Fact Check: About Those Claims Romanian Soccer Fans Chanted 'Putin' During Euro 2024 Match Against Ukraine
Claim:
A video shared online authentically showed Romanian soccer fans chanting “Putin” during that country's Euro 2024 match against Ukraine.
Rating:
On June 17, 2024, X user @MyLordBebo posted a video and claimed it showed Romanian soccer fans chanting "Putin" during that country's opening game against Ukraine in the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship in Germany (archived here).
"Romanian fans chanted 'Putin!' During the Euro 2024 match against Ukraine. The Ukrainian team lost to the Romanian team with a score of 0:3. Ufff," the caption read.
🇺🇦🇷🇴 Romanian fans chanted “Putin!” During the Euro 2024 match against Ukraine.
The Ukrainian team lost to the Romanian team with a score of 0:3.
Ufff pic.twitter.com/vrk5yfMta9— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) June 17, 2024
In the clip, supporters can seemingly be heard chanting Russian President Vladimir Putin's name twice after a couple of drum beats, followed by more drumming.
A location tag in the footage accurately stated the game took place at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
The MyLordBebo video had amassed more than 1.8 million views at the time of this writing.
Similar posts appeared elsewhere on X in June, with one Spanish X user calling the chant "absolute comedy."
The claim also cropped up in numerous Facebook posts and multiple TikTok videos.
However, it was unclear whether the audio was authentically from the clip MyLordBebo posted. Many X users claimed the audio was edited or came from another recording, while others claimed the audio was legitimate. Snopes could not determine which was true, which is why we have rated this claim "Unproven."
One X user claimed this video, posted by X user @GiggiGLAU, contained the original audio. The user said the @GiggiGLAU video showed Romanian fans chanting "Putin khuylo" — which roughly means "Putin is s***" in Ukrainian. Other X users also claimed @GiggiGLAU's video contained the real audio. However, Snopes could not establish whether this was the original audio.
Fani rumuńscy przyłączyli się do reszty i na trybunach Alianz Areny zabrzmiały dziś słowa hymnu europejskich kibiców: "putin chujło lalalala" 🎉 pic.twitter.com/sE2LyV3NmO
— GiggiGlau (@GiggiGLAU) June 17, 2024
Other X users claimed the audio in the MyLordBebo video was edited. Some said the audio in the video came from old footage captured at the 2020 European Championships, but that the MyLordBebo audio removed the word "khuylo" (which can be heard at 00:15 in the old footage). However, Snopes could also not establish whether the audio was edited.
Listen full version,🤡
We all know Putin is Khuilo pic.twitter.com/ibLP4SBQm2— Cloooud |🇺🇦 (@GloOouD) June 17, 2024
German news outlet Bild said Romania's fans were supportive of Ukraine at the start of the match. The newspaper reported: "The 40,000 or so Romanian fans started chanting 'Ukraine' loudly in the early stages and showed their solidarity with their neighbouring country. Goosebumps!"
Meanwhile, Ukrainian news outlet The New Voice of Ukraine published an article on June 17, 2024, which contained a different video of Ukrainian fans reportedly singing "Putin khuylo" before their game against Romania.
Sources:
'EM 2024: Rumänien-Fans sorgen gegen die Ukraine für Gänsehaut-Moment!' bild.de, 17 June 2024, https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/em-2024-rumaenien-fans-sorgen-gegen-die-ukraine-fuer-gaensehaut-moment-667029cabf4aa91a9600a281.
Ultras Dynamo Kyiv TV. Putin Huilo/Путин Хуйло EURO 2020. 2021. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xjil6MPyUs.
'Ukrainian fans sing anti-Putin chant ahead of Romania-Ukraine match at Euro 2024 — Video'. The New Voice of Ukraine, 17 June 2024, https://english.nv.ua/nation/ukrainian-fans-sing-anti-putin-song-before-romania-ukraine-match-at-euro-2024-video-50427856.html.
'Visitor information for the EURO 2024 match between Romania and Ukraine'. Allianz Arena, 14 June 2024, https://allianz-arena.com/en/news/2024/06/visitor-information-euro-2024-romania-vs.-ukraine-on-17-june.
'X.Com'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/GiggiGLAU/status/1802736381493690482. Accessed 18 June 2024.
'---'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/PaulConRO/status/1802765180809675243. Accessed 18 June 2024.
'---'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/ManiamAkash/status/1802760591830097956. Accessed 18 June 2024.
'---'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/virtaava/status/1802746627704160487. Accessed 18 June 2024.
'---'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/Michael_McT1/status/1802734381045256374. Accessed 18 June 2024.
'---'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/GloOouD/status/1802762596338037160. Accessed 18 June 2024.
