40,000 Dutch fans in Hamburg to see first match against Poland

About 40,000 Oranje fans are expected to attend Sunday's match against Poland in Hamburg. The Dutch team's first match at this European Championship will kick off at 3 p.m. in the Volksparkstadion.

An Oranje march to the stadium will start at 10:30 a.m. 15,000 tickets have been sold to Dutch fans for the match. In addition, a fan zone has been set up for those who do not have tickets. There, they can follow the match on large screens.

Many fans already traveled to Hamburg on Saturday. They celebrated on the Reeperbahn, Hamburg's red light district. The area specially set up for the fans had to be closed unexpectedly because the wind had blown down fences.

Most Dutch fans wore orange, with the 1988 European Cup jersey being particularly popular. That year, the Dutch team won the European title, also in Germany.

The pubs were full of football fans watching a match, and other fans were partying on the streets. Polish and Dutch fans sang football classics together, such as 'Viva Hollandia' and 'Wie niet spring die is een Pool.' In return, the Polish fans tried to outdo the Dutch fans. From time to time, flares with orange smoke were lit.

People reported that the atmosphere on Saturday was friendly, and the beer flowed freely. The German police monitored the events but did not have to intervene. Dutch officers also kept an eye on the events at the request of the German police.

Dozens of mobile police cars were parked on the edges of the Reeperbahn, and several water cannons were also on standby. Groups of ME officers from the German police patrolled the neighborhood with helmets and batons. But despite the large contingent, the officers did not have to intervene.

Fans rely on venues such as the Reeperbahn after the event area set up, especially for football fans, closed unexpectedly on Saturday after a gust of wind knocked down fences. The strong gale force 8 surprised the organizers and destroyed many stands, which had to be rebuilt on Saturday evening. The German newspaper Bild reported that no people were injured despite the storm. The venue is scheduled to reopen on Sunday.

The first fans of the Dutch national team reported to the fan zone in Hamburg on Sunday morning. The gates of the square opened around 8:45 am. Several hundred fans were already waiting. Visitors are searched before they are allowed to enter.

The Van Casteren family from Arnhem has been busy since 7 a.m. "We don't want to miss anything." Son Mika is dressed as a lion and convinced of a win for the Dutch team. "It's going to be 3-0."