Fulfilling dreams and finding new friends: fans camp out at Euro 2024

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By Christian Radnedge

STUTTGART, Germany : International rivalries have been put to one side in a campsite in Stuttgart as fans from various nations live in motorhomes next to one another and share the common joy of following their team at Euro 2024.

While the action intensifies on the pitch, the fans are making new friends, sharing drinks and creating a festival atmosphere in a unique holiday that could end next week or next month.

"In 1990 I was with some friends in Italy at the World Cup there and it was so funny and I said at that time, okay, I will do it again," Harald Goerz, a Germany fan from Aachen told Reuters outside his rented motor home.

"In that time I met my wife, we have been married for 32 years. And last year we had the idea to start this travelling with the German team around Germany to all their games.

"That was ever my dream, I said to her if any time a new European Championship or World Cup is in Germany, then we will do that."

Harald's wife Martina, sitting beside him in her Germany jersey, said they would make a photo album of their journey across the country that has taken in Munich and Stuttgart so far and then on to Frankfurt next to show their family.

"We want to have a photo album... for our grandchildren to show them: Look. When I tell our daughter about it, she watches it herself, she lives in Cologne, and she will say: 'That's amazing, it's a shame I couldn't come with you'. She is crazy about football too."

Germany have two wins from their opening two matches, the second a 2-0 victory over Hungary at the Stuttgart Arena, which is a five minute walk from the campsite.

However, there was no animosity from Hungarian fans who were also camping out.

"It's amazing.