Tag: Euro 2020

  • In Pictures: Europe’s worst drought in 500 years exposes ancient stones, WWII ships

    In Pictures: Europe’s worst drought in 500 years exposes ancient stones, WWII ships

    Europe is facing its worst drought in at least 500 years. According to the most recent Global Drought Observatory report, 47 per cent of Europe is in “warning” conditions, which means the soil has dried up.

    This summer’s record-breaking temperatures in Europe have disrupted transportation, displaced thousands, and resulted in hundreds of heat-related deaths. The recent heatwave has also fuelled destructive wildfires.

    “The combination of a severe drought and heatwaves has created an unprecedented stress on water levels in the entire European Union,” European Innovation Commissioner Mariya Gabriel said in a statement.

    The low water levels have exposed long-submerged treasure and ancient stones across Europe. German World War II ships have also been exposed to drought.

    Have a look at the pictures:
    Wreckage of a World War II German warship in the Danube in Prahovo, Serbia
    World War II bomb was discovered in the dried-up River Po in Borgo Virgilio, Italy, on August 7

    Remains of a bridge on the Tiber River near the Vittorio Emanuele
    “Hunger stones” revealed by the low level of water in Worms, Germany, on August 17

    The dolmen of Guadalperal, also known as the Spanish Stonehenge, in the outskirts of El Gordo, Spain, August 3

    Similarly, receding water levels of China’s Yangtze has revealed ancient Buddhist statues. They are believed to date to some 600 years ago.

  • Twitter removes tweets, suspends accounts after fans racially abuse England players post-Euro2020 final

    Twitter removes tweets, suspends accounts after fans racially abuse England players post-Euro2020 final

    Twitter has removed over 1,000 tweets and permanently suspended a number of accounts after they were found engaging in racial abuse of England players after England lost the Euro 2020 final against Italy.

    Italy ended England’s dream to win the Euro 2020 at the Wembley Stadium on Sunday. Azzurri defeated England 3-2 on penalties after the normal 90-minute action had finished at 1-1 and even extra time was not able to break the deadlock.

    Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka all missed the chance to net goals in the penalty shootouts. The English players were then abused on social media.

    “The abhorrent racist abuse directed at England players last night has absolutely no place on Twitter. In the past 24 hours, through a combination of machine learning-based automation and human review, we have swiftly removed over 1,000 tweets and permanently suspended a number of accounts for violating our rules — the vast majority of which we detected ourselves proactively using technology. We will continue to take action when we identify any Tweets or accounts that violate our policies,” reported Newsweek.

    “We have proactively engaged and continue to collaborate with our partners across the football community to identify ways to tackle this issue collectively and will continue to play our part in curbing this unacceptable behaviour — both online and offline,” said the statement.

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also condemned the “appalling” racial abuse of players on social media following the Three Lions’ loss in the Euro Cup final against Italy.

    The British Prime Minister said England players “deserve” to be lauded for their heroics and shouldn’t be “racially abused” on social media.

    “This England team deserves to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media. Those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed of themselves,” Boris Johnson tweeted.

    Prince William said he was “sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match”.

    England’s Football Association in the early hours of Monday morning also condemned racist abuse of players. “The FA strongly condemns all forms of discrimination and is appalled by the online racism that has been aimed at some of our England players on social media,” an official statement read.

    “We could not be clearer that anyone behind such disgusting behaviour is not welcome in following the team. We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible,” it added.

    https://twitter.com/kylejglen/status/1414294866704617486?s=21

    Meanwhile, riot police broke through crowds outside the stadium when fans left the game, with some throwing bottles and chanting anti-Italian slogans after England lost on penalties.

  • Italy crowned European champions once again after defeating England

    Italy crowned European champions once again after defeating England

    Italy is champions of Europe again, for the first time since 1968, breaking English hearts in the process at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

    The 120 minutes had been nerve-shredding with England enjoying early elation when Luke Shaw scored his first-ever international goal, a magnificent half-volley with the game’s first move. And then came what felt like the slow and inexorable trudge towards defeat.

    Gareth Southgate’s team had been comfortable in the first half but the final slid away from them thereafter; Italy turning up the temperature, pinning England back.

    Italy got the equaliser that they deserved through Leonardo Bonucci and, during extra time, the specter of penalties hung heavy. When they came, England lost their nerve – missing three of their kicks.

    It was a night when sporting immortality had beckoned for England, a first trophy since the World Cup of 1966. In the end, it would be a depressingly familiar hard-luck story.

    For Italy, it was a second European Championship and glory for Roberto Mancini, whose work since taking over as the manager from Gian Piero Ventura after the failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup has been a little short of sensational.

    Italy had the know-how; they have almost forgotten what defeat is. They are unbeaten in 34 matches, a run that spans nearly three years.

  • Hundreds of people watching Euro Cup football matches catch coronavirus

    Hundreds of people watching Euro Cup football matches catch coronavirus

    Hundreds of people watching Euro Cup football matches were affected by Covid-19.

    Read More – Portugal knocked out of Euro 2020 despite Ronaldo being a top scorer

    As per reports, fans returning from London and St. Petersburg have been exposed to the Delta variant from India, and the rate of corona cases in Europe has risen by 10 per cent in one week.

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), corona cases are on the rise in Europe again due to the easing of corona restrictions.

    WHO has called for better monitoring of football matches due to the rise in corona cases.

    The 16th edition of the European Championship, Euro 2020, began on June 11 with matches in 11 major cities across Europe — for the first time in the 63-year history of the tournament.

    At the end of the round of 16 stage, eight teams have qualified for the quarterfinals.

  • Ukraine’s Andriy Yarmolenko asks Coca-Cola and Heineken to contact him after Ronaldo, Locatelli’s snub

    Ukraine’s Andriy Yarmolenko asks Coca-Cola and Heineken to contact him after Ronaldo, Locatelli’s snub

    After Ukraine’s win against North Macedonia, footballer Andriy Yarmolenko mocked Cristiano Ronaldo in front of the media, and also took a chance to promote himself, asking Coca-Cola and Heineken to contact him.

    The Ukrainian player was in a funny mood after Ukraine’s 2-1 win against North Macedonia in their UEFA Euro 2020 Group C encounter, at Bucharest’s National Arena on Thursday. At his post-match press conference, the Ukrainian star took a dig at Ronaldo in front of the media, by putting both Coca-Cola and Heineken bottles in front of him.

    Earlier this week, the Portugal captain had hit the headlines when he removed two bottles of Coca-Cola out of the camera’s sight during a press conference. The Portuguese skipper had also asked the reporters to drink water instead.

    Read more – Italian footballer, Locatelli, latest player to snub Coca-Cola

    Yarmolenko scored a goal for the second consecutive game in Euro 2020, and also assisted against North Macedonia. He also scored in his side’s earlier 3-2 defeat to Netherlands. At his post-match press conference, the West Ham attacker cheekily mocked Ronaldo and even made an attempt to promote himself for potential sponsors.

    Can I do something? I’ve seen Ronaldo putting away Coca-Cola bottles recently”, he asked the reporters.
    He added, “I’ll put Coca-Cola here. I’ll put Heineken right here up front! Guys, contact me!”
    Earlier, France midfielder Paul Pogba had also displayed a similar approach as he picked up a Heineken beer bottle and placed it behind the news conference table.
    Meanwhile, UEFA had warned that the teams could be fined if they move drinks at Euro 2020 news conferences.

  • Meme fest begins after Cristiano Ronaldo removes Coca-Cola bottles

    Meme fest begins after Cristiano Ronaldo removes Coca-Cola bottles

    After Portugal superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo removed Coca-Cola bottles placed in front of him in a press conference, the company reportedly faced a huge loss.

    Soon after Cristiano Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola snub, netizens flooded the internet with hilarious memes and jokes.

    https://twitter.com/mediiahassan/status/1405340857876746244?s=20

    Read More: Italian footballer, Locatelli, latest player to snub Coca-Cola

    After Ronaldo’s gesture, Coca-Cola was forced to release a statement saying: ‘Everyone is entitled to their drink preferences’ and that people have their ‘tastes and needs’.

    Even a Euro 2020 spokesperson addressed the chatter around the topic saying: “Players are offered water, alongside Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, on arrival at our press conferences.”

    Meanwhile, the organizer, UEFA warned that the teams could be fined if they move drinks at Euro 2020 news conferences.

  • Cristiano Ronaldo removes Coca-Cola bottles at Euro 2020 presser, prefers water

    Cristiano Ronaldo removes Coca-Cola bottles at Euro 2020 presser, prefers water

    Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo removed Coca-Cola bottles placed in front of him in a pre-match Euro 2020 press conference on Monday before holding up a bottle of water to the room and declaring people should drink water instead.

    Read more – Eriksen collapses during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland

    Then, for dramatic effect, he rolled his eyes and said with borderline disgust, “Coca-Cola”.

    The brand is an official sponsor of the tournament, but as Ronaldo took his seat in front of reporters, he almost immediately looked uncomfortable.

    https://twitter.com/goal/status/1404716751988928515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1404716751988928515%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-3752715264888482453.ampproject.net%2F2106030132000%2Fframe.html

    Ronaldo is not just health-obsessed but has previously revealed that it irritates him when his son drinks fizzy drinks.

    Ronaldo is one of the most supremely fit footballer even at the age of 36 years. Heading into his 50th Euro Championship, Ronaldo still remains one of the most feared strikers in the world.

    Meanwhile, Portugal begin their play in Group F on Tuesday against Hungary before facing Germany on Saturday and France next Wednesday.

  • Eriksen collapses during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland

    Eriksen collapses during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland

    Denmark star Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field in the first half of his team game against Finland at Euro 2020 on Saturday in Copenhagen.

    Eriksen was walking alone near the sideline of the ground in the 42nd minute when he stumbled and then fall forward.

    His teammates immediately sensed trouble, rushing to him and waving frantically for trainers to come to his aid.

    Eriksen’s teammates, some of them in tears, then formed a circled to shield him as the medical team tried to resuscitate Eriksen with CPR and a defibrillator on the field.

    This went on for nearly 20 minutes before Eriksen was transferred to a stretcher and was carried off the field.

    The match was initially suspended but later it was decided that it would resume.

    Eriksen was taken to a hospital and is said to be stable now.

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with Christian Eriksen and his family,” Cristiano Ronaldo said on Instagram. “The world of football stands together hoping for good news. I’m counting on finding you soon back on the pitch, Chris! Stay strong!”

    Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza was also heartbroken to know about this incident.

    As per reports, Eriksen had a Facetime call with his teammates from the hospital and asked them to play the game tonight, as “he feels better now.”

  • EURO 2020 to be EURO 2021 now

    EURO 2020 to be EURO 2021 now

    UEFA on Tuesday announced the postponement of its flagship national team competition, UEFA EURO 2020, due to be played in June and July 2020.

    According to an official statement, UEFA said the health of all those involved in the game is the priority, as well as to avoid placing any unnecessary pressure on national public services involved in staging matches. The move will help all domestic competitions, currently on hold due to the COVID-19 emergency, to be completed.

    All UEFA competitions and matches (including friendlies) for clubs and national teams for both men and women have been put on hold until further notice. The UEFA EURO 2020 play-off matches and international friendlies, scheduled for the end of March, will now be played in the international window at the start of June, subject to a review of the situation.

    A working group has been set up with the participation of leagues and club representatives to examine calendar solutions that would allow for the completion of the current season and any other consequence of the decisions made today.

    The decisions, taken by UEFA’s Executive Committee, followed videoconference meetings held with the presidents and general secretaries of the 55 national associations, as well as representatives of the European Club Association, European Leagues and FIFPro Europe, convened by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, to find a coherent plan to break the logjam of fixtures building up due to the spread of the virus across the continent.

    Announcing the decisions, Aleksander Čeferin said: “We are at the helm of a sport that vast numbers of people live and breathe that has been laid low by this invisible and fast-moving opponent. It is at times like these that the football community needs to show responsibility, unity, solidarity and altruism.

    “The health of fans, staff and players has to be our number one priority and, in that spirit, UEFA tabled a range of options so that competitions can finish this season safely and I am proud of the response of my colleagues across European football. There was a real spirit of cooperation, with everyone recognising that they had to sacrifice something in order to achieve the best result.

    “It was important that, as the governing body of European football, UEFA led the process and made the biggest sacrifice. Moving EURO 2020 comes at a huge cost for UEFA but we will do our best to ensure that the vital funding for grassroots, women’s football and the development of the game in our 55 countries is not affected. Purpose over profit has been our guiding principle in taking this decision for the good of European football as a whole.

    “Football is an uplifting and powerful force in society. The thought of celebrating a pan-European festival of football in empty stadia, with deserted fan zones while the continent sits at home in isolation, is a joyless one and one we could not accept to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the competition.

    “I would like to thank the European Club Association, the European Leagues and FIFPro Europe for their great work today and for their cooperation. I would also like to thank from the bottom of my heart the 55 national associations, their presidents and general secretaries, and my colleagues from the Executive Committee for their support and wise decisions. The fine detail will be worked out in the coming weeks but the basic principles have been agreed and that is a major step forward. We have all shown that we are responsible leaders. We have demonstrated solidarity and unity. Purpose over profit. We’ve achieved this today.

    “I would also like to thank Alejandro Domínguez and CONMEBOL, who have agreed to move CONMEBOL’s 2020 Copa America in order to follow the recommendations issued by the international public health organisations to enact extreme measures and as a result of EURO 2020 being postponed. This means that clubs and leagues in Europe will have as little disruption as possible in the availability of their players. These joint efforts and especially this coordinated and responsible decision, are deeply appreciated by the whole European football community.

    “I would like to thank FIFA and its President, Gianni Infantino, who has indicated it will do whatever is required to make this new calendar work. In the face of this crisis, football has shown its best side with openness, solidarity and tolerance.”

    UEFA EURO 2020 was scheduled to take place in 12 cities across Europe from 12 June to 12 July 2020. The proposed new dates are 11 June to 11 July 2021. UEFA would like to reassure existing ticket buyers and hospitality clients that if they cannot attend the tournament in 2021, the face value of their tickets and packages will be refunded in full. Within the next month, further information on the refund process will be communicated to existing ticket buyers via email and on euro2020.com/tickets.

    Decisions on dates for other UEFA competitions, whether club or national team for men or women, will be taken and announced in due course.