Pizza has been named number one in the European football fans top five half-time snack rankings, in a new survey about the behaviour and attributes of rival European fans, released by Booking.com the official Accommodation and Attractions Booking Partner of UEFA EURO 2020.
As the top 16 teams from the group stages prepare to enter the knockout phase, with England set to face Group F second place finishers Germany on Tuesday 29 June. Booking.com’s research showed that 67% of European football fans say supporters are rivals off the pitch and friends off it while85% believe football fans from all over the world have a lot in common.
Half-time snacks appear to be a topic that many fans agree on, as pizza, an Italian staple, finished a clear nine percentage points ahead of its closest challenger beer (32%), with over two fifths of European supporters (41%) voting it into the top spot.
English fans ranked pizza as their second favourite (35%), behind their top choice of pie, mash and gravy (43%).
Unsurprisingly, well over half of Italian fans (59%) have a penchant for pizza at half-time and the Italian flatbread was also the clear winner among supporters in France (47%) and Spain (48%).
Belgian chips with mayonnaise made a strong showing in the European fans list, finishing in third place overall (28%), while nearly a quarter of European fans (24%) named German sausage as their half-time snack of choice, putting it fourth in the table of treats. French cheese and wine came in at number five, with nearly a fifth of European fans (18%) choosing this food and drink combination.
The supremacy of Italy in the food stakes is backed-up by other data from Booking.com’s research, which found that nearly half of European football fans (49%) say they like the Mediterranean country for its local cuisine and drinks.
France is the next most popular in this arena, with well over a third of European fans (38%) expressing their appreciation for La République’s culinary offering and beverages, when comparing UEFA EURO 2020™competing nations , followed by Spain (30%), Belgium (29%), Denmark (28%) and Germany (23%).
Booking.com research shows that trying new food is an important motivator to travel for nearly two thirds of global travellers (64%*). Over three quarters of global travellers (77%*) agree that tasty local food and cuisine would significantly influence their decision to travel to a destination. While over half of global travellers (54%*) research the food scene before deciding whether to go to a destination.
EUROPEAN FOOTBALL FANS TOP FIVE HALF-TIME SNACKS
- Pizza 41%
- Beer 32%
- Belgian chips with mayonnaise 28%
- German sausage 24%
- French cheese and wine 18%
Outside the top five:
English pie, mash and gravy 13%
The Round of 16 game between England and Germany kicks off at 1700 BST on Tuesday 29 June.
