Dutch football fans heading to Hamburg for European Championship opening

Dozens of Dutch football supporters are heading to Hamburg in an orange caravan on Friday afternoon, the opening day of the European Championship in Germany. The Netherlands will play its first European Championship match there against Poland on Sunday. The tournament is accompanied by strict security measures, including border checks. Rijkswaterstaat advised Dutch people going to Germany to leave on time and expect delays.

At least 75 cars are participating in the Oranje caravan, according to the KNVB, which organized the fan parade. Former international players Gerald Vanenburg and Danny Koevermans will kick off the caravan on the grounds of football club HHC Hardenberg.

Earlier in the morning, fans will also gather at FC Eindhoven AV and RKS NEO in Borne, where internationals Cody Gakpo (FC Eindhoven AV) and Wout Weghorst (RKSV NEO) played. Together, they’ll leave for the central departure point in Hardenberg. From there, special fan cars from the KNVB partners will guide the cars to Germany.

All fans will receive a special Oranje package to decorate their car with. With the environment in mind, the KNVB called on fans to drive to the European Championship in full cars.

The Netherlands' first match is at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. Oranje will also play against France (June 21) and Austria (June 25) in the group stage of the European Championship. The tournament kicks off on Friday with a match between host country Germany and Scotland.

Germany implemented strict security measures around the tournament, including checks at the borders to prevent supporters who are known to be violent from entering the country. The German authorities also prepared for emergencies that could disrupt the championship, from cyber attacks to disinformation campaigns, terrorist threats, severe weather, and heat waves.