Albanian fans out in Germany for Euro 2024 poked fun at their first opponents Italy by snapping spaghetti and throwing it in the air in a good-natured exchange before the game kicked off.
Reigning Euros champions Italy are no strangers to visiting major tournaments – despite missing out on the past two World Cups – but the experience is still rather novel to the travelling Albanian contingent, whose only previous taste of a summer competition was at Euro 2016.
Not much is expected of Albania this summer, but their fans seemed determined to have as much fun as possible and were filmed on the streets of Dortmund standing across the road from their Italian counterparts.
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One Albanian fan walked towards the blue side of the road with a bundle of spaghetti clutched between two fists, with one Italian fan dropping to his knees in a willing display of mock anguish to beg him not to go ahead with his brutal pasta assault.
But that plaintive cry went unheeded and both sets of fans erupted into cheers and laughter as the spaghetti was duly snapped and thrown triumphantly up in the air.
Albania fans enjoy a pasta-based laugh with Italians at Euro 2024
Tw: ItalianophobiaAlbanian fans snapped spaghetti in front of Italian fans ahead of the Italy-Albania Euro 2024 match. pic.twitter.com/7c3c5rByOIJune 15, 2024
The Albanians were given genuine reason to cheer when Nedim Bajrami got them off to a wonderful start to Euro 2024 by scoring the opening goal just 23 seconds into the game, shattering the record for the fastest goal ever scored at a European Championships.
Italy were ahead by the 17th minute, however, with Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella both putting their names on the scoresheet.
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We have a guide on how to get Euro 2024 tickets if you're still looking to go to the tournament. Can’t make it out there? Don’t worry: here’s how to watch Euro 2024 live streams from anywhere in the world
Plus: a more detailed look at what Scotland need to book passage to their first-ever knockout game
