European Football Chants

If there is one characteristic all Europeans share across the continent, it is certainly their love for football! How do they cheer their teams? What kind of chants do they sing? Let’s have a look.

Portugal

Ole – Portugal Allez! – Portugal!

Portuguese supporters have their idol, and this is of course Ronaldo. Olé Ronaldo Olé can be heard in the stadium to encourage the most famous player of the Selecção. As you may know, Olé is mostly associated with the bullfighting of last centuries, but also with other sports after the 19th century. Another song easy to remember is “Portugal Allez!” which just means Go Portugal! Last, but not least, you can just repeat “Portugal” indefinitely and it would make the perfect Portuguese football chant!

Switzerland

Steht Auf Wenn Ihr Schweize Seid – Schwiizer Nati Ole – Hopp Schwiiz

Stand up if you’re Swiss! This is the easy-to-learn lyrics of the Swiss’ most famous football chant Steht Auf Wenn Ihr Schweize Seid. Swiss supporters can also alternate with the repetitive Schwiizer Nati Ole which is the Swiss equivalent to the German “Allee Allee”! And last, but not least, there is also the football chant Hopp Schwiiz which is also the slogan to support Swiss athletes and national teams for all sport events.

Poland

Poland Polska, Bialoczerwoni – Nic sie nie stalo

The Polish favourite football chant is Polska, Bialoczerwoni. Sung to the tune of “Go West” by Village People, it simply means “Poland, the White and Reds”, in a nod to the national colours. Another standard is Nic sie nie stalo, sung to the tune of “Guantanamera” and pronounced like “nits she nee star-wo”. It literally means “nothing has happened”, and is deployed to prod a team into making an effort. Among the other regulars is a question-and-answer chant often led by stadium announcers: “Who’ll win the match? Poland! Who? Poland! Who? Poland, Poland, Poland, fight, fight, Poles!”

France

Et Un Et Deux Et Trois Zéro – Allez Les Bleus –  I will survive

In 1998, France won the finale of the World Cup against Brazil with 3 goals to 0. Supporters in the stadium started singing the now famous song “Et un ! Et deux ! Et trois – zé-ro !” and continue with the refrain “On est les champions” (We are the Champions). The song is now sung every time France wins 3 to 0 which is, of course, not always the case… Otherwise, French supporters only repeat the chant “Allez les Bleus” (Go Blue!) inspired by the team’s blue jerseys. In 1998, supporters also adopted the famous song of Gloria Gaynor I will survive to celebrate their victory. It is still sung every time France wins a new match.

Belgium

Allez La Belgique – Waar Is Dat Feestje

The French-speaking Belgian supporter chant is as simple as Allez La Belgique where supporters just repeat both in French and English “Come on Belgians, Come on Belgians, Come on, Come on, Come on!”. Belgians also support their Red devils with the adaptation of the song “Oh when the saints” but with “Oh when the Reds”, just as for Liverpool supporters. Flemish speakers sing for their part Waar Is Dat Feestje (Where is the party?).

Germany

Deutschland schieß ein Tor! – Allee Allee (Eine Straße, viele Bäume)

It’s been a long time that German football fans exhort Germany to score a goal (Deutschland schieß ein Tor!) but in 2014 Germans even translated this famous football chant into their official World Cup song. German supporters can also sing the famous chant “Allee Allee” whose lyrics say: “a pathway, a pathway, a street, many trees, yes! This a pathway”. Why those crazy words? Only because they make fun of the French expression “Allez” which they heard so many times in stadiums…

Italy

Italy Campioni del Mondo (Po Po Po) – Ole Ole Ole

On the night of July 9, 2006, it was impossible to go anywhere in Italy without hearing delirious football fans chanting Campioni del Mondo (Po Po Po) to the tune of ‘Seven Nation Army’ by The White Stripes. The song had become the Azzurri’s unofficial anthem and there was no escaping it after the country’s World Cup final win over France in Berlin. Italian supporters also sing Ole Ole Ole which is easy to sing for everyone.

Hungary

Magyar csapat, magyar szív – Gyerünk! Magyar! – Gyerünk magyarok! – Hungary Ole – Ria, Ria, Hungária

Magyar Csapat, Magyar Szív, one of the most famous Hungarian football chants says “Our beloved team! We’re here again! We are supporting you with all our heart! Come on Hungarian team, Hungarian heart! The stands are calling again”. In Gyerünk! Magyar!, Hungarian football supporters also shout at each other from one side of a stadium to another with one side yelling “Come on!” and the other side “Hungarians”! Otherwise, Magyar supporters can just sing Gyerünk Magyarok! or Hungary Ole, or Ria, Ria, Hungária.

Croatia

Croatia Malo Vas Je Pickice – Kolko Nas Ima – Bježite Ljudi

The first Croatian football chant may be a bit rude. Malo vas je malo vas je pičkice! means “there’s too few of you, there’s too few of you, pu*ies!” A similar one is “Kolko nas ima, kolko nas ima, kolko nas ima, jebote kolko nas ima!” which is sung over the tune of “Guantanamera”. It means something like “so many of us are here, so many of us are here, so many of us are here, wow hell, so many of us are here!”. And then there is “Ale aleee ale aleee (etc) … Bježite Ljudi bježite iz grada, stiže ekipa pijana, bježite ljudi dok postoji nada jer ovdje igra hrvatska!” for “Ale aleee… Run people, run from the city, cos the drunk gang is coming, run people while there’s still chance, cos Croatia is playing here!”

 

Slovakia

Slovakia Slovakia – Slovensko

Supporters encourage their team with the football chant Slovakia. The rhythm of the chant is taken from the song Guantanamera. Another quick manner to support Slovakia is simply to repeat — just as in the Czech Republic and elsewhere- Slovensko while clapping your hands!

Spain

Yo Soy – A Por Ellos – Que Viva España

Spain had plenty to cheer when they won the World Cup in 2010, and their favoured chant is always back in full force during international matches. “Yo soy Español, Español, Español,” the yell goes, letting everyone near you know that you are indeed Spanish. And of course, Spanish football fans also support the Roja with “A por Ellos” and “Que Viva España”

Ireland

Come On You Boys In Green – Stand Up For the Boys In Green – Ole Ole Ole

Green is the colour of Ireland, then logically the supporter’s football chant is about the boys in Green. The name of the song “Come On You Boys In Green” is also the name of a supporters association quite active in Ireland. You can also try to sing a quite a similar song “Stand Up For the Boys In Green“. And if you don’t feel like singing, you cant just repeat Ole Ole Ole indefinitely and it would be fine as well!

United Kingdom

Two World Wars and One World Cup  – The Great Escape – England Till I Die

One of England’s favoured chants is the song version of Two World Wars and One World Cup. The chant goes to the tune of “Camptown races,” and is pretty straightforward. “Two World Wars and one World Cup, England, England. Two World Wars and one World Cup, England all the way…” English supporters also have their Great Escape and England till I die to support their national team.

Norway

Alt for Norge – Heia Tufte

Supporters in Norway may support their national team with Alt for Norge “we give everything, everything for Norway, sacrifices if we have to. We are red white, blue! We’ll make it through the whole battle! For Norway, our fatherland!. The theme song of the show TV reality show “Heia Tufte!” (Go Tufte!), is also used as a taunting chant by Norwegian football fans against opposition when their team is winning big. But it is rather for the Tufyr Il team.

Sweden

Oi Oi Oi Football  – Sverige – Vad Vi Är Bra Alla Svenska Vänner

Swedish supporters showed up first during the 1912 Summer Olympics, where they chanted “Heja Sverige Friskt humör, det är det som susen gör” (roughly meaning “Go Sweden, being in good spirits is what does the trick!”). But former Vikings can be much more tribal! Some of their supporting chants are just loud interjections, such as “Oi Oi Oi”, or the repetition of “Sweden” in Swedish: “Sverige”. An alternative is also to repeat many times “Oj Vad Vi Är Bra Alla Svenska Vänner Oj” which directly means in English “We are all Swedish fans”.

Finland

Finland Suomi Meidän Kotimaa – Suomi – Taistele Suomi

Suomi Meidän Kotimaa is one of the most sung football chants in Finland. In English, it only means “Finland, Our Country”. Another common football song is “Taistele Suomi”, which means “Fight Finland Fight“. But if you have difficulties to speak Finnish just repeat indefinitely “Suomi” and it will be fine as well…

Denmark

Vi er røde, vi er hvide – Lalala Denmark – Og det var Danmark

“We are red, We are white, We stand together, Side by side…” These are the lyrics in English of Vi er røde, vi er hvide, maybe one of the most famous Danish football chants, red and white being the two colours of Denmark. The song, recorded by members of the Danish national football team, became a huge hit in Denmark in 1986 and an iconic song sung at almost all the Danish national games. Danes also have other football chants, such as Lalala Denmark sung on the same theme as German’s Allee Allee or Og det var Danmark which means “And it was Denmark”…

Netherlands

Wij houden van OranjeFootball – Hup Holland Hup

Of course, Dutch supporters dressed in orange like to sing one of their most famous supporter chants Wij houden van Oranje (We love Orange). It was originally performed by the Dutch singer André Hazes based on the melody of the well-known Scottish song Auld Lang Syne. Dutch supporters also sing Hup Holland Hup (Go ! Holland Hup!), the oldest football song, written in 1950. The lyrics are weird and refer to the Dutch lion. It says “Go Holland Go / Don’t let yourself be stripped of your vest / Go Holland Go /Don’t put slippers on the beast / Go Holland Go /Stay undaunted /Because a lion on football boots /Can beat the whole world”…

Slovenia

Kdor Ne Skače Ni Slovenec – Ljubim Slovenijo – Dajte Gol

In Slovenia, the easiest way to support the national team is actually singing Kdor ne skače ni slovenec which means “He who is not jumping is not Slovenian, hey hey hey!. If you are not in the mood to jump, you can just shout your love to Slovenia! The football chant Ljubim Slovenijo means “we love Slovenia”. You can also sing along Dajte Gol. It means “score a goal” and is actually the Slovenian version of the German chant Deutschland schieß ein Tor!

Austria

Austria Das schäumende Bier – Österreich! – Hey Hey Hicke

In Austrian stadiums, you can actually hear the drinking song Das schäumende Bier as a football chant: “we drink the foaming beer and shit on the counter/ give the economic one give one give one we all want to be drunk…”. The rest of the song is even worse. For a more “sophisticated” chant, Austrian football supporters support their national team by repeating indefinitely Österreich. Otherwise Austrians also created in 2008 their own song to support Josef Hickersberger, their football star and former coach of the Austria national football team. Germans will recognize between lines the rhythm of the famous animation movie Hey Vicky.

Czech Republic

My Chceme Gol – Pojďme Hoši, Pojďme Do Toho – český

My Chceme Gol may be hard to pronounce. It translates to “give us a goal”. Another quite famous football chant in the Czech Republic is Pojďme Hoši, Pojďme Do Toho. It means in English “Come On Guys Let’s Do It”. And last of course, and as in many countries, you can support the Czech national team by saying český and clapping your hands…

Estonia

Estonia Eesti Eesti – Jalgpall On Parem Kui Seks – Kas Tunned Maad

The most common Estonian football chant may be Eesti Eesti. But there are also plenty of others. Otherwise, did you know that, in Estonia, “football is better than sex”? No kidding, the Estonian football song Jalgpall On Parem Kui Seks, which is not exactly a chant, says “This makes the soul troubled/and every man knows it/It‘s not a cliché/ football is better than sex!”… Another Estonian football song is Kas Tunned Maad which means “Do you know the land?”. It says “Do you know the land that reaches from the coasts of Lake Peipus / To the coast of the Baltic Sea / And from the forests and fields of Egg Hill / To the Gulf of Finland?’ The text is actually from the Estonian poet Mihkel Veske.

Ukraine

Ukraine Slava Ukrayini! – Chervona Ruta – Viva Ukraina!

Slava Ukrayini!, translated as “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!” is a Ukrainian greeting slogan and popular unofficial motto that first appeared in the Ukrainian War of Independence.  Another chant, Chervona Ruta is a popular Ukrainian song. It says poetically “You said to me,  Why you have those goblets Without you I all days, In trap of sadness”. Otherwise you can support Ukraine with more traditional chant, such as Viva Ukraina!

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina Dajte Gol Da Slavimo – Jedna si Jedina – Volim Te Bosni – Bosnia Champion

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a nation of footballers and supporters, so that they have a whole set of football chants, such as Dajte Gol Da Slavimo, which means “[Give us] a Goal To Celebrate”. “Jedna si jedina” (You Are the One and Only) was the national anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1998, but it is still considered by most of the population to be the real anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And supporters therefore continue to sing it. It says “Land of a Thousand Summers/ Loyalty to you I swear/From sea to save from the Drina to Una/You Are the One and Only/You are Bosnia and Herzegovina /May God preserve you/For the generations/Country of my dreams/My forefathers…”. Bosnian supporters also have easy chants such as Volim Te Bosni which means “I love you Bosnia” or even simplier Bosnia Champion.

Albania

 AlbaniaO Sa Mirë Me Qenë Shqiptar! – Këndoj për ty shqipëri – Shqipëri!

“It’s so good, to be Albanian!” this is actually what one of the most famous Albanian football chants says (O Sa Mirë Me Qenë Shqiptar!). Another song, Këndoj për ty shqipëri is also quite beautiful. It says “I’m singing for you Albania and without love /As long as I live! /I love you Albania… “.  Finally, the easiest way to support the Albanian team may simply be to repeat “Albania, Albania” and clap your hands! (Shqipëri)

Greece

GreeceΠαντα Τηα Σ’ακολοθτηο – Ομαδαρα – Ελλαδαρα vαλε ενα γοαλ

The Greek football chant Παντα Τηα Σ’ακολοθτηο is actually quite nice! It says “I’ll Always Follow You, I’ll always follow you, Ooooh and I live only for you, Ooooh Greece, Madness in my mind…”. Greeks, also sing Ομαδαρα. It means “Great team eh oh, Greece Greece I love you…”. Last but not least, note that, surprisingly, Greeks share with Germans the same song! Ελλαδαρα vαλε ενα γοαλ  is the equivalent to Deutschland schieß ein Tor! with the same lyrics but of course adapted to Greece: “Greece, score a goal, score a goal, score a goooAAAl”!

Turkey

TurkeyTürkiyem Benim – Saldır, Türkiye! – Vur! Kır! Parçala! – Türkiye Gol, Gol, Gol!

The chant Türkiyem Benim is like a love letter: “My dear Turkey/You are the one/Tell me that I’ve got/Nobody but you/I cry with you/I laugh with you/Tell me that I’ve got/Nobody but you”. Quite beautiful isn’t it? But Turkish supporters can also attack in their chant, such as in Saldır, Türkiye! which means “Turkey,Turkey ,Attack! Attack! Turkey!”. The same spirit can be found in Vur! Kır! Parçala! which can be translated into English as “Kick! Smash! Shred! Win this match!”. Last, Turkish supporters simply encourage their team to score a goal in Türkiye Gol, Gol, Gol!

source: europeisnotdead.com