Germany begs English to show 'spirit of friendship' after fans chant 'offensive' WW2 song
Exclusive - The German ambassador to the UK has pleaded with England fans to channel "the spirit of friendship" during Euro 2024 after video footage went viral of supporters chanting a controversial song about World War 2.
Miguel Berger told the Daily Express that while his country is "excited" to welcome the passionate travelling fans, he did have a word of warning for anyone looking to cause trouble.
It came after video footage showed England supporters singing a song, banned by the FA, about the RAF "shooting down" German bombers during the war.
The incident occurred during England's 3:0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina during a friendly game at St James' Park, in Newcastle, on Monday night.
Mr Berger said: “We are excited to be welcoming fans from England and from all over the world to Euro 2024. For us, the European Championship is a ‘home match for Europe’.
"We want it to be a huge celebration of football, and we hope the fans who attend will enjoy the matches in a spirit of friendship.”
England fans have already been warned several times by the FA that they face bans should they be identified singing the song.
And both the UK police and Foreign Office have been briefed that culprits at Euro 2024 face huge fines, The Sun reports.
They add that anyone caught singing such songs will be marched straight to the nearest ATM and ordered to pay up to a month's salary.
The crackdown aims to deter bad behaviour from the 300,000 England fans expected to descend onto this summer's tournament.
A police source said: “The Germans have made it clear they will step in to stop threatening or anti-social behaviour. This includes offensive songs about World War 2.”
Authorities say war-related songs could cause tensions in cities such as Frankfurt and Cologne, which were hit by the RAF and where England will play.
Michael Johnson, of the UK Football Policing Unit, said the police will be mingling with fans to warn them before the German authorities would step in.
He said: “Our officers can say, ‘Come on guys – you’re in Germany singing the Ten German Bombers song and it’s really not a good idea’.
“If you still do that, you are likely to be arrested – you’ve had your warning.”
England's Euro 2024 campaign will begin on June 16 against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen.
