It’s raining plastic beer cups at Euro 2024 – on players, fans and TV commentators

Euro 2024 has been considered a success for many different reasons, especially for the goal-heavy entertaining games.

Another phenomenon over the opening 12 days of the European soccer championship, however, has been fans throwing plastic beer cups onto pitches, or onto other fans.

During Monday’s game between Croatia and Italy, cups rained down from the stands as Italian players attempted to take corner kicks and from the upper tiers of the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig onto the stands below during goal celebrations.

Some players have responded with levity – notably France’s Antoine Griezmann who shared a smile with the Netherlands supporters throwing cups near him at the corner flag. Other players have cleared debris from the pitch less cheerfully.

Social media clips from Monday’s tie showed Italy fans in the lower tiers voicing their anger at their Croatian counterparts in the upper stands after being covered in beer, while journalists were also caught in the crossfire.

The BBC commentary pairing at the game in Leipzig, Jonathan Pearce and former England international Danny Murphy, painted a particularly vivid picture of what was happening around them during their live coverage.

“We’re getting soaked,” Murphy said, while Pearce added: “We’re getting absolutely drenched up here.”

“This cannot continue, the cups being thrown from the stands,” Pearce said later in commentary. “Players are experiencing plastic cups being thrown at the pitch and it’s happening more and more.

“I was speaking to some Germans yesterday and they were saying they won’t let it carry on. They will stop people drinking.”

UEFA – European soccer’s governing body – said in a statement to CNN that its disciplinary body will “await reports” from the match between Italy and Croatia “before considering any action.” Regarding addressing the throwing of beer cups in future games, UEFA had no update.

According to The Athletic, fans have to pay a €3 ($3.22) deposit for a cup in addition to another €6 ($6.44) minimum for the beer itself.

Drinking alcohol in the terraces isn’t something that is widely done in world soccer. In the UK, it is strictly prohibited, with drinking only permitted on the concourses.

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