Michael Meaney
It is widely believed that sports bring people together. From my experience in France during the 2016 Euro Cup that is not always the case.
Prior to our departure I decided to research what would be going on in France during our stay and found out that the Euro Cup was going to be taking place throughout our entire time in France. I learned that it was to take place in 9 different French cities (two of which we were scheduled to be staying in – Marseille and Paris). Then I proceeded to ask some fellow co-workers about the Euro Cup, mainly due to my ignorance of European soccer (or soccer in general). They assured me it was a big deal and that “I have to go.” For our purposes, the only thing I really cared about was how this would affect our trip. And so far, it has dramatically.
Upon our arrival in Marseille last Tuesday, we didn’t really notice anything unusual. Then as each day crept closer to the opening kickoff between France and Romania on Friday, more and more people were visible on the streets of Marseille repping their countries’ football jerseys, flags, hair color, and face paint. By Thursday it was normal to see a group of young men chanting their country’s anthem with a pint of beer in their hand as passers-by stopped to snap a quick photo. The energy continued to increase day after day, match after match. Now, it would be unusual to walk a block in any direction and not see someone wearing a football jersey or a flag draped around the shoulders of a young man eagerly awaiting the next match of the day.
We got to our apartment in Paris around 2 p.m. on Saturday and decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower. We heard that there was a watch party but were unsure as to what exactly that meant. As we neared the ‘fan zone’ (two blocks from the Eiffel Tower), we were greeted by the French military who searched our bags and patted us down. This happened twice more before we were actually allowed in to watch some soccer. We all agreed that the security was extreme but that it made us feel safe. Prior to our leaving we were warned to stay away from crowded areas. However, I felt safer within that parameter than anywhere else we had travelled. The crowd was not nearly as boisterous as I expected, and we all enjoyed the atmosphere as we watched Wales play Slovakia on huge LD TVs with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Although this electric atmosphere has added to our experience in France this past week, it hasn’t come without a few mishaps. On Thursday of last week, the area in which we were staying (Vieux Port) was invaded by rambunctious, inebriated, shirtless Englishmen who had two days to kill before their team actually played. As a pastime, they decided to do, well, what most college-aged young men would do: party. All was good until bottles began flying at police in riot gear attempting to calm the situation. This event led to teargas being deployed Thursday night, Friday night, and yet again on Saturday night. England’s match against Russia took place Saturday night and ended in a 1-1 tie thanks to a goal in the 92nd minute. Soon after the match ended, Russian fans rushed the English fans creating a brawl that would leave 35 injured. Apparently, the Europeans don’t embrace the aforementioned ideal of sports bringing people together.
Now, as we approach our last three days in France, we’ve grown accustomed to the random chants while walking the streets or as groups of men walk past our apartment building. Needless to say, this experience has been both precarious and intriguing all at the same time. Although this tournament brought people together from all over Europe, there are two things that are certain: some friendly (and not so friendly) banter and a single winner.
It is widely believed that sports bring people together. From my experience in France during the 2016 Euro Cup that is not always the case.
Prior to our departure I decided to research what would be going on in France during our stay and found out that the Euro Cup was going to be taking place throughout our entire time in France. I learned that it was to take place in 9 different French cities (two of which we were scheduled to be staying in – Marseille and Paris). Then I proceeded to ask some fellow co-workers about the Euro Cup, mainly due to my ignorance of European soccer (or soccer in general). They assured me it was a big deal and that “I have to go.” For our purposes, the only thing I really cared about was how this would affect our trip. And so far, it has dramatically.
Upon our arrival in Marseille last Tuesday, we didn’t really notice anything unusual. Then as each day crept closer to the opening kickoff between France and Romania on Friday, more and more people were visible on the streets of Marseille repping their countries’ football jerseys, flags, hair color, and face paint. By Thursday it was normal to see a group of young men chanting their country’s anthem with a pint of beer in their hand as passers-by stopped to snap a quick photo. The energy continued to increase day after day, match after match. Now, it would be unusual to walk a block in any direction and not see someone wearing a football jersey or a flag draped around the shoulders of a young man eagerly awaiting the next match of the day.
We got to our apartment in Paris around 2 p.m. on Saturday and decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower. We heard that there was a watch party but were unsure as to what exactly that meant. As we neared the ‘fan zone’ (two blocks from the Eiffel Tower), we were greeted by the French military who searched our bags and patted us down. This happened twice more before we were actually allowed in to watch some soccer. We all agreed that the security was extreme but that it made us feel safe. Prior to our leaving we were warned to stay away from crowded areas. However, I felt safer within that parameter than anywhere else we had travelled. The crowd was not nearly as boisterous as I expected, and we all enjoyed the atmosphere as we watched Wales play Slovakia on huge LD TVs with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Although this electric atmosphere has added to our experience in France this past week, it hasn’t come without a few mishaps. On Thursday of last week, the area in which we were staying (Vieux Port) was invaded by rambunctious, inebriated, shirtless Englishmen who had two days to kill before their team actually played. As a pastime, they decided to do, well, what most college-aged young men would do: party. All was good until bottles began flying at police in riot gear attempting to calm the situation. This event led to teargas being deployed Thursday night, Friday night, and yet again on Saturday night. England’s match against Russia took place Saturday night and ended in a 1-1 tie thanks to a goal in the 92nd minute. Soon after the match ended, Russian fans rushed the English fans creating a brawl that would leave 35 injured. Apparently, the Europeans don’t embrace the aforementioned ideal of sports bringing people together.
Now, as we approach our last three days in France, we’ve grown accustomed to the random chants while walking the streets or as groups of men walk past our apartment building. Needless to say, this experience has been both precarious and intriguing all at the same time. Although this tournament brought people together from all over Europe, there are two things that are certain: some friendly (and not so friendly) banter and a single winner.