brazil argentina england italy... but france definitly has the worst supporters in 1998 you could hear a flie in the stadiums, shame on us
Can't agree with you there. The majority who support the Irish team are what we call "fair weather fans". None of them had any interest in football other than Manchester United, Celtic and Liverpool until Jack Charlton came along. Now they only turn out for the Irish national team but virtually none of them support an Irish club at home. They prefer to watch British teams on TV than go to a stadium and cheer for their local team. Home international matches these days are deadzones for atmosphere. The average Irish football fan spends so much time watching TV they no longer have the ability to sing or show colour. They just sit there like zombies waiting for someone else to do something. It got so bad that supporters of clubs in the eircom League were drafted in to start songs and bring TIFO flags to Lansdowne Road. Many of the fans of league clubs had given up watching Ireland at home because the stadium is full of bastards in Celtic/Man U jerseys practising to be Trappist monks. Now the North Terrace is for real fans such as those from Bohemians, Shamrock Rovers, St Pat's, Cork City etc. There is a higher proportion of league fans who travel to away matches (plus Irish exiles from the UK who know how to sing at matches) which is why they always create a good atmosphere. The Irish don't start trouble at internationals as it is considered too English, yet most of them are falling over themselves to watch English clubs on TV while ignoring Irish teams who really do need their support.
Philo i was just referring to national team obviously Its a bit strange to me why a nation like Ireland can´t have some proper football teams and league like Scotland for example( just mentioning an similar nation in all aspects). Its sad to me to see a great nation that fought for its independence and its values to be completly assimilated footbally speaking by its powerfull neighbour.
if we talk about the "fans" of the national team, I'm agree that the people in the stade de France are the worst without a doubt, it's not true when the team play in other towns than Paris... the best must be irish or scotland...
At the risk of being politically incorrect I would have to say England (when they behave). To look into the stands during the match vs Denmark in the last World Cup was like looking at the stands if the match was back in England. To take that many supporters half way round the world was incredible. Also they generate a fantastic atmosphere. Despite what people say the passion for the game is still strongest in its motherland (I'm not talking about China or Italy here either!). Of course when the hooligans are there England has the worst support in the world. Sadly for them I fear that the hooligans will be there again during Euro2004. Also the South Korea and Japan fans were pretty amazing during the last World Cup but then it was a one-off occasion for them.
We had great fun with the Irish when they were here in Basel. They're simply all great people, but as for atmosphere they're probably not the best. France has good supporters when they play in cities like St. Etienne. England, and also Scotland are some the loudest - IF they sing Of course lots of countries from the balkan have very fanatic supporters who sing a lot too. And not to forget about Italy. Basically it's hard to tell, because the support is so different (e.g. Holland fans all having a huge party in orange). But IMO no national team can ever have a support like well-supported clubs have it, simply because it's hard to really develope that atmosphere if there's so few matches.
England? German? I don't think so... Some of them are even notorious though most of them must be nice. Sometimes soccer is just like a war, fans are easily to be irritated.
ummm.... Scottish, nice people, most are good losers, its just a few ignorant ones who try to ruin it... ya nice people, drink and party win or lose.
The English fans are OK when they behave but I wish that ridiculous brass band would piss off and stop going to every match. They annoy the hell out of everybody by playing the same stupid riff over and over again all the way through the match. I don't know where the riff came from but its crap and extremely tedious when you've heard it for the 324786286th time in one game.
I would have to say Spain, It's a party where ever they go. Their always loud and behind the team and you never here of them causing any trouble anywhere they go. Plus if you take into consideration the national team is the international soccer equivalent of the Boston RedSox (great team who always knows how to blow it in heart breaking fashion) its amazing they have anyone behind them. Spain 3 Portugal 1
When I read the title I immediately thought of the Dutch. They're pretty crazy over there. England too, but in a different manner
"supporters" from l'equipe of France never go in the stage of foot L1, L2... it one often + 40 years example: during the world cup 2006 in Germany go "essayer" of rasembler supporters of Marseilles, Paris, Saint-Etienne, Lens, Lyon... without that this finishing in baston. les "supporters" de l'equipe de France vont jamais dans les stade de foot L1,L2... il on souvent + de 40 ans pendant la coupe du monde 2006 en Allemagne vont "essayer" de rasembler les supporters de Marseille,Paris,Saint-Etienne,Lens,Lyon... sans que ça ce finisse en baston.
Would the Parc des Princes (sp?) not a have a great atmosphere? I'm quite sure that it has a reputation for being a scary place to play in if you are on the opposing tream in rugby (but in a good, sporting way).
Italy has the worst road support of any major team in the world as far as I can tell. I always see a sea of support for Holland, England, Germany, Scotland, Brazil, etc, but the Italian supporter section is sadly always woefully small and not in any cohesion whatsoever. I say this as an Italian-American, so it's not a slight against the Azzurri. I have been to the last 4 World Cups and, other than 1990 which was held in Italy, the travelling support has been minimal. There is never a large, dedicated group of road support for Italy.
I agree, the Stade de France crowds are feeble, but once they play outside of Saint-Denis it improves. Championnat crowds in Lens, Paris, Marseille, Saint-Etienne, Lyon, etc are a different story.
thats because the prices that tour agencies suggest for going to the matches are beyond insane. 2 thousand euro for one match and one night in a hotel!
Greece made a good bid for this title last night. The home field advantage should have been with the Portuguese but the Greeks made so much noise it was almost as if they were the home team at certain points in the match.
About the Italian NT support: Lots of fans don't go to NT games because the rivalry between the clubs is so big that e.g. an Atalanta fan doesn't want to stand in the same fancurve with a Brescia fan, let alone sing together with him. It's something that's probably hard to understand if you're not involved in these rivalries yourself (and every Italian club down to Serie C has at least one hated rival). Basically the Italian Ultras don't go to NT matches outside their city. Of course there's still the "normal" fans, but those are not in the same numbers as e.g. the Dutch or the English (for whatever reason..). btw. the same happens in Poland, but in a worse way: there it's the homeclub where the NT plays that "decides" who may go to the match and who not, or what flags may be hung up. It's hard to believe what power the fans of the big clubs (Legia, Lech, Wisla, Katowice etc) have over there..