Despite Violence Elsewhere at Euro 2016, Fans in Paris Have Shown Soccer's Good Side

This article originally appeared on VICE Sports UK.

The build-up to Euro 2016 in France has been anything but smooth. Industrial action and flooding have certainly not helped, but the threat of security trouble remains the greatest fear. Particularly in the capital city Paris, still coming to terms with what happened in November 2015, concerns about terrorism are understandably high.

The opening days of the tournament have not helped matters. Violent clashes between fans and police have made headlines and caused considerable concern in France. Not only do these incidents leave fans worried for their safety, they place increased strain on an already stretched police force that should be fully focussed on other matters.

Despite the ugly scenes elsewhere, Paris has been comparatively peaceful. The opening game of the tournament passed without incident in the city, with France and Romania playing out a contest that began tensely, but came to life in the closing stages.

For those not at Stade de France, Paris' huge fan zone near the Eiffel Tower provided an impressive alternative viewing location. It goes without saying that a massive meeting of fans in the centre of Paris would require a huge security operation. Entering the fan zone required three searches, though none felt more thorough than you might experience on the way into a club: a pat-down, a stern look in the eye, and on your way. There were bag searches, too, which appeared appropriately thorough. Security personnel in plainclothes and uniform were dotted among the crowd, though there were no armed police visible, as might have been expected given the events of last year.

Ultimately, however, the true extent of a security operation is never clear until the worst happens. Quite what was in reserve is impossible to judge. Hopefully we won't need to.

While tensions were beginning to build in Marseille, where England fans clashed violently with French police, there was no such trouble in Paris. Fans from what seemed like every nation competing at the tournament – and even a few who are not – mingled in a friendly, almost celebratory atmosphere. There were plenty of England shirts, but none were seen hurling chairs into burning bars. The other competing home nations were on show too, with gangs of Northern Irish and Welsh supporters celebrating their long awaited return to tournament football.

Even the absent Scotland were represented: a man and his young son on the Metro – who presumably booked in blind hope, or an unfounded faith in Gordon Strachan – still made the trip out, and still wore their shirts for the evening. There were Italians, Spanish, and groups of Germans sipping their beers in measured fashion. One man wandered around draped in Albania flag – most nations flags were being peddled – while dozens did so with the Irish tricolour. The Irish support was out in force, singing songs about Italia 90, still three days ahead of their opening match.

France's opposition on the night was particularly visible too, with pockets of yellow jerseys and impassioned cries of "Rou-Man-Ie!" Some of that singing might also have been done by English supporters, however.

Of course, the largest contingent came from the local support. There were French shirts everywhere, mostly the new variety baring the names of Pogba or Giroud, as well as some vintage efforts carrying the name of Zidane. They came with painted faces, and tricolores draped around their necks, starring nervously at the big screen while another effort went wide, singing "allez les Bleus" and crying in bemusement at the Romanian penalty. Dimitri Payet's winning goal was greeted rapturously.

The fan zone itself is something to behold: set in the Champ de Mars, with the Eiffel Tower as its backdrop, it claims to hold 92,000 and boasts a screen so large that it must have been visible from miles around.

The vastness of the area should not be underplayed. At 400 metres squared, it is the size of a basketball court. It brought Olivier Giroud to life in an enormity that all bar the man himself might have found overly grand, with beads of glistening sweat the size of a family car sliding down his face. Having Paris' most identifiable landmark in the background added to the sense of occasion, of being in a distinct place for a football tournament (one of the strongest argument against the federalised Euros that will take place in 2020). Lit up, lights buzzing like fireflies on each hour, it caught the attention when the game slowed down. While France has arguably had too many major tournaments – three in the past 32 years – there is no denying that it is a fitting host.

Though it was clearly well attended, the fan zone never felt excessively full. There was always space and even the opportunity to wander further forward if you wished; it was like watching a headliner you've limited interest in at a festival, small groups of people lingering in pockets of space. Certainly it felt that the same event in London would have been more densely populated. That is not to say it would have been better, but it would have felt more tightly packed in, more condensed. The queues at the bar were never long – two, maybe three people waiting at busier times, but rarely more. Again, you suspect a London equivalent would surely have been 10-people deep at all times. But perhaps this was simply down to the sheer size of the fan zone: 130,000 metres squared, the size of 18 football pitches, is truly enormous.

Though events elsewhere have garnered the most interest, for Paris the tournament appears to have kicked off on a good note. With proper policing, an impressive viewing spot in place and a reasonable first game, it can be hoped that this might yet become a tournament worth remembering for the right reasons.

@Jim_Weeks