Not everyone at Euro 2020 is looking for tournament sponsors (Photos: UEFA / YouTube)
Ukrainian star Andriy Yarmolenko mocked Cristiano Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola snub at Euro 2020, while England captain Harry Kane said he would not join the rather bizarre backlash against the soft drink.
Earlier this week, Portuguese skipper Ronaldo withdrew two bottles of Coke during a media interview, instead holding a bottle of water and saying: “Agua! “- or” Water! ” in Portuguese.
The actions of the five-time Balon d’Or winner caused a stir and wiped $ 4 billion (£ 2.85 billion) from Coca-Cola’s share price, while Italian midfielder Manuel Locatelli followed suit a few days later and French star Paul Pogba also moved a Heineken bottle away from him apparently for religious reasons.
Ronaldo got rid of the coke bottles at his press conference table (Photo: BACKGRID)
But with UEFA ready to fine other players or nations that follow suit, the tone towards Euro 2020 sponsors changed on Thursday, with Yarmolenko mocking Ronaldo’s stunt, while Kane and Scotsman Scott McTominay both refused to join the movement of the bottles.
‘Can I do something? I’ve seen Ronaldo put away Coca-Cola bottles recently, ”Yarmolenko said on Thursday after scoring and assisting in Ukraine’s 2-1 win over North Macedonia to be named Match Star.
“I’m going to put Coca-Cola here, I’m going to put Heineken in front of her!” Guys, contact me! ‘
As Yarmolenko shed light on recent stages, England and Tottenham frontman Kane – who has a deal with coke and recently posted a tweet comparing the feeling of scoring to “that indescribable first taste of Coke -Cola ”- defended the sponsors.
“From my perspective, sponsors have a right to have whatever they want if they’ve paid the money to do it,” Kane said Thursday. “It’s not something I’ve thought about too much, I’m more focused on tomorrow.”
England host Scotland at Wembley on Friday night and McTominay, like Kane, has no problem with Coca-Cola, saying: “It’s okay that Coca-Cola is on the table. I don’t drink it so they can leave it there whatever they want.
McTominay took a sugar-free Coca-Cola with him when he left (Photo: UEFA / YouTube)
“They are the sponsors of the tournament, so they are more than within their rights to have it there. You don’t have to drink it.
At the end of the press conference, McTominay got up to leave and took one of the bottles with him saying, “I’ll have a diet coke too.”
Kane and Southgate have both championed the importance of having sponsors (Photo: UEFA)
England boss Gareth Southgate was also asked to comment on the coke-gate, responding: “I think there are a lot of sponsors in the sport and the impact their money has on all of them. levels help sport to function, especially grassroots sport in our country requires a lot of investment and without these companies investing it is very difficult to have the facilities that we need.
“We are obesity and health conscious, but anything can be done in moderation. Anything eaten in moderation is rarely a problem. I understand the concerns of people and the two guys [Ronaldo and Pogba] have different reasons for their positions that they have taken. But there is always a bigger picture.
MORE: Italian star Manuel Locatelli joins Cristiano Ronaldo in removing Coca-Cola bottles at press conference
MORE: Clip for Cristiano Ronaldo’s Coca Cola commercial resurfaces days after he removed bottles from interview
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