UEFA to up security after Ronaldo pitch invasions
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Nedum Onuoha and Don Hutchison share their thoughts on Cristiano Ronaldo's unselfish pass to Bruno Fernandes in Portugal's 3-0 victory against Turkey.
Mark Ogden, a well-established journalist for ESPN FC, posted on June 23, 2024 at 5:08 PM.
UEFA will be implementing more security measures at Euro 2024 games and will be pressing charges against any fans who try to enter the field. This decision comes after six spectators tried to take pictures with Cristiano Ronaldo during Portugal's victory over Turkey in Group F in Dortmund on Saturday.
During the game where Portugal won 3-0, the German referee Felix Zwayer had to stop the game four times because fans jumped onto the field and went towards Ronaldo.
After the game ended, two more fans tried to approach the retired soccer player who used to play for Manchester United, Juventus, and Real Madrid. This made Portugal coach Roberto Martinez worry about the players' safety, thinking about what might happen if a fan has bad intentions instead of just wanting to take a picture with the players on the field.
Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion will host a semifinal match later in the tournament and will also be the location for Germany's round of 16 game. The home team is leading Group A, so UEFA has decided to increase security at all stadiums to avoid any more incidents of fans invading the field.
The top concern for UEFA, DFB, and Euro 2024 is ensuring the safety and security of fans in the stadium, on the field, and at team facilities, as stated by a spokesperson from UEFA in an interview with ESPN.
In order to ensure the tournament's requirements are met and prevent similar incidents, more safety measures will be put in place at the stadiums. We are unable to provide details on the specific measures for security reasons.
UEFA has also requested that German law enforcement intervene if fans enter the field of play, and enforce a ban on those supporters for the rest of the tournament.
The representative stated that entering the field without permission is against the stadium rules and will lead to being kicked out of the stadium, banned from future matches, and possibly facing legal action for trespassing.
Portugal earned their spot in the Round of 16 as the top team in Group F after beating Turkey. Their next match is against Georgia in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday.
The team that wins Euro 2016 will then compete in the round of 16 match against a team that qualified in third place. This match will take place in Frankfurt on July 1st.
