for adopting the song, it has been the driving force behind establishing the Dutch as the best fans at Euro 2024.