Euro 2020 is finally here and the tournament has already become the subject of heated debates. During the first game between Italy and Turkey, which ended with the Squadra Azzurra thrashing their rivals 3-0, the official ball of the tournament was brought, or rather delivered to the pitch by…a tiny remote-controlled Volkswagen car.
The #EURO ball was just delivered to center pitch on a remote control car #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/PpgWcW8xix
— Kimani Njogu (@njogukim) June 11, 2021
The news caused a torrent of comments on social media and judging by them football fans have mixed feelings about the sport's latest innovation.
this was so stupid i loved it
— doing their best (@localdoughnut) June 11, 2021
Many netizens wondered what the driver of the tiny car would have looked liked if it had been a real vehicle.
Just found the Euro 2020 ball delivery driver pic.twitter.com/30JQVPOpbp
— Kieran Ashton 🏴 (@kieran_ashton1) June 11, 2021
— michael edwards (@medwards1074) June 11, 2021
Others were worried that it may injure athletes and pondered what the tournament's organisers had up their sleeves for the next matches.
I hope it's a different type of vehicle each match. Helicopter, dodgem, speedboat, that sort of thing.
— Philip Lickley (@philiplickley) June 11, 2021
It will end up upending a player.
— Fernando Duarte (@Fernando_Duarte) June 11, 2021
Many users just couldn't cope with the shock.
Perhaps one of the most surreal moments I've seen at a football match - the ball being delivered to the referee by a remote control @VW car #EURO2020 #ITATUR pic.twitter.com/IiGeR9TrvW
— Nathan Clay (@NathanClayLaw) June 12, 2021
Excuse me, a LITTLE CAR brought the Euros football into the Euros football match? Why was this not a BBC Breaking notification??!!
— little car carrying a football (@SophLouiseHall) June 11, 2021
Yet others pointed out that this is not the first time that game balls have been bought to the pitch in an extravagant way.
So the matchball for Indian Super League matches is delivered out of a DHL box 😂🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/XhhVhhudac
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) January 18, 2020
This happened in the Saudi league 2014https://t.co/8Vmg6y6ATL
— مهجّد عرابجة أمريكا® (@B6L_501) June 11, 2021
Incidentally, this wasn't the only unusual thing at the first game of Euro 2020 (not to mention that the tournament is being held in the summer of 2021). The first goal of the tournament was an own goal accidentally scored by Turkish defender Merih Demiral.
Advantage Italy 🇮🇹
— BocaGalactico™️ (@BocaGalactico) June 11, 2021
1-0 after Merih Demiral scored an own goal pic.twitter.com/dhGpdPOLEo
