2020 EURO CHAMPIONS
MORE THAN A A GAME
Some off-pitch issues were faintly ridiculous, like Cristiano Ronaldo’s war on fizzy drinks…
fter a year’s delay due to COVID-19, Euro 2020 finally got underway this past June with much fanfare. The latest edition of one of the most keenly followed quadrennial competitions in football was also unlike anything fans have ever seen. For starters, rather than being hosted in one country, or perhaps two, 11 different cities across 11 countries were honoured with having matches played at their venues. This meant that the tournament would cover thousands of kilometres, from London all the way to Baku in Azerbaijan, serving up a diverse range of football venues for those watching at home. Yet besides the football – which largely provided great entertainment throughout – there were many off-the-pitch issues that kept fans buzzing. For instance, who knew that a simple action
EURO 2020 SIDEBARS
MUCH OF THE FOCUS FOR EURO 2020 NATURALLY WAS ON THE PITCH, BUT THERE WERE PLENTY OF INTERESTING HAPPENINGS OFF THE PITCH THAT KEPT US ALL TALKING, WRITES MICHELLE OSEI BONSU.
48 2020 EURO CHAMPIONS ITALY
…while others, such as Manuel Neuer’s representation of LGBT+ people and UEFA’s reaction, where much more important
