Describing it as a rush would be a mild exaggeration. Two dozen passersby stand in line at Frankfurt Central Station to have their photo taken with the UEFA European Football Championship 2024 trophy. Mid-June marks the beginning of Europe's most significant football tournament here in the country, and UEFA has sent the silver-plated original trophy on a promotional tour throughout the host nation. Eventually, there's a possibility that people will gradually begin to embrace the championship spirit.

Last week, the European trophy made a stop in Frankfurt, the German football officials' capital and the headquarters of the two most important German football organizations, DFB and DFL. It says a lot about the city's self-image that it chose to display the coveted Henri Delaunay Cup in the highly commercial MyZeil shopping mall and then in the drafty station concourse. Contrastingly, just a few days earlier, the trophy was the guest of honor in the courtyard of the New Palace in Stuttgart. The varying degrees of appreciation are evident. However, it still doesn't quite feel like the beginning of a new „summer fairy tale.“

The term „summer fairy tale“ itself is quite a nuanced topic. The nostalgic memories of the cheerful and cosmopolitan World Cup summer of 2006 have long been overshadowed by the scandalous events that once led to the decision to host the tournament here. Thus, it's essential to be cautious about the wishes accompanying this major football event.

Yet, in these tumultuous times characterized by wars, geopolitical tensions, terrorist threats, economic turmoil, and political polarization, it would truly be a wish for people in Germany and across Europe to experience at least a month of carefree football joy. It's escapism, undoubtedly. But hasn't that always been the purpose of major sports events?

So, from June 14th to July 14th, as tens of thousands of European football fans shuttle between the ten German host cities, cheering, anticipating, and celebrating together, they will experience firsthand why a united Europe is still a pretty good idea. They'll witness the unifying power that shared experiences and passions can generate. If they can reignite a joyful tournament atmosphere – and temporarily set aside the commercial aspects of football business.

And what city could better assess this than Frankfurt, the epicenter of the German football economy, where supporters of the local team celebrated Eintracht's entry into the Europa League final with more fervor than many FC Bayern fans did the last championship. Nonetheless, concerning the attention given to the European Championship trophy, there's still room for improvement.