People are angry with France for ‘stealing’ Iceland’s trademark clap

The clapback has begun

Tom Victor

People are angry with France for ‘stealing’ Iceland’s trademark clap

Euro 2016 was Iceland’s first ever major tournament, and the Nordic nation undoubtedly made an impression.

As well as their impressive, more-than-the-sum-of-their-parts football – capped by a surprise victory over England – they have captured attention with their trademark thunder clap.

Anyone who has been in a French stadium for an Iceland game will tell you it’s like nothing they’ve encountered before, with the coordinated noise rising to a crescendo.

The Iceland thunder-clap before kick-off at the Stade de France pic.twitter.com/CC1uG3XCsf

— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) July 3, 2016

But, as with ‘Will Grigg’s on Fire’ and ‘We’ve got Payet’, once an element of football fandom gets popular it will invariably be appropriated by another set of supporters. And another. And another.

Perhaps France will feel that their victory over Iceland in the quarter-finals gives them licence to take ownership of the clap, like some kind of weird torch-passing ritual.

I guess France are allowed to steal the Nordic slow-clap under Viking rules, since they defeated Iceland on the field of battle

— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 7, 2016

Of course, no one can stop them doing it. But people can get angry on the internet, which is almost the same thing.

France eliminated from Euro 2016 for appalling rendition of Iceland clap thing.

— TBN Sport (@TBNSport) July 7, 2016

France players now standing in front of the stand doing the thunder clap. Lads, give up, you'll never be Iceland.

— Jonathan Wilson (@jonawils) July 7, 2016