UEFA and the blazers, a match made in heaven.
It should be a festival in football this week for the conclusion of Euro 2020, and in many respects it will be. 60,000 people at Wembley Stadium will be quite the sight.
Still, supporters are unable to travel to London from Spain, Italy, and Denmark due to quarantine rules. That's unfortunate, but it is an understandable outcome in the midst of a global pandemic.
However, this does not apply to 2,500 'UEFA VIPs'. They will be allowed to make their way to London for the games without having to adhere to the country's quarantine laws, something UEFA made a condition of the UK getting to host these games.
That has understandably rubbed many people up the wrong way, including Richie Sadlier.
Speaking on RTÉ before the Italy-Spain game, he said it was a situation that was very difficult to accept.
Richie Sadlier argues that UEFA have shown double standards when it comes to those in attendance at Wembley tonight #ITAESP #EURO2020 #RTEsoccer
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📺 Watch live - https://t.co/2W5kFtUgZE pic.twitter.com/bM7rP6qFmg— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 6, 2021
What kind of stinks in the whole thing is that there's an entirely different set of rules if you're a UEFA VIP or commercial partner.
If you're one of the UEFA big wigs, you come into the country from wherever, you don't have to quarantine or produce any documents, in you go and watch the game.
You hear the phrase, and we've repeated it so often over the last year, 'one rule for the elites and one rule for the rest of us', that is literally the case here in top level.
UEFA have decided if you have paid enough money, are connected, are a sponsor, if you're in the clique and have those contacts, the rules don't apply to you.
Liam Brady did not necessarily agree.
He believed that the British Government made the right decision in allowing these visitors in, with UEFA threatening to move the games to Budapest had they not done so.
This resulted in a disagreement with his fellow pundit.
Brady: They had to be tested as soon as they came in. They had to stay in their hotel and not go anywhere else, just go between there and the stadium.
If they didn't do that, UEFA were going to take the games somewhere else. I think the British Government have done the right thing..
Sadlier: You don't see any unfairness there Liam?
If you love Spanish football, saved up some money, maybe me, the wife, and the kids want to see my team in the semi-final, I can't come because I haven't shelled out money to UEFA over the years?
If there are covid rules there great, but apply them to everyone. Apply them across the board, don't split the population by VIPs.
Brady: There will be enough Spaniards and Italians there tonight, don't worry about that. The whole stadium is full of Italians and Spanish.
Sadlier: There is but you can't say it's fair or that it makes sense.
Brady: Look Richie, they're trying to have a tournament in the middle of a pandemic. It's been fantastic so far, so let's talk about football.
You can see both sides of the argument, but the wealthy being treated so much better on an occasion that is supposed to be for the fans is a very difficult pill to swallow.
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