Dortmund police expect peaceful semi-final between Dutch and English

Dortmund police are not classifying the Euro 2024 semi-final between the Netherlands and England on Wednesday as high risk.

"We expect a peaceful event. There isn't a hostile atmosphere between the two fan groups. We anticipate a big and colourful football festival," said a police spokeswoman on Tuesday.

However, special measures are still necessary due to the large crowd.

Up to 80,000 Dutch and 25,000 English fans are expected in the western Germany city, with only 65,000 accommodated in the ground.

The fan parks at Friedensplatz in the city and at Westfalenpark near the stadium are therefore likely to be packed with supporters who do not have tickets for the match.

A planned fan march by thousands of orange-clad Netherlands fans towards the stadium, which has become one of the most iconic images of this tournament in previous rounds, also requires police action.

"Due to the mass of fans, we will deploy appropriate forces," the police spokeswoman said.

There are no concerns about a repeat of the large riots between English and German hooligans which marred the 1988 European Championship meeting between England and the Dutch in Dusseldorf.