The 2024 EURO brought a lot of emotion, in particular Cristiano Ronaldo's tears. Although the organisation of the tournament is rated very positively, the quality of the pitch and the leaking roof raised numerous objections from players, coaches and fans alike.

Pros: excitement and organisation

There was no shortage of emotion in Frankfurt stadium. Romelu Lukaku's not given goal, the Belgian national team's unexpected defeat to Slovakia and Switzerland's incredible battle with Germany provided fans with an unforgettable experience. However, the biggest emotions were experienced by those who watched the round of 16 match between Portugal and Slovenia. Cristiano Ronaldo's tears will long be remembered by fans, and thanks to Diogo Costa's superb performance, fans saw the shortest penalty shootout competition in Euro history.

In contrast to other arenas, the organisation of the tournament was rated very highly. All matches took place as planned and the logistics and handling of the events were of the highest standard. Fans praised the efficient organisation, which ensured that all scheduled sporting events ran smoothly.

© Moon Hopper

Cons: turf, strange roof decisions and transport problems

During the 2024 EURO, Frankfurt's stadium encountered serious problems with the quality of the turf, which caused much controversy and criticism. These problems began even before the tournament started, mainly due to the intensive use of the stadium by NFL American football teams in November the previous year. Following these events, the hybrid turf was replaced by a natural lawn, which was, however, damaged by winter weather conditions and heavy rainfall.

The turf at Frankfurt Stadium was described as catastrophic by many players and coaches. Julian Nagelsmann, coach of the German national team, compared playing on it to driving on summer tyres in winter. The players slipped repeatedly, making the game much more difficult and increasing the risk of injury. Jamal Musiala of the German national team noted that he was losing his balance with every action and the pitch was literally slipping away from under his feet.

© Moon Hopper

UEFA's decisions were also controversial. During the first matches, the roof of the stadium was closed, despite no apparent reason. During the match between Denmark and England, there were rumours that the decision was made to keep the roof closed in order to give Prince William the best possible protection in the VIP area. The police, however, said they had nothing to do with this.

During the fourth match, the roof was opened and a huge rainfall came down in the second half, soaking the fans in the front rows dry, spoiling their mood. In addition, a number of flights were cancelled and train services were diverted, causing additional inconvenience for fans.

Until the round of 16 match, there had been no security incidents at the stadium. However, on Wednesday, a video emerged showing a steward brawl during Portugal's match against Slovenia. The background to the incident is still unclear, but it is known that a fan was injured and police are investigating an assault on the pitch.

Statistics from all matches at Frankfurt Stadium for Euro 2024:

How does Frankfurt Arena compare to other Euro 2024 venues?