Iceland's EURO 2016 legacy lives on as France borrow Viking clap

France celebrated their 2-0 EURO 2016 semi-final victory over 2014 FIFA World Cup champions Germany with a round of the famous Iceland Viking clap.

French viking clap

Source: Getty Images


After the final whistle confirmed Les Bleus' progression to the final, the french players rejoiced with their fans, using the iconic celebration made famous during EURO 2016 by Iceland - the team they eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Like the vuvuzelas at the 2010 World Cup, the Viking thunder clap has become a symbol of this tournament.
The France team, led by stars Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba, bought into the trend, which Wales also adopted after eliminating Belgium in the quarter-finals.

While the French could argue imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, many have taken to social media to criticise the 'copycats' for being unoriginal.
France's semi-final win saw them progress to their first major final since the 2006 World Cup, and condemned Germany to their first tournament loss since the EURO 2012 semi-finals.


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1 min read
Published 8 July 2016 10:41am
Updated 8 July 2016 12:17pm
Source: SBS


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