William Cook has narrated this article for you to listen to.
In downtown Düsseldorf, a district known as ‘the longest bar in the world’, hordes of happy England fans belted out ‘God Save the King’. The Three Lions beat Serbia in nearby Gelsenkirchen and supporters were still celebrating in the days after. Last time Germany hosted the Uefa European Football Championship (aka the Euros) in 1988, hundreds of England fans rioted in Düsseldorf, but I’ve seen no sign of trouble. The English are outnumbered by French and Austrians. Everyone is getting on well. Times have changed. German bartenders used to be wary of England fans. Now, thankful for their first big windfall since Covid, they welcome them.
There was admittedly a little controversy over the weekend, whipped up by social media.
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