Euro 2020

OUTRAGED viewers have scored a victory over the BBC after it upheld a complaint over the broadcast of ‘distressing’ images of collapsed Christian Eriksen during a Euro 2020 football match.The Beeb’s Executive Complaints Unit says shots of Denmark star Eriksen, who went into cardiac arrest during the game, breached guidelines on potentially offensive material.
Denmark players react after Christian Eriksen’s collapse at Euro 2020Credit: Getty
Christian Eriksen posted this image on Instagram from hospital days after his collapseCredit: Reuters
The Inter Milan ace, 29, needed medical attention after he collapsed during Denmark’s group stage clash with Finland in June.
Harrowing footage showed attempts to resuscitate the attacking midfielder, and images of his distressed wife Sabrina Jensen, mother to his two kids.
The BBC apologised at the time for offence caused by the broadcast, and it was hit with a whopping 6,417 complaints.
A report published on Thursday states: “The ECU agreed that the coverage of the incident, which included shots of the efforts to resuscitate Eriksen and of his evidently distressed wife, was likely to cause offence, both because of the upsetting nature of some of the images and by the element of intrusiveness they involved.”
It notes that the choice of shots from the stadium were provided by the host broadcaster, UEFA, not the BBC.
The ECU says the BBC programme team assumed the host broadcaster would stick to established protocol and show wide shots of the stadium.However, distressing close-up shots were also shown.

The ECU adds: “All those working for BBC Sport have now been reminded of what action should be taken in the event of a serious incident such as this one, and a wide and generic shot will always be made available for immediate use at future live matches.”
The report adds: “The ECU noted that the choice of shots from the stadium was not in the hands of the BBC programme team (the pictures being provided by the host broadcaster UEFA), who had no way of anticipating the earliest of the distressing images, which were among the most intrusive.
“The ECU also noted that the programme team’s expectations were influenced by a longstanding UEFA protocol covering events of this nature; they recognised that the initial shots of the incident didn’t conform to those expectations, but assumed from the fact that the UEFA match director then cut to wide shots of the crowd and other players that the protocol was being properly observed.
“Unfortunately that assumption proved ill-founded, as the remainder of the coverage included several instances of the match director cutting to shots which were closer than a BBC team would have selected.
“The ECU agreed with the management of BBC Sport that the BBC’s coverage should not have stayed with the pictures from the host broadcaster for as long as it did, and found no contextual justification which would have brought the sequence as a whole within the requirements of the BBC guidelines on potentially offensive material.”
Eriksen was discharged after six days in hospital after a “successful” operation to fit a device to regulate his heart.
He has not played competitive football since and it has not yet been decided whether he can ever play again.
Christian Eriksen returns to Inter Milan training ‘in excellent physical condition’ after Euro 2020 cardiac arrest More

JESSE LINGARD was reduced to tears after being left out of Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2020.The Manchester United forward made it into the Three Lions manager’s provisional 33-man squad but was then ousted from the final 26.
Southgate left England out of the final 26-man squadCredit: Rex Features
Lingard turned to supporting England from the pub during the EurosCredit: Instagram @jesselingard
That was despite scoring nine goals on loan at West Ham during the second half of last season.
And Lingard recently described the anguish he felt when he found out he had not made it to the Euros.
Speaking to The Players’ Tribune, he said: “Back in June, I really thought I had done enough to get into the final 26 for the Euros. Obviously, I respected Gareth’s decision, but when I rang to tell my brother, well … I cried. Lou (his brother) cried as well.”
Despite his desperate disappointment, Lingard flew home and cheered his England team-mates on throughout the tournament.
He publicly documented his support for the national team during their Euros opener against Croatia where he posted photos and videos on social media of him in a local pub with an England shirt on.
He has now opened up about the antics that day – which included having Declan Rice on the back of his shirt, getting on the DJ decks and having a parrot on his shoulder.

Lingard was snapped wearing a ‘Rice 4’ England shirt with a parrot on his shoulderCredit: Instagram @jesselingard
“Two years ago, that news would have crushed me completely,” he added. “Thankfully, I’m in a better place these days. When the boys played the opener, I wasn’t going to sit around and mope. I might not have been playing, but I was still a fan, right??
“So I pulled on a shirt — I’m close to Dec, so it had to be RICE 4 on the back — and I went to a pub with Lou and some friends. This guy there was walking around with a parrot — how random is that? — and suddenly it’s sitting right on my shoulder watching us beat Croatia!! 
“You gotta love the pub when England are playing — the atmosphere, the energy. I took some pics, signed some autographs. I’m not really sure how it happened, but soon I was on the DJ decks! 

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“What an afternoon that was. I’ll say this to every player: Join the fans in a pub at least once during your career. It just gives you a different perspective.”
Since the Euros, Lingard has gone on to force his way back into the England set-up.
And he repaid the faith Southgate put in him by scoring twice in a 4-0 win over Andorra last month. More

UEFA has officially launched the bidding process to host the 2028 European Championships.And England ALREADY meets all the stadium criteria required.
Wembley would host the final if England were winners of the bidCredit: Reuters
Under the demands for a 24-team tournament involving 51 matches, potential hosts must be able to put forward 10 stadia.
That includes at least one with a capacity of 60,000 and preferably two that can seat 50,000.
Four grounds must have a capacity of 40,000-plus with three able to host 30,000 or more.
While the FA is currently only in the middle of the ‘feasibility study’ into whether to go through with the proposed England-led 2030 World Cup bid, the fact that it ticks all Uefa’s boxes already could be important.
But the entire concept could be thrown up into the air if Fifa’s plan for a World Cup every two years – starting in 2028 – is voted through, as that would force Uefa into putting their tournament back by 12 months.

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English football already has eight grounds – at Wembley, the Emirates and Tottenham in London, plus the two in Manchester, Anfield, Villa Park and Newcastle – that could seat 50,000-plus.
Everton’s new home at Bramley Moore dock would make that nine while the Stadium of Light, plus Middlesbrough, Derby, Leicester, Stoke, Southampton and Wolverhampton are among grounds that would all exceed the minimum requirements.
So far there are no declared bidders, with Uefa having set an initial deadline of March ahead of a decision in September 2023.
There have been suggestions of bids from Russia, Italy, Turkey, the Scandinavian countries plus Finland and a four-nation Balkan bid involving Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia.
But Uefa, under President Aleksander Ceferin, thinks that Wembley is the ideal footballing showcase, despite the disgraceful hooliganism trouble that took place before the Euro 2020 Final.
And it would not be a shock if the FA was encouraged by Uefa to apply at some stage, even if that was after the deadline had passed.

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Watch Hungarian thugs attack cops in horrific tunnel stand-off during England clash at Wembley More

CHELSEA star Romelu Lukaku admitted he broke down in tears when he heard about Christian Eriksen’s shocking collapse during Euro 2020.The world of football was left praying after Eriksen went down during Denmark’s clash against Finland.
Romelu Lukaku and Christian Eriksen became good friends during their time together at Inter MilanCredit: Getty
Eriksen was rushed to hospital where thankfully he recovered after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitchCredit: Instagram @chriseriksen8
The 29-year-old received treatment, including CPR, as his team-mates formed a human barrier to allow medics to work away from the eyes of the camera and fans in the stadium.
He was then taken to hospital where thankfully he was stabilised.
Now Lukaku has opened up on his feelings after the shocking event and before he played for Belgium against Russia in the same Group B.
In an interview with Uefa’s official social media channel, as reported by FCInterNews, Lukaku said: “Against Russia it was really hard.
“During my time at Inter I spent more time with Christian than with my mother, my son, or my brother because in Italy you stay with the team all day.
“His room was next to mine, he played Call of Duty and things like that. So when he passed out on the pitch and I heard about what had happened I started crying. I was constantly thinking about him.

“On the way to the St Petersburg stadium I needed something to improve my mood, so I decided to play for him throughout the tournament.
“I wanted to do something that could support him and show him that I was with him. I also sent him a message, and I was happy that he answered.”
Lukaku scored twice n Belgium’s 3-0 win against Russia, dedicating the goals to his stricken friend.
And the Chelsea frontman was key in pushing his country to join Denmark in a tenth-minute tribute to Eriksen in their Euros clash.
Eriksen will reportedly undergo a medical examination next month in the hope of returning to training.
MORE TESTS
Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport claims Eriksen will have a crucial check-up to determine whether he can potentially play in the future, just three months after suffering the cardiac arrest. 
Eriksen was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) following the incident.
And the Italian FA said in July that the Dane would need it to be removed in order to play for Inter again.
Eriksen is now set for an important check-up in October which could allow him to remove the ICD.
But the tests may also see the Dane needing to keep the device permanently.
Christian Eriksen returns to Inter Milan training ‘in excellent physical condition’ after Euro 2020 cardiac arrest More