A popular Spanish football TV programme has accused UEFA of ‘conditioning’ Euro 2020 for England to reach the final – and even insisted the Three Lions’ decisive penalty against Denmark highlighted the bias.
Gareth Southgate’s side will play Italy in Sunday’s final at Wembley after defeating Denmark on Wednesday, with the Azzurri knocking out Spain the day before in London.
England have played all but one match at Wembley this summer and El Chiringuito, famed for their infamous post-match rants, believe the decision to award Raheem Sterling a controversial penalty against Denmark is a clear sense of favouritism.
Journalist Roberto Morales, a guest on the show, also suggested that the tournament should not have been held in England because of Brexit.
El Chiringuito host Josep Pedrerol, who went viral after slamming Eden Hazard for laughing after Real Madrid’s Champions League loss to Chelsea earlier this year, asked Morales: ‘You think UEFA organised this for an England final?’
The journalist responded: ‘For me, this has been the most shameful competition that we have covered. It has been pathetic.
‘We’ve had matches in cities that aren’t even European in any sense. We’ve got a final that was prepared for a country that left the European Union.
‘It has been totally prepared. They’ve played every game at home except one. It has been totally conditioned for England.
‘All that was missing was the help received (on Tuesday) with the penalty in a game that was proving complicated.’
England winger Sterling went down under several Denmark challenges, including a final one from Brentford midfielder Mathias Jensen, before Dutch referee Danny Makkelie pointed to the spot.
Three Lions captain Harry Kane saw his initial spot kick saved by Kasper Schmeichel but the rebound fell into the path of the England striker who scored to put them 2-1 up.
England will face Italy in the final on Sunday and many Europeans are expected to support the Azzurris over the Three Lions.
A poll in French paper L’Equipe – in English, The Team – revealed that of 80,000 respondents, 69 per cent said they would support Italy while 11 per cent said they would support neither side.
Italian newspapers including La Gazzetta dello Sport added to rumours the Euros were rigged in England’s favour.
The paper claimed the Three Lions were only given their winning penalty against Denmark because UEFA wanted to repay the favour to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his role in stopping the European Super League.
Describing the penalty decision as ‘generous’, the paper declared, ‘Let’s take the crown’, adding that Denmark ‘frightened’ England.
A column in popular Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport attacked the tournament for ‘stinking of Anglophilia and anti-Italianism’.
The fuming piece said UEFA gave ‘a nice little help to Southgate’s boys’ by scheduling all their games, bar one, at Wembley, while other teams were forced to criss-cross the continent.
It claimed a ‘football crime was committed’ when England were awarded a penalty in extra time against the Danes because ‘no one noticed’ there were two balls on the pitch.
COMMENTS