England fans are expected to be outnumbered for the first time in the European Championship when they face the Netherlands in Wednesday’s semifinal.
Gareth Southgate’s men have enjoyed a noticeable fan advantage in all their matches so far, with stadiums across Germany filled with the English flag. However, officials expect Ronald Koeman’s team to be supported by the majority of the 80,000 spectators in Dortmund, with a 60-40 split in favor of the Dutch.
The Dutch have already scored an early victory as it has been revealed that at least half of Dortmund’s famous ‘Yellow Wall’ will turn orange.
UEFA has allocated 50 percent of the area in the Westfalenstadion, known for its powerful noise, to Dutch fans, while the other half will be sold generally.
Officially, both countries have been allocated 8,000 tickets each, with an additional 1,500 sold to England’s opponents.
The Dutch expect their 80,000 supporters to make the relatively short journey. A repeat of the 40,000 England fans who traveled to Düsseldorf for the quarterfinals is likely, with both sets of fans competing for spots.
