Manchester United prevailed over Manchester City, 1-0, at the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals at Etihad Stadium. There’s one thing that stood out, however, the fights that ensued between the fans of both clubs.
Both Pep Guardiola and Ole Gunnar Solskjær condemned what happened with the latter calling out the fans that while they want rivalry, it must be kept at a ‘sane level.’
It only goes to show how fans express their passion regardless of the unacceptability of their reactions. The football hooliganism among the fans also teaches us to understand where these people are coming from.
According to an article published in the Washington Post, the fans regard their teams as an extension of the sense of self.
So how are American and European football fans different?
American fans are loud, but European fans are louder
American fans can fill a stadium. Once so, measurements can go up to 100 decibels. That’s how loud American football fans get during a match. They scream, whistle, curse, etc.
There are also moments of silence, and that’s because the American fans regard watching as more critical compared with participating.
European football fans are also loud, especially the Turkish fans, the Carsi more specifically, who currently hold the record for the loudest fans in the world. Their record is 132 decibels. And they did that on a 32,000-capacity stadium, definitely smaller than stadiums in the US.
With this, football stadiums in European are almost always jampacked whether it’d be a regular-season or friendly match. Fans are rarely quiet.
American fans are respectful while European fans are violent
Even with the fiercest rivalries in the NFL such as that of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, the fans are cool with one another. They heckle but zero to minimal violence. They play fair in this aspect.
This cannot be said for the European fans, especially the torcidas or the equivalent of die-hard fans. Hooligans even cause people’s lives.
How European fans react after a loss is also synonymous to a disaster, and the damages are often extensive. Riot police officers are always on stand by.
American fans applaud players, European fans commend great plays
Both American and European fans screamed at football players when they did something wrong on the pitch.
However, the European fans when to acknowledge a great display of play. They recognize talent even from the rival team. This is more so when that player used to play for their own team.
For the American fans though, they chanted “VC sucks” when Vince Carter played against Toronto Raptors where he was once a part of. Also, they booed Andrew Luck when he announced his retirement in August 2019.
Speaking of chants, American fans don’t have that unanimous chant to celebrate their favourite players or teams. In Europe, “You’ll never walk alone!” is a chant known to many.
Again, it all boils down to the different ways football fans express themselves. Fascinatingly, it would be a much better place if fans would eliminate violence at the stands. It ruins the match, the teams, the players, and the sport itself.
