SPORTS/OLYMPICS> Off the Field
Fans get a soaking on first night of tournament
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-08 11:23

KLAGENFURT - Drenched fans cowered in doorways as heavy rain pelted Klagenfurt's central square on Saturday night while the fan zone, where umbrellas are banned, looked forlorn on the opening day of Euro 2008.

"We can get the weather right, you can't, you can't," sang a group of German supporters taunting nearby Austrians.

Hosts Germany enjoyed weeks of sunshine and high temperatures during the 2006 World Cup.

Police arrested seven Germans after they traded insults with Poles as plastic beer cups were thrown but the rain dampened hostilities ahead of what promises to be an emotionally-charged Group B encounter between their two teams on Sunday.

Klagenfurt is the smallest of the eight Swiss and Austrian venues hosting the finals and has a population of 91,000.

"I think it is too small to be a host city, there is nothing to do here," said 27-year-old Pole Alex Czapczyk after driving 14 hours from Sopot.

"I get here and it looks just like my hometown."

Josa Kirkner from Buk in Hungary, hoping to sell dried cranberries, plums and apricots from a stall set up in one of the city's pretty alleyways, was similarly downcast.

"I've had next to no business because of the rain," she said.

Klagenfurt police expect around 60,000 fans to arrive by Sunday although the stadium capacity is only 30,000.

"It is hard to give an exact figure because I expect many fans will decide tomorrow whether to make the journey, particularly as from Germany and Poland they don't have such a long trip to Austria," said a spokesman.

Earlier on Saturday another policeman said around 1,250 officers were deployed in Klagenfurt.

Groups of police were stationed in the city centre while several shops and hotels had employed private security guards.

As huge puddles formed and rain drops bounced off the deserted wooden tables and chairs set up outside the restaurants and bars, fans seemed more interested in finding shelter than watching Portugal play Turkey in faraway Geneva.

"We can produce a good atmosphere here, you'll see," said 25-year-old Austrian student Martin Huss.

"I think they need us to get things started," said 24-year-old German student Florian Mayer, who was dressed up as a yeti.

He and his friends had brought drums and brass instruments from their home in Konstanz, close to Germany's border with Switzerland.

Asked what he expected on Sunday, Polish student Martin Malak smiled and replied "a hangover"