Everyone's eyes looked almost incredulous. Weeks and months after the start of the bidding phase as Team Base Camp for UEFA Euro 2024, the European Championships have actually begun for the forest city of Iserlohn. For Iserlohn's mayor Michael Joithe, European Championship project manager Christian Kißmer and his sports office and the large team at the Hotel VierJahreszeiten led by director Alexandra Schenk, the dream has come true.
Right on time at 7.06 pm, the team bus of the reigning European champions Italy turned the corner of Seilerwaldstraße into the parking lot of the team hotel. They were joined by around 400 supporters who welcomed the Squadra Azzurra to their European Championship home for the coming weeks with shouts of "Forza Italia". Confetti cannons popped, Italian flags waved in the far too cold Sauerland wind and yet Luciano Spalletti's team took a few minutes to say thank you. Actually, so much closeness was not planned when they arrived at the team base camp. The fans who had traveled all the way to the event were over the moon. But moving into the team accommodation was also marked by great joy and lots of friendly hugs. When deciding on the hotel and the Waldstadt, the Italian association had already indicated that one of the main reasons for choosing Iserlohn was the positive personal contact between the participants on all sides.
Mayor Michael Joithe welcomed the entire team together with sports committee chairwoman Sylvia Patscher and Daniela Bischof-Kreutzer from the mayor's office. "I hope that all Iserlohn residents will be able to enjoy this special time with small or very big moments. Thanks to excellent preparations, our city will benefit from these European Championship days," Iserlohn's mayor Michael Joithe is certain. Many dozens of people were already out and about in Iserlohn last weekend to see the Hemberg Stadium or the construction work around the Casa Azzurri. "Our XXL summer festival can now finally begin," Joithe continued. He himself was delighted to receive an Italy jersey branded with his name as a gift.
The Italian team's public training session on the Hemberg is scheduled for today, the Casa Azzurri opens on Wednesday, the Letmathe advertising association invites you to a Sauerland evening in the Volksgarten on Thursday, while the "Thursday at the Market" series in Iserlohn city center kicks off the European Championship season at the same time. Friday sees the first public viewing at the Alexanderhöhe in the Heimatversorger-Arena, before the club day takes place in Iserlohn city center on Saturday. You can't get a more varied EM program than this.
Information on all events is available on the website www.em24-iserlohn.de.
Photo 1: Arrival of the Squadra Azzurra in Iserlohn, Photo: City of Iserlohn / Echtermann
Photo 2: At the reception for the Italian guests at the Hotel VierJahreszeiten (from left): Sports Committee Chairwoman Sylvia Patscher, Gabriele Gravina (President Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio), Mayor Michael Joithe and Daniela Bischof-Kreutzer from the Mayor's Office. After the entry in the city's Golden Book, Michael Joithe was presented with an Italy jersey, City of Iserlohn / Echtermann
