Euro 2020: Uefa asks players to stop removing sponsor bottles

Cristiano Ronaldo started a trend by hiding two Coca-Cola bottles and replacing them with water bottle

Uefa has asked players at Euro 2020 to stop removing strategically placed sponsor drinks from news conference platforms following a bottle-snatching trend started by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, Paul Pogba and Manuel Locatelli all removed sponsor bottles away from the view of cameras when taking their seats at official media sessions this week.

Euro 2020 tournament director Martin Kallen said Uefa has “communicated with the teams regarding this matter.”

“It is important because the revenues of the sponsors are important for the tournament and for European football,” Kallen said in a briefing.

France midfielder Pogba removed a Heineken beer bottle that had been placed in front of him.

Pogba, a Muslim, removed the bottle and placed it on the ground when he sat down to speak to the media after being named man of the match in France's 1-0 Group F win over Germany in Munich.

Kallen said tournament rules require compliance with Uefa’s promises to sponsors, though players with religious objections “don’t need to have a bottle there.”

Ronaldo started the trend on Monday by hiding two Coca-Cola bottles and replacing them with a water bottle, which was also one of the drink maker’s brands.

A drop in Coca-Cola’s share price this week was attributed by some to Ronaldo’s snub, but without any evidence that the two things were connected.