80,000 Oranje fans expected in Dortmund for European Championship semi-final

Oranje fans are coming en masse to Dortmund for Wednesday evening's semi-final against England at the European Championship. The KNVB, after consultation with local authorities, expects 75,000 to 80,000 Dutch people traveling to the German city.

The KNVB has 8,000 tickets for the match in Signal Iduna Park, which can seat over 80,000 fans. These will be distributed among the national football association's loyal club card holders. UEFA has also sold 1,500 tickets to Dutch fans. Tickets will be offered online for 800 euros on Sunday.

The KNVB is in talks with the authorities about an Oranje fan zone in Dortmund, where Dutch artists can perform before the semi-final. The football association also hopes the fans can walk to the stadium together. Images of a partying procession of Dutch fans went around the world earlier this European Championship.

The Dutch national team's group matches against Poland, France, and Austria attracted 40,000 Dutch fans to Hamburg, Leipzig, and Berlin. More than 15,000 supporters were in Munich for the round of 16 against Romania. On Saturday, more than 40,000 Dutch fans were in Berlin for the quarter-final against Turkey.

Oranje fans without a ticket often watch the matches at the European Championship in the fan zones of the German host cities. The semi-final between the Netherlands and England starts on Wednesday at 9 p.m.