UEFA were left embarrassed by former Bayern Munich defender Thomas Helmer after he labelled the Europa League the “cup of losers”.
The awkward moment followed a series of technical issues that plagued the Champions League draw on Friday morning.
Former Bayern Munich defender Thomas Helmer referred to the Europa League as the ‘cup of losers’Credit: Twitter
UEFA colleague Giorgio Marchetti smiled uncomfortably during the drawCredit: Twitter
Uefa’s Pedro Pinto was in charge of navigating the socially distanced ceremonies for both competitions that will kick-off next month.
Ex-Bayern star Helmer was one of a few present at the governing body’s headquarters in Nyom, Switzerland.
The Champions League draw saw Manchester City face the winners of Lyon vs Juventus – if they get past Real Madrid.
Meanwhile Chelsea will be hoping to spring the ultimate surprise on Bayern Munich and set up a quarter-final against Napoli or Barcelona.
But the festival drew the ire of fans after it was marred by technical glitches that caused a 20-minute delay.
Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke and ex-Real Madrid man Emilio Butragueno later struggled with audio issues during their interviews.
While Uefa would have been hoping the Europa League draw would have gone off without a hitch, Helmer stirred controversy with his ill-advised comments as the second ceremony began.
Gesturing to Uefa colleague Giorgio Marchetti, he asked host Pinto: “Do you know what he calls it, no?
“The cup of losers.”
Marchetti looked suitably embrassed as Helmer started laughing and fans at home were sent wild on social media.
One tweeted: “So Man Utd will be losers even if they win the tournament?”
A second replied: “Wonder how they perceive teams in the lower divisions then. They may as well not exist for them.”
A third added: “I’d hate to see what they will call the third European competition coming next year.”
The Europa League draw has meant that Manchester United and Wolves could face a Premier League showdown in Germany for the chance to reach the final.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, 5-0 up from their first leg against Austrian side LASK, are racing certainties to reach the last eight.
And if United can then get past the challenge of Turkish league leaders Istanbul Basaksehir or Denmark’s Copenhagen, they would be in line to take on Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in the last four.
Wolves, level after their first leg with Olympiacos in Greece, will have home advantage at Molineux for the return game next month.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
