For both of the smaller nations, just being a part of the spectacle itself is enough. It is unfair to say they are here purely to make up the expanded number of nations but it would be naïve to suggest either were confident their participation at the tournament would last beyond the group stages.

Yet that is now a real possibility. Northern Ireland - plucky, courageous Northern Ireland - bounced back from defeat to Poland in their opener to earn their first taste of European Championships success, claiming a thoroughly deserved 2-0 victory over Ukraine at the Stade de Lyon on Thursday (June 16).

Two days earlier, it had been the turn of Iceland, who were backed by a raucous following from their country which equated to around 10 per cent of their entire participation. Those who made the trip did not leave disappointed.

Though they weren’t quite able to secure all three points, their 1-1 draw with Portugal at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Lens must have felt like a win. Few gave them hope but, having escaped unscathed from the toughest test they are likely to face in the group stage and with Austria and Hungary to come, you can certainly forgive them for daring to dream.

UEFA’s former President Michel Platini, who is currently serving a six-year ban from the sport for a series of ethics breaches, must have watched both matches with a smile we so rarely see these days – being suspended will do that to you - as his idea of growing the amount of competing nations from 16 to 24 continues to bear fruit, with some of the lesser countries providing memorable moments.

Remarkably, Northern Ireland and Iceland would have booked their place at the 2016 edition in France regardless of whether there was room at the tournament for 16 or 24 teams as both, surprisingly, topped their respective qualification groups. In the case of Iceland, that represents quite an achievement seeing as they are a country which is no bigger population-wise than Bristol.

Both sides are already punching far above their weight and have lit up a tournament which had been shrouded in darkness due to the drunken, violent actions of fans from certain countries, casting a long shadow over France and over football.

It all began on the streets of Marseille this time last week before Russia were due to face England. Russian fans - organised, regimented, ready - went in search of those supporting their opponents using a gang-like mentality. Telescopic truncheons, fists and other weapons were their tipple of choice as they set about inflicting pain and misery on their rival fans.

Of course, England’s followers were not completely remiss of blame, though perhaps their reputation for trouble went against them. They were almost certainly the innocent party when Russian fans launched another wave of assaults inside the stadium following the final whistle after the two sides had played out an entertaining 1-1 draw.

In keeping with the doping scandal plaguing the nation at present – leading to the International Association of Athletics Federations keeping the ban on athletes from the global superpower competing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in place – words of denial began to emanate from Moscow.

It is all political against Russia, they said. The British media are using this as a reason to call for us to be stripped of the 2018 World Cup, they said.

Worst of all were comments made by Russian Football Union Executive Committee member Igor Lebedev, who urged the violent faction of his country’s supporters to “keep it up” in a series of bizarre Tweets on Monday (June 13). There is no suggestion the account they were sent from is anything other than the real thing.

“I don’t see anything wrong with the fans fighting,” Lebedev wrote on Twitter. “Quite the opposite, well done lads, keep it up!

“I don’t understand those politicians and officials who are criticising our fans. We should defend them, and then we can sort it out when they come home.

“What happened in Marseille and in other French towns is not the fault of fans, but about the inability of police to organise this kind of event properly.”

Blame-shifting from Russia; now where have we heard that before?

Lebedev may have praised those thugs who went looking for a fight after the match had ended but their behaviour has backfired, with UEFA taking a tough stance in handing them with a suspended expulsion, meaning any repeat of the scenes inside the Stade Velodrome will see them booted out of the competition in disgrace.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko deservedly came under fire for his reaction after the match as he was seen applauding those fans who had been the root of the trouble. My insidethegames colleagues ridiculed my “spurious” request for comment from FIFA as video evidence of his actions surfaced on social media but I felt it necessary to ask; how can a member of the ruling Council of the governing body justifiably behave in such a way?

He could see what was going on. He could see, as clear as day, that Russians were at fault. So why didn’t he attempt to ease the tension in the stadium? Why did he encourage rather than exhort for calm?

Thankfully for organisers, the police and for the petrified members of the public in the towns and cities which are playing host to Russia during Euro 2016, their stay in France isn’t likely to last much longer. Anything but victory against Wales in their final group game will spell the end.

For England, the threat of being thrown out also hovers like an eagle waiting to attack its prey.

Their cause would not have been helped by further skirmishes in Lille as fans, many of whom were thought to be English, were involved in clashes with French police on Wednesday, leading to the arrest of 36 people. It is here where supporters from the nation so often let their country down.

According to reports, they hurled bottles and other debris at the police, who responded by using tear gas and flash bangs, creating ugly and unnecessary scenes which have, unfortunately, been far too prominent.

Just as we seemed to be turning a corner, Croatian fans lowered the tone once more as violence greeted the end of their 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic in Saint-Étienne yesterday. 

UEFA themselves should shoulder some of the blame. Their unwillingness to stray from the stringent schedule has only fuelled the violent fire.

Staging a match of the high-profile nature of England and Russia on a Saturday night in a big party town, where fans of the former have clashed with locals before, wasn’t the wisest idea. The decision to then play England against Wales in Lens the day after Russia took on Slovakia in Lille – the two cities are separated by less than 25 miles – also warrants criticism.

The exact match schedule was decided months before a ball was kicked. Switching the venues to ease fears of trouble would not have taken much and could maybe even have prevented some of the brawls in bars and on streets across France that we have witnessed thus far.

Perhaps now it is time that we try to turn our attention to the thrilling, pulsating battles we have seen and will see out on the pitch. Perhaps we ought to remember why we cherish every minute of a European Championships.

Northern Ireland and Iceland have already provided perfect examples of those reasons. Hopefully there are more to come.