The local food proprietors who wish to serve fans within these walls are therefore forced to oblige with UEFAs preferred choice of beverages. These overbearing corporate restrictions can make for interesting dining combinations. Any ethnic restaurant is unable to offer customers a traditional brew to match the fare – rather, a fan can only pair the available food options with the most mass produced Danish lager on the market, Carlsberg. As a beer drinker, it is easy to cringe at the lack of options but the Austrians in particular took this as a collective slap in the face to their country’s rich beer heritage.

All of these restrictions and endless corporate logos covering every possible surface points to the most obvious and commanding denominator: money. UEFA is paid loads of money from top corporate sponsors to offer certain products and display exclusive advertisements within all stadia and official fan zones. “Marketing Zone” would be a more appropriate title, as UEFA pushes it’s own Euro 2008 product and accompanying corporate sponsored trimmings down the throat of any fan who wishes to officially participate in the marketing machine this tournament has become.

The all-encompassing corporate branding and marketing surely does not appear out of the ordinary to anyone living in today’s modern society. But the shadow of Big Football Business causes one to question the authenticity of a sport that is known the world over as “The Beautiful Game”. At what point can the devoted, or even casual, observer turn off the undeniable corporate presence and focus on the essence of the artistry displayed on the pitch? Or has the corporate influence already so completely dominated this sporting landscape that a willfully ignorant consumer mindstate is needed to partake in any type of modern professional football activity?

Based on the graffiti and the occasional anti-ÚEFA sentiment prevalent in every host city I visited (all 4 Swiss cities, plus Vienna), some locals undoubtedly did not appreciate this Big Football Business machine steamrolling in to their city. Sure, these cities and their residents have the opportunity to witness first hand the amazing cultural and sporting experience that comes along with being a host city. But the responsibility also allows their city squares and parks to be taken over as corporate sponsored marketing zones, not to mention trash covering every street in and around these zones, drunken football fans doing what drunken football fans do, and a chance to foot the bill of the added police and municipal presence needed to control and clean up after such a mass comes through town.

It was refreshing to see that amidst this mania fueled by UEFA imposed beer restrictions, a certain Austrian beer company seized the opportunity to play a clever counter-marketing move of their own. Ottakringer, which was founded in 1837 and is the last large brewery remaining in Vienna, changed the design of their popular Helles beer and labeled itself as the “Unofficial Fan Beer”. This positioning can be seen in their current advertisements and Ottakringer even went as far as making scarves donning the particular slogan, “Inoffizielles Fanbier”.

A Viennese man passionately insisted that his friend was not allowed in to the official fan zone because he was sporting the aforementioned Ottakringer scarf. Whether the story can be validated or exists simply as an anti-UEFA urban myth, one thing is for certain: with the hyper strict marketing machine driving the Big Business Football world we live in, this type of scenario is unfortunately not outside the realm of mere imagination.

Cologne:

Hamburg:

Bavaria:

Munich:

Kiel:

Koln:

And in Berlin:

Photo credits: fanfotbal, tobi, artour_a, ichinho, arne.list, snooker68, kamikazey on Flickr.

My ticket placed me 30 rows deep behind the goal in the heart of the Turkish supporters section. Even during the warm-up the fans set the tone for what was to be a loud and vibrantly supported match. The acoustics of the Stade de Geneve were perfect for this one-upsmanship displayed early on by the fans, a sub plot which continued for the whole of the match.

The Czechs may have won the decibel contest and had a better showing in terms of number of fans, which saw half the stadium bouncing during a particular chant; but it was the Turks that were more diligent and varied when it came to their chants and songs. That is, of course, until the 61st minute when Turkey went 2-nil down. The Turkey supporters were temporarily deflated and the Czechs sensed their advancement to the knock-out rounds. The sounds from the crowd for the next 15 minutes were decidedly pro-Czech Republic but the Turkish side showed no signs of quitting and their fans responded likewise.

Perhaps it is the inherent, but unspoken, selfishness of an Ultra that causes us to believe we can sing and chant our loudest with the wholehearted belief that we will help will the ball into the back of the net. Regardless, the comeback that followed was a perfect case where players put forth unending effort and intensity to survive and the fans responded accordingly. Turkey responded with a goal and in the true reciprocal nature of that unique relationship, the fans obliged and upped the intensify to an even greater level.

What followed on the pitch will surely be remembered as some of the most exciting and scintillating football played in the entire tournament. Or, without a doubt, the most devastating showing the Czech Republic will see for sometime. With his Champions League defeat fresh in recent memory, a neutral could only feel for Peter Cech as he bobbled the ball and allowed Turkish captain Arda Turan to score the equalizing goal in the minute. But you cant fault Cech for the fabulous winning strike by Turan in the 89th minute, which brilliantly played out in a manner plucked straight out of scenes imagined by children on the streets and playgrounds across the whole of Turkey. As the ball hit the crossbar near the upper right corner and bounced straight down, the capacity crowd collectively froze until the ball rebounded into the top of the net.

The Turkish players and supporters broke in to an understandably euphoric celebration, while the Czech side of the stadium looked on in absolute disbelief. Turkey held on to advance and their and the party continued as the players walked to the Turkish end to acknowledge the maximum effort put forth in their respective role. The walk back to the train station was not a quiet one. The streets displayed the classic celebratory scenes – Turks in thier cars, flags out the windows, and the horn blaring without pause. The fans on the sidewalk showed their pleasure in response, while the Czech fans held their heads low in what can only be described as complete and utter dejection at what they just witnessed.

This was certainly one of the most entertaining and exciting sporting experiences that I have ever witnessed. Much thanks to Gary from Liverpool who sold me the ticket before the match and repeatedly assured me, in his Scouser tone, that I would be witness to a “great match with a cracking atmosphere.” That billing certainly did not disappoint.

A large number of Swiss fans in Bern – dismayed by their countries exit from the tournament – were easily won over by the orange contingent that infected their city. Perhaps this came from being reluctant to support neighboring France or Italy as their adopted team in the Group of Death. Or it could have been how the Dutch side plays with an all around attacking style that easily seduces the neutral observer; either way, Bern was overwhelmingly Oranje for the day.

The city center was packed with the pro-Dutch crowd between the viewing parties at Bundeplatz and Waisenhausplatz and every street adjacent preparing for the pre-game march to the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf Bern. Around 5:00 the majority of the Dutch supporters marched 2.5 km to the stadium, regardless of whether they had tickets or not. And if they were looking for tickets, they weren’t going to come cheaply: they were being sold for as much as 1400 Euros with the price dropping to 800 Euros within an hour of kick-off.

Numerous brass bands gathered in an animated fashion around the many fountains in the prelude to the match belting out traditional Dutch tunes and entertaining supporters and on-lookers alike. Many of the paraders returned to the raucous atmosphere of the watch parties, crammed next to thousands of other fans. Others opted for a more subdued but nonetheless exciting impromptu viewing parties set up on sidewalks outside a bar or cafe.

Regardless of where fans watched the match, the Dutch did not disappoint. Picking up where they left off of their dismantling of World Cup holders Italy, the Netherlands showed once again why they must now be considered the tournament favorite. Wesly Sneijder’s brilliant stoppage time goal set the stage for the party to follow.

The viewing parties gave way to DJs on stage spinning dance music, and the rest of Bern followed suit in what transformed into a jubilant celebration for all those wearing orange. The party never seemed to end, with the beer flowing and the brass bands playing in to the early hours of the morning.

The official Euro 2008 fan guide boasts that Bern is home to over 100 fountains, 11 of which are still in their original condition. The condition of those fountains was at least temporarily altered for this night, but there was not much in Bern that could escape the Oranje tide which overtook everything in its path.

Photo credits: Antoon’s Foobar, kaspar.loosli, blogarjoni, epl talk on Flickr

Without much continental European ancestry to draw on (Ukraine is my only real claim, but they didn’t make it, of course), I still haven’t found a team. The Dutch are close to drawing me in based on their football, as they often have in the past, but there’s something about their inevitable implosion that’s putting me off. Same goes for Spain. I get enough of that with England already.

A reader emailed me a potential solution: don’t choose on football criteria, but on ethical criteria, by using the website Who Should I Cheer For, which ranks teams on a variety of criteria, ranging from carbon dioxide emissions to military aid (England would have ranked second last had they qualified, unsurprisingly).

The site is an initiative of the World Development Movement. The top three by this ethical criteria are Sweden, Austria and Croatia, and I’m fully behind ruling out the likes of Italy (14th) or Russia (last) on this criteria.

Not a bad trio for me to pick from. I’m tempted by Croatia, as there’s something slightly redeeming about the team that knocked you out of the competition winning the whole thing; and Modric’s on Spurs now, my second English team. If Austria somehow won it, the atmosphere at the tournament would explode, so I’ve nothing against that.

And the Swedes: I like the kooky combination of the resurrected Henrik Larsson and the genius of Ibrahimovic. And, well, then there’s this:

So from whichever way you look it, be it ethical leanings, interesting football or base objectification of their female supporters, Sweden wins! (I hope you enjoyed the deterioration of the criteria used to make the decision)

And how about you: if you don’t have a native team at Euro 2008, who are you supporting, and how did you choose?

Credits: alin farcas on Flickr. And thanks to Murray for the tip-off to Who Should I Cheer For.

I’m not sure these are real Police officers…

Photo credits: chagiajose, Simple Shot, webguruAT on Flickr.

Are you at Euro 2008? Add your photos to the Pitch Invasion photo pool on Flickr.

Photo credits: Remozill, webguruAT on Flickr

Photo credits: webguruAT, machopaul, stadtwanderer/randonneu r_urbain on Flickr.

Are you at Euro 2008? Add your photos to the Pitch Invasion photo pool on Flickr.