The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has threatened action will be taken if players keep tampering with bottles at press conferences.
UEFA said in a statement that it has reminded participating teams that “partnerships are integral to the delivery of the tournament and to ensuring the development of football across Europe, including for youth and women”.
The threat comes after Russian football manager Stanislav Cherchesov skulled a bottle of coke during a press conference at Euro 2020.
It also comes after several players have taken to removing sponsorship products from their press conferences at Euro 2020.
Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo started the trend and made headlines after removing two bottles of Coca-Cola from a press conference before telling journalists to “drink water”.
Less than a day later, French player Paul Pogba removed a Heineken at a Euro 2020 press conference reportedly for religious reasons. Similarly, Italian player Manuel Locatelli placed a bottle of water in front of his microphone and removed two Coca-Cola bottles from sight.
Still, not everyone is endorsing water. During a press conference, Russian defender Georgy Dzhikiya said to his football manager, Cherchesov: “Did you see what Cristiano did when he got rid of them?”
Cherhesov responded by chugging on a bottle of Coca-Cola.
Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov just couldn't resist 😅 pic.twitter.com/sbAcbQv24g
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 18, 2021
Naturally, the football manager’s went viral.
How to open a Coca Cola bottle by Stanislav Salamovich Cherchesov… pic.twitter.com/Y6owC2XaDK
— Joel Amorim (@Vostok1981) June 17, 2021
Cherchesov swigging some (sugar-free) Coke before his presser, Dzhikiya asks him: 'Didn't you see what Cristiano did yesterday? He got rid of it.' Stani's body evidently not as much of a temple as CR7's #Euro2020 pic.twitter.com/kOZQBZL3zH
— Liam Tyler (@tyler_lj) June 15, 2021
If Coca Cola want to send drinks to football affiliated persons who don't want to move it out the way…
You know where I am.
— Carl Anka (@Ankaman616) June 17, 2021
Cherchesov, my kind of idol. #RUS
— Marca de Gol (@marcadegol) June 17, 2021
Both Coca-Cola and Heineken are considered top-tier sponsors for Euro 2020.
The Irish Times reported that tournament director Martin Kallen has said that all players are obliged to follow regulations.
“We are never fining players directly from the UEFA side, we will do this always through the participating national association and then they could look if they will go further to the player, but we are not going directly for the moment to the player,” he said.
“We are quite open that if it’s for a religious reason then they don’t need to have a bottle.”
