It was Paul Pogba who started the controversy on June 16. The French midfielder arrived at a Euro 2020 press conference and took a bottle of Heineken beer from the table on which all the competition’s sponsors were listed. The gesture mimicked that of Cristiano Ronaldo, who had removed two Coca-Cola bottles a few days earlier and expressed his desire to prefer water with a hand gesture. However, according to Le Parisien, Heineken paid more than 40 million euros to display its logo and name throughout the Eurozone. There is no doubt that Paul Pogba’s gesture angered Heineken and UEFA, prompting European football’s governing body to reach a settlement. As of Thursday June 24, it is now official: Muslim players now have the option to tell UEFA before a press conference that they do not want to see a beer bottle in front of the microphone.
Originally, however, UEFA did not allow players to interfere in sponsorship deals made by its commercial division. But in a tournament that is already heavily marked by political conflicts – anti-racism, LGBT activism, Russian-Ukrainian tensions and so on – European football’s governing body has apparently decided to make an exception. – According to Le Parisien, Martin Kallen, director of the Euros, is soliciting “understanding” when it comes to a gesture linked to a “religious belief”. An inconsistency for much of the public. During the controversy over LGBT rights in Hungary, UEFA had retreated by stressing “its political and religious neutrality”.Finally, this is not the only curiosity surrounding this boozy debate. In this case, everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that the Heineken beer advertised as the sponsor of Euro… is a 0% alcohol beer.