FC Twente fans unveil largest tifo in European history for city's 700th anniversary

FC Twente fans unveil the largest tifo in European football history
FC Twente fans unveil the largest tifo in European football historyANP / ddp USA / Profimedia

Fans of Eredivisie club FC Twente unveiled a record-breaking tifo ahead of Sunday's Eredivisie meeting with Go Ahead Eagles in honour of the 700th anniversary of the Dutch city of Enschede.

The immense Art Deco-style banner that went around the entire Grolsch Veste stadium spanned a stunning 18,000 square metres (193,750 square feet) and told the story of the city of Enschede, where FC Twente are based.

The banner chronologically traces the history of Enschede, starting with its patron saint, James the Great, and the city's receipt of its city seal in 1325. The banner goes on to tell the stories of the three city fires in 1517, 1750, and 1862, the city's textile history in the Pathmos neighbourhood, and priest Alfons Ariens, who campaigned for improved working conditions for the city's textile workers.

The banner concludes by showing the stories of the Second World War and the resistance hero Leendert Overduin, who kept hundreds of Jews safe in hiding, and a phoenix, which represents the city's resurrection following the devastating fireworks disaster in 2000.

Vak P, the group of fanatic FC Twente supporters who made and orchestrated the tifo, have said that it's the biggest painted tifo in European football history. 2,550 litres, or 673 gallons, of paint were used to create the tifo.

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