Ronaldo, copycats, live cameras
UEFA takes tough action against European Championship streakers on TV
23.06.2024, 16:10
UEFA doesn’t like this: A young streaker’s selfie with Portugal’s superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the images of the European Championship. But such scenes are very rarely seen on television. There are reasons for this.
Many TV viewers initially did not get to see the young streaker at Portugal’s European Championship match against Turkey. The fan ran onto the pitch in Dortmund on Saturday to Portugal’s superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and was even rewarded with a selfie. ZDF commentator Oliver Schmidt described this scene to viewers in the 68th minute of the game, while replays were shown on the screen.
The fact that such scenes were almost never seen on television is due to the guidelines of the European Football Union UEFA, which also exist at the world association FIFA. Such images should not be broadcast via the international TV signal provided by the organizer, in order not to encourage copycats.
ZDF camera captures Portugal streaker live
This is what various broadcasters have repeatedly explained in the past. Additional images are only possible if they have their own cameras in the stadium. For example, ZDF was able to show the streaking during the Portugal match live.
Tournaments such as the current European Championship in Germany or World Championships and important games such as a Champions League final should not be exploited for actions such as these, is the argument of UEFA and FIFA. Critics see the hiding of certain scenes such as streakers, Bengalos or riots in the stands as censorship and accuse the associations of not wanting to damage their glossy products.
Streakers are a regular phenomenon in football. The intentions are very different: the little boy who wants to have a photo with his idol Ronaldo in Dortmund is the harmless variant. Often the people who run onto the pitch in the middle of a game hope to attract attention for themselves or their political messages.