credit – Munich Police, retrieved from X.

In the U.S. where soccer takes a backseat to other sports, most stories about football fans in Europe make it across the Atlantic because of their hooliganism.

What’s missed are the heartwarming, sometimes tear-jerking, scenes of European culture and neighborliness playing out during their international country-vs-country tournament, the European Championships.

With a week’s worth of matches already concluded, GNN has created a round-up of videos and stories of fans having fun, obeying the law, and being sweethearts—from Scotland down to Slovenia.

Hosted in Germany this year, the police have already made dozens of arrests for disorderly conduct—but they’ve often swirled at the center of a good-natured party. Check out this officer enjoying a spot of traditional dance with the Albanian fans.

German police dancing with Albanian fans
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The police also have been the first ones to salute fans for creating “a special atmosphere” like in Munich, where nearly 200,000 of Scotland’s supporters descended on the city in advance of the tournament’s opening match—Germany vs Scotland.

A Scottish newspaper, The National, spoke with one German fan who said they tried to create “a very relaxed and happy atmosphere” in Munich. Another said the Scottish fans were “people of honor”.

More on Scotland later… Also from the British Isles, English fans decided to boogie with an old woman they met on the streets in advance of England’s first game against Slovakia. And, can she boogie!

England fans having a dance with a German lady this afternoon.
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Elderly folks would become a theme of fan interactions this year—like these Austrian fans who were conducted by a German senior from her balcony.

 

Austrians were captured on video straining national relations with the French, ahead of their opening game against France, taunting their opposition by snapping baguettes in front of them while jeering. And, quickly hugging afterward.

Austrian fans snapping baguettes in front of French fans
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Displaying their disrespect for Italian cooking with equal cheek, Albanians decided to taunt the Italian fans in a similar way—by demonstrating exactly how they cook spaghetti.

From funny to emotional, the Washington Post shared a video from a fan zone in Berlin that captured the beautiful sunset singing of Spanish, Croatian, and German fans standing shoulder to shoulder.

Spanish, Croatian and German fans singing together outside of the Olympiastadion in Berlin
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Featured at the European Championships for the first time in the nation’s history, Georgia lost their opening match 3-1 against Turkey. But when the Georgians tied it up when down 1-0 in the first half, one journalist couldn’t hold back the tears.

Now, back to Scotland: The world’s oldest formalized international team arrived in stunning fashion, with visiting fans saying the Berlin Airport might as well have been Glasgow.

Whatever atmosphere they created ahead of their match against Germany, it paled in comparison to their Scottish invasion of Cologne where they took on the Swiss. They descended in a giant parade of the ‘Tartan Army’ led by dozens of bagpipes, walking shoulder to shoulder with the police towards the cathedral and stadium (where the nations played to a draw, 1-1).

 

The fun and the kindness have been ongoing—from one young local who decided to empty his fridge of beers and drop them to thirsty Scots from his balcony, to an old man with a walker kept dry when Scottish umbrellas came to the rescue.

Scotland fans sheltering this old man from the rain as he walks through the street.
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