Euro football, America’s Cup… hosting major sporting events in Germany and Spain

Besides the Olympic Games, other major competitions are taking place in Europe this summer. In Germany, the Euro football tournament is eagerly awaited, while in Spain, the America’s Cup is not unanimous.

If the passage of the Olympic flame generates real enthusiasm, not all French people support the Olympic Games, only 37% are waiting for the Games.impatiently“, according to Viavoice. How are these types of major events received among our neighbors? The Correspondents’ Club is traveling to two European countries which are hosting major sporting events this summer.

First stopover in Germany. For a month, Europe is preparing to vibrate to the rhythm of the football world. The Euro will take place from June 14 to July 14 and this year, Germany is hosting the competition. The fan zones, in the capital and elsewhere, open their doors on Wednesday June 12 and the tournament is eagerly awaited. We will then go to Spain, which is organizing the America’s Cup in Barcelona from August 22. Except that this sailing race is not unanimous in a city on the verge of tourist saturation. Saturday June 8, thousands of Catalans demonstrated in Barcelona against overtourism, denouncing gentrification.

Germany: the Euro, 18 years after a memorable World Cup

130,000 football fans are expected in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in a fan zone the size of ten football fields. And 50,000 others are expected in Hamburg in a parking lot in the city center where five giant screens have been installed, the largest of which is 100 square meters. And shows which promise to be grandiose with concerts and fireworks, in Frankfurt or Munich which will host the first of 51 matches of this Euro, Germany-Scotland, on Friday. The stadiums will be full, 2.7 million spectators are expected. The country is ready for its Euro football, 18 years after organizing the World Cup.

A 2006 World Cup that Germany masterfully organized and that no one has forgotten. Everything was perfect, for a summer: the sun, omnipresent, the German team, attractive again, had regained its offensive efficiency after a series of mediocre performances. Foreign fans are discovering a Germany very different from the one they had imagined, explains Wolfgang Maennig, professor of sports economics at the University of Hamburg. “A certain national pride has emerged. We took out the flags, people had fun and immediately felt good. Suddenly tens of thousands, even millions, of cars were driving with the German flag. The British, in particular, who have a certain image of Germany, said that they had not recognized the country at all, so relaxed, so welcoming… It was very unifying, only football can do that“, he said.

Germany did not win the World Cup that year, the Mannschaft finished third, but this summer break had such an impact on the country that a word was created to designate it: “sommermärchen”, “the summer fairy tale”. The term has become so popular that it is even in the dictionary. Could this German fairy tale happen again this year? As for the weather, it’s still uncertain. On the sporting side, Germany’s recent victories against France, the Netherlands and Greece give hope to supporters after a cascade of defeats in 2023. Some see their team in one of the top four places in the ‘Euro, third or fourth, rather than first in fact. But it is undeniable, since the Sommermärchen of 2006, the international climate became more anxiety-provoking and the beautiful carefreeness of the time disappeared.

Spain: “No to the America’s Cup”

The oldest and most prestigious sailing competition in the world, the America’s Cup, which will take place from August 22 to October 20, is causing some of the inhabitants of Barcelona to complain. For nearly two months, six sailboats will compete in the Mediterranean, this should attract nearly 2.5 million visitors, in addition to a city on the verge of tourist saturation. Last Saturday, thousands of people demonstrated against overtourism, including Miquel and his “No to the America’s Cup” flag. “Unfortunately, this America’s Cup will bring us even more tourists. It will only once again sell the ‘Barcelona’ brand which only gentrifies the city and drives people out of their neighborhoods. The problem is not the sailboats per se, they do not pollute, but it is the city model that this competition conveys. It goes against all the actions we must take against the current eco-social crisis.“, deplores this demonstrator.

The purchasing power of the public attending the America’s Cup is very high. As a result, prices in bars and restaurants will increase further. And the main sponsor of the competition, Louis-Vuitton, had the right to privatize Park Guell for two days to organize a fashion show. An event that exasperated the residents. A demonstration and clashes with the police followed.

But the competition will still bring money to the city. The America’s Cup is expected to leave Barcelona with 1.2 billion euros and create almost 20,000 jobs. And 32 years after the Olympic Games, it is an opportunity for the city to spruce itself up without embarking on disproportionate projects, explains David Pino, port director: “We find the Olympic spirit, but this time in relation to the sea. As we only had two years to prepare, we simply accelerated projects that were already in the pipeline. We have not carried out large, very expensive constructions. We did very reasonable things. It will be an eco-responsible edition. We will not end up with useless buildings, which would quickly become obsolete“. The organizers are aware that this event is not necessarily very popular, so they highlight its sustainability and have promised to make it easier for residents to access the competition.