Euro 2024 Route: eight neighboring countries visit Germany
Eight neighboring countries of Germany are visiting from June 14 to July 14, 2024, for the European Football Championship in Germany. A ninth country is staying home. Do you know which country? That means that eight countries do not have to travel far from their own countries to their destinations. We will consider these eight countries from a philatelic perspective, from the viewpoint of their football associations. Will you travel with us to these eight countries? We start with the host country: Germany.
Germany
The Federal Republic of Germany, Germany for short, borders the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and Denmark to the north; Poland and the Czech Republic to the east; Austria and Switzerland to the south; and France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands to the west. Only Luxembourg was not present in Germany.
De DFB The Deutscher Fußball-Bund is the German national football association. The organization is legally based in Frankfurt am Main. The DFB was founded in Leipzig in 1900 by approximately 86 football clubs and became a member of FIFA in 1904. As of 2020, the association had 7.169.327 members, spread across 24.481 clubs. The number of male members was 6.042.558 and the number of female members was 1.126.769. This makes the DFB the largest sports association in the world. The DFB organizes the Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga, and 3. Liga competitions, as well as the cup tournament. The former DFB Hallen Pokal was also organized by the DFB. The DFB is also responsible for the German national football team.
Denmark
The Danish Football Union (DBUs) is the Danish Football Association. The literal translation of the Danish name is Danish Ball Games Union. However, the DBU is only a football association.
The DBU organizes national competitions such as the Superligaen, the 1. Division, 2. Division, 3. Division, Danmarksserien, and the cup tournament. The DBU is also responsible for the Danish national football team and the Danish women's national team. Additionally, the women's Elitedivisionen is organized by the DBU.
Poland
De Polish Football Association or the Polski Zwězek Pěki Noěnej is the Polish Football Association. The football association was founded on December 21, 1919, in Katowice. The PZPN organizes the competitions in Poland, such as the Ekstraklasa, the I Liga, and the cup tournament. The PZPN is also responsible for the Polish national football team.
Czech Republic
The Fotbalová asociace České republiky (Dutch: Football Association of the Czech Republic, abbreviated: FACR) is the Czech Football Association. The FACR organizes competitions in the Czech Republic, such as the Fortuna Liga, the Fortuna Národní Liga, and the MOL Cup. The FACR is also responsible for the Czech national football team.
Austria
The Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) is the Austrian Football Association. The ÖFB was founded in 1904. The ÖFB organizes the competitions in Austria, such as the Bundesliga, the 2. Bundesliga, and the cup tournament. The ÖFB is also responsible for the Austrian national football team.
Switzerland
The SFV in German or ASF in French and Italian or in German: Swiss Fussballverband, French: Association Suisse de Football, Italian: Associazione Svizzera di Football of Reto-Romaans: Association Svizra da Ballape (ASB) is the Swiss football league. The SFV/ASF was established in 1895. The SFV/ASF organizes the competitions in Switzerland.
The SFV-ASF is also responsible for the Swiss national football team and has organized the annual election of Swiss Footballer of the Year since the 1997-1998 season. It is based in Muri bei Bern.
France
De FFF or the Fédération Française de Football is the French football federation. The FFF organizes, among other things, the Ligue 1, Ligue 2, and the Coupe de France competitions. The FFF is also responsible for the French national football team and the French women's national team.
On April 7, 2019, the French Football Federation, formed from the transformation of the French Interfederal Committee (CFI), celebrated its 100th anniversary. The French Football Federation organizes, supervises, and regulates the practice of amateur and high-level football, its financing, and the training of players and coaches throughout the territory. The FFF brings together clubs whose mission is to teach and practice football. An association under the law of 1901, the Federation is recognized as being of public utility. It is characterized by its commitments regarding education, citizenship, and solidarity. Its headquarters are located in Paris, at 87 Boulevard de Grenelle, in the 15th arrondissement.
Belgium
The Royal Belgian Football Association (French: Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football-Association, German: Königlicher Belgischer Fußballverband, English: Royal Belgian Football Association) is a Belgian football association. The association was founded in 1895 as Union Belge des Sociétés de Sports Athlétiques, an association for football, cycling, and athletics. In 1912, the football section split off. The name was changed to Union Belge des Sociétés de Football-Association (UBSFA). From 1913, the association also used the Dutch-language name Belgische Voetbalbond (BVB). The current names have been in use since obtaining the designation 'royal' in 1920. The KBVB was a co-founder of both FIFA in 1904 and UEFA in 1954.
The Netherlands
The Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVBThe KNVB is the Dutch Football Association. The association was founded on December 8, 1889. The sports of football – including the variants futsal, beach football, street football, school football, and 45+ football – and G-football (footballers with a physical and/or intellectual disability) fall under the KNVB. The KNVB organizes national leagues, cup tournaments, and events, coordinates the national teams, and manages the football sector. Furthermore, the association participates in social projects.
(No Euro 1988 stamp had been designed. A year later (1989), the KNVB celebrated its 100th anniversary. Designers Linda van Deursen and Armand Mevis came up with this surprising design: Boy with football and a schematic representation of the decisive goal in the Netherlands – Soviet Union (1988) match by Marco van Basten). In 1889, the Dutch Football and Athletics Association (NVAB) was founded. Its objective was to promote and raise awareness of the game of football and the Athletic Games in the Netherlands. It was an initiative of Pim Mulier, the founder of the Haarlem Football Club and later honorary chairman of that club and of the KNVB.
Go Holland go. Beat the golden boys France tonight.
Luxembourg is the ninth country. It reminds me of a show by Rudi Carrell featuring (so-called) customs officers from the then nine neighboring countries of West Germany. Probably from 1974.