The EURO for everyone

Is a European Championship just a big event for football fans? Or is there more to it than that - and if so, then what?

Last week I had the opportunity to answer these questions at the DFB's Parliamentary Evening in Berlin and to give an insight into our preparations for EURO 2024. Together with Celia Šašić, I was able to present the most important ideas we have developed so far. 

I hope that the parliamentarians listened carefully. Because our plans are not only important for football fans, they are also important for the entire population of our country. A EURO is much more than good entertainment for the fans. We want to use this major event to initiate developments that go far beyond a football tournament.

A crucial underlying theme emerged during the first meetings with the DFB: We want the EUROs to be for everyone.

Because football is not just football. Football is social cement. Football builds bridges across social borders, age, origin and gender. With EURO 2024 we have the opportunity to give our society a new "sense of togetherness". 

If we do everything right.

For this reason, we have asked ourselves the following question in this first stage of  preparations: How do we take society in all its facets with us?

Of course there is not just one, but many answers to this question. In order to obtain these answers, we have given the current phase the motto "Listening". We want to approach the people of this country, thus creating a collection of qualified and representative suggestions and requirements.

DFB President Fritz Keller has already made a first, important suggestion. There will be cheap tickets for the preparatory matches of the German national team, which will also enable people with low incomes to visit the stadium. This is a clever and quick reaction to the feedback of many people who found the tickets for these matches too expensive.

We want to go further. We begin with the associations and federations, our natural allies. In the coming months numerous visits to all parts of Germany are on the agenda. We will listen to what the many officials, volunteers and representatives expect from the EUROs - and where they still have problems.

This is only the beginning. We will also go to the margins of society, to people for whom life may not be so good. Why? Because we are connected to them through our love of football. We want to pursue the inclusive power of football - and make it visible.

At the same time we are organising talks and workshops with experts from science, culture and society. Together with them we want to develop projects that are valuable for our society - even beyond the EURO. It is very important to me to use the power of football to strengthen the common good in Germany.

In our discussions, a sentence fell which I noted down because it says so much: 'Football strengthens civil society and is a motor for the common good.' 

This is the essential idea that we have developed in the workshops to date. What does this sentence mean in concrete terms? It means that we want to use the appeal of football to identify, highlight and improve social deficits - with the help of partners who support our analysis. We are thinking about creating a platform for the common good that will allow us to implement projects that will last beyond the EUROs.

We have already set up a science-based participation process for this purpose. These answers will result in a puzzle of different expectations and needs. This will give us a good foundation on which to make our future decisions. I would be pleased if you would also post your opinions, and any suggestions in the comments to this article.

Why am I writing this article? Because transparency is a matter of principle for me and the entire DFB EURO GmbH. We will regularly give insights into our work and try to the best of our knowledge and belief to heed suggestions from the outside. Transparency is just as important for our work as sustainability and environmental awareness. I will present the corresponding plans for discussion as soon as they have been worked out.

We have a lot to do. We would be delighted if you would support us.