Off the Pitch: Euro 2020 – Day 6

We have finally arrived to the seventh day of the Euros and Italy are the first team to go through to the knockout stages of the competition. While national teams battle it out for a chance to progress further, many things happen off the pitch and especially during press conferences. From Sergio Ramos departing from Real Madrid, to Paul Pogba pulling something similar to Cristiano Ronaldo during his team’s post-match press conference, we have many interesting news from day 6 of Euro 2020 to share with you. Read on to find out more.

Euro 2020 – Day 6 Review

Here is everything you need to know about yesterday.

The end of an era

fans can’t believe it. The world of football and especially Madridistas are saddened today as it was confirmed that a 16-year-long love story is set to end this summer. Yes, you heard it right, Sergio Ramos, Madrid’s most influential player and the captain of Los Blancos will be leaving his home after 16 years of trophy-laden journey.

Real Madrid posted an official statement on social media, announcing that a farewell press conference would be held for their captain today. The Spaniard joined Real Madrid from

back in 2005 and has been one of the most iconic players in Real Madrid history ever since.

The 35-year-old center-back has won everything with both club and country, making himself quite a full trophy-cabinet. Overall, Ramos has won five La Liga titles, two Copas del Rey, four Spanish Super Cups, four Champions League titles, three UEFA Supercups, four FIFA Club World Cups, two European Championships and most important of them all, the 2010 World Cup. Winning most of these trophies might not have been possible for Ramos had he not played for Real Madrid, for whom he has made a total of 671 appearances, scoring a magnificent 101 goals and providing 49 assists in the process.

A beautiful gesture

We all know about the terrible accident that happened during the clash between Denmark and Finland in Euro 2020 and how

suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Such a horrible accident caused many football clubs and national teams, alongside thousands of football fans to show their support for the

midfielder and wish him well on social media after he miraculously pulled through.

Romelu Lukaku was one of the first players to show his support after he dedicated his first goal in Belgium’s 3-0 win against Russia to his club teammate by saying “I love you” directly into the cameras.

And now, yet another beautiful gesture is expected from Lukaku and his national team, as they have announced they will kick the ball out in the 10th minute during their match against Denmark to applaud Christian Eriksen, who dons the number 10 for his nation, and show their support for him and his family. The heartwarming gesture will be remembered forever by the player and everyone watching the beautiful scene.

The war on cold drinks

When you are 

, you influence everyone. Since the Portugal international put away Coca-Cola bottles during press conference and suggested everyone drink water instead, a couple of somehow similar scenarios have also happened. Most notably, Paul Pogba was seen putting away a Heineken beer bottle during press conference after their 1-0 victory against Germany.

Of course the reason behind the action was not much related to dietary restrictions, but had more of a religious intent into it. The 

 midfielder is a devout Muslim, and as we all know, Alcohol is Haram or forbidden in Islam. That’s why the French superstar removed the beer bottle to stay true to his religion. Naturally some say that it was just a publicity stunt since he could’ve just let the bottle stay where it was without committing any sins.

Paul Pogba, alongside with N’golo Kante, delivered a stellar performance against Germany, holding off the opposition in the midfield for just long enough to clutch a 1-0 victory over the 2014 World Cup winners.

An end to war on cold drinks

Now while

and Cristiano Ronaldo might have had a sincere goal in their minds when they removed beer and Coca-Cola bottles respectively, there was one person who stayed true to his nature and did a “reverse Ronaldo” during his own press conference. The person we are talking about is none other than Russia national team boss Stanislav Cherchesov, who refused Ronaldo’s advice by knocking back a cold one in the post-match press conference after their sweet win over Finland.

The 57-year-old former goalkeeper is way away from his prime and he’s let go of himself, obviously gaining a few pounds over the years of his retirement. That alone shows why Cristiano Ronaldo’s clear resentment towards high-sugar drinks is justified. Of course that didn’t stop Cherchesov from toasting Aleksei Miranchuk’s match winner. But we don’t think him drinking Coca-Cola can restore the damage Ronaldo did to the company’s market value.

Russia are currently sitting second in Group B behind Belgium, who have a one game in hand and will be meeting Denmark today at 18:00 CET. Surely Cherchesov will be hoping to keep up the good work and qualify for the round of 16 alongside the obvious favorites Belgium. The only obstacle left to tackle is Denmark, who suffered a shock defeat to Finland despite their dominance over the game.

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