Tournament in Germany: EM 2024 with seats only

Euro 2024 will be without standing room – regardless of the outcome of UEFA’s test for the return of standing room in Europe.

This was confirmed by the German Football Association (DFB), which organizes the tournament together with UEFA, at the request of the sports show. “Since the results will not be available until the summer of 2023, and thus only one year before UEFA EURO 2024, and the resulting measures will be proposed, the period is too short to integrate them into the ticket concept for the tournament.”said the DFB.

At the start of the season, UEFA had Champions Leaguethe Europe league and the Europe conference league the ban on standing room in the European Cup, which had been in force since 1998, was lifted and standing room was allowed again on a test basis in Germany, France and England. The UEFA Executive Committee is to decide whether to continue and expand it at the end of the 2022/23 season.

European Fan Alliance: “This decision is disappointing”

The fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) was disappointed with the decision. “This is a missed opportunity to start a new generation of football tournaments”said Ronan Evain from FSE in conversation with the sports show. “Of course the timing is challenging. But it’s disappointing that no other solution was found. Especially because Germany has the most experience with standing room.”

In Germany, countless games from the Bundesliga to the lower leagues have been played without problems for decades, without the standing room posing a risk. With the exception of Berlin, the EM takes place in stadiums that offer standing room in league operations.

Disasters led to the ban on standing room at international games

In the course of the Heysel disasters in Belgium in 1985 with 39 dead people and Hillsborough In 1989, when 97 people died, politicians considered standing room to be a contributing factor, although the structural conditions of the stadiums, the organization or the failure of the police and security forces were later identified as reasons.

In England, standing room disappeared from stadiums after the so-called “Taylor Report” in the British Parliament. This report by a parliamentarian contained overlooking Hillsborough the main requirement is the complete elimination of all standing areas. UEFA adopted this principle for international matches in 1998.

Standing room culture: Anchored in Germany like no other country

In Germany, too, the general introduction of seats was considered in the 1990s. “When it became apparent that there would only be seats in England and other countries, organizations such as the Alliance of Active Football Fans protested against such measures in Germany.”said Martin Endemann from FSE at the beginning of September of the sports show.

Even in the course of the construction and renovation of many stadiums for the 2006 World Cup, standing room was retained. Almost all stadiums in German professional football currently have standing room. Endemann names the standing room “a meeting place”. “Because you can move differently there. At half-time you can meet friends without having to climb over rows of seats.” Today, as then, standing room is where the mood in the stadium emanates from and is an integral part of German fan culture. Lower prices than for the seats also make it possible for financially weak people to visit the stadium.

In addition to the Munich 2021 games, Germany previously hosted the 2006 World Cup, which was held exclusively with seats. At the 1988 European Championships and the 1974 World Cup, there was still standing room at tournaments in Germany. The last time there was standing room at a major tournament in men’s football was the 1992 European Championship in Sweden.

DFB wanted to offer standing room in March 2020 – then Corona came

In a test against Italy in Nuremberg planned for March 2020, the DFB had planned standing room for the first time in an international match, which was considered the first attempt. Standing room is an integral part of the stadium experience in Germany, said the then DFB President Fritz Keller in the run-up to the scheduled game: “It can’t be any different for the national team, which has supporters from all groups in society.” However, the start of the coronavirus pandemic prevented the game from being played, and there was no further attempt.

International matches are currently generally not included in UEFA’s test for the return of standing areas. The German national team will play in London on September 23 (Wembley) against England and on September 26 in Leipzig against Hungary their last two group games in the Nations League.

Ticket prices for EM 2024 not yet known

It is not yet known what prices UEFA will charge for tickets to the European Championship. At the EURO 2020, which will be held in several European countries in 2021 with only seats, the cheapest tickets in the group stage in Munich cost 50 euros. On the other hand, the most expensive regular tickets (excluding VIP) sold for €945 at the final in London.

*Prices in brackets were for Baku, Budapest and Bucharest only.

In view of the lucrative TV rights at the European Championship tournaments, the income from tickets is not the most important item for UEFA, but it is an important item. UEFA took in 226.2 million euros in 2021 with tickets and VIP packages. That meant at least twelve percent of the total revenue of almost 1.9 billion. Compared to the EM 2016 in France, a decrease, which was also due to the corona restrictions that were partially in force at the time.