The Red Devils start their Euro 2024 this Monday, June 17, against Slovakia. A great moment for supporters who impatiently await this type of event.
Even if in recent months, we have noticed a slight decrease in enthusiasm for the national team: fewer supporters in the stadiums, less expectation of results… Have the fans been less behind their team since the start? of several stars and the end of the golden generation? Do they still believe in a title? Is the enthusiasm really less?
In 2018, the Grand Place in Brussels is packed with people. The reason ? Red Devils fans celebrate the national team’s outstanding results at the World Cup. That year, Belgium came third. The apotheosis of the golden generation, of which Eden Hazard was the hero. But 6 years later, he and other stars of the team left the national team. The new Red Devils must seduce again and the supporters have become demanding.
It’s a general feeling.
In the bar of “Baba”, a supporter, we are preparing for Euro 2024 of the Devils, the first match of which is this Monday, June 17. His group, “Les Diaboulets Liègeois”, is ready to rock. But in recent months, there has been a slowdown. “It would take one or two very big victories to restore hope and boost the morale of the troops.“, explains Baba.
The group is also organizing a series of trips for all Belgium matches. Filling the coaches proved difficult. “It’s a general feeling. The craze is no longer there. But the closer the matches get, the more the tension rises.“, explains another supporter. “There are no longer the same stars. But I think we have very good players. I think we are going to have a very good Euro“, hopes this same supporter.
This edition of the competition is taking place close to home, in Germany. The proximity will make it easy to get there, although ambitions have been reduced. “The golden generation didn’t give us what we wanted, which was a title. Maybe this generation will surprise us, as was the case in the past“.
A clearly visible loss of enthusiasm
Those who do not go to Germany will perhaps watch the competition on the various giant screens in Belgium. For example, on Place Dumon in Brussels. “We have a little over 5,000 square meters“, explains Olivier Dassy, organizer. Due to the health crisis and the World Cup in winter last year, the last giant screen dates from 2018, at the time of the Devils’ peak. This year, the organizers have hesitated before deciding.The loss of enthusiasm, the new team… We hesitated for a long time. We still did it because we believe in it“.
In recent months, supporters have been coming to the stadium less. Qualifying for Euro 2016 attracted an average of 41,330 supporters. The stadium was full for every match. For Euro 2024, the average dropped to 32,160 fans. “This is very noticeable in the King Baudouin stadium. We see aisles and stands completely empty“, indicates Thierry Forton, Devils supporter.
We have set the bar very high.
The new team, but also the cost of living and the Devils’ opponents partly explain this observation. The supporters have also become accustomed to victory. “We set the bar very high, we are used to getting through the first few rounds. As a spoiled child of European football, it is normal for us to reach the semi-finals“, explains Jean-Michel De Waele, sociologist of sport.
Despite the change of team, Renaud remains a fierce supporter of the Red Devils. He participates in all trips and is part of a committee which represents supporters within the Federation. He notices more important work to be done today. “We must rebuild and re-seduce. Every two years, there is a new team and therefore new faces to discover“.
The Union redoubles its efforts
The Federation has therefore increased its actions in recent months: training with the public, almost private meetings with the players. Operations which aim in particular… To fill the stadium. “It was after the 2018 World Cup that more effort had to be made to attract fans to the stadium who were accustomed to success. We also play with smaller teams and the stadium has not changed. For me, these are the main reasons for this decline in enthusiasm.“, explains Manu Leroy, marketing director of the Belgian Union.
10,000 tickets were on sale for the Belgians for the three group matches at the Euro in Germany. They all found buyers, despite this fading enthusiasm. Proof that the passion for the Devils is not about to die out.
Red Devils Euro 2024 football
