In the lead-up to the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-final between Croatia and Turkey, Vienna is in the midst of a football frenzy.

Colours
The 16th Viennese district is particularly unrecognisable. There are Croatia and Turkey supporters living side by side, eagerly anticipating the Ernst-Happel-Stadion encounter, having known each other and been friends for years. Flags fly proudly from windows; on the streets everyone seems to be wearing team colours; and decorated cars whizz by blasting their horns. With hours to kick-off, cries of "Türkiye, Türkiye" echo through the neighbourhood before being drowned out by cheers from Croatian fans, and vice versa. Supporters decked out in national dress go merrily along.

Congregating
Around 200,000 fans from both teams are expected to converge on the Austrian capital. Visitors from Croatia, Turkey and Germany – where there is a large Turkish population – are flooding the city's central areas. Red and white, the predominant colours of both sides, decorate the city – Vienna is buzzing. It is a festival of football expected to continue long into the night even if, by then, only one group will have real reason to celebrate.