The Euro 2024 tournament has been deemed successful for various reasons, particularly after matches between significant teams with strong ambitions. However, there is another phenomenon occurring within the first 12 days of the tournament: fans throwing plastic beer cups into the stands or at other fans.
During the match between Croatia and Italy on Monday, cups rained down from the stands when Italian players attempted to take corner kicks, falling from the upper levels of the "Red Bull Arena" down to the lower tiers during goal celebrations. Social media clips from the match showed Italian fans in the lower stands expressing their anger toward Croatian fans in the upper stands after being pelted with beer cups, while journalists also found themselves targeted.
BBC commentators for the match, Jonathan Pearce and former England player Danny Murphy, vividly described what was happening around them during their live coverage. Danny Murphy remarked, "We got very wet," while Jonathan Pearce added, "We've gotten very wet here." Pearce later stated, "This cannot continue; cups are being thrown from the stands, players are suffering from plastic cups being hurled onto the field, and this is happening more and more." He continued, "I spoke with some Germans yesterday, and they said they wouldn't allow this to continue; they will prevent people from drinking."
Some players were not angered by this, particularly Frenchman Antoine Griezmann, who shared a smile with Dutch fans throwing cups near him at the corner flag, while other players removed the cups from the field in a less jolly manner.
UEFA stated in a press release to CNN that its disciplinary body "will await reports" from the match between Italy and Croatia "before considering any action." Regarding the handling of beer cup throwing in future matches, UEFA had no updates. According to The Athletic, fans are required to pay a deposit of 3 euros (3.22 USD) for the cup, along with an additional 6 euros (6.44 USD) at a minimum for the beer itself. Drinking alcohol in the stands is not widely accepted in global football; in Britain, it is strictly prohibited, with consumption only allowed in lounges.
