UEFA accused of setting up England for Euro final

LONDON - A popular Spanish football TV programme has accused UEFA of “conditioning” Euro 2020 for England to reach the final.

England have played all but one match at Wembley this summer and El Chiringuito, famed for their infamous post-match rants, believe the decision to award Raheem Sterling a controversial penalty, against Denmark, is a clear sense of favouritism.

Journalist Roberto Morales, a guest on the show, also suggested that the tournament should not have been held in England, due to the United Kingdom’s decision, to leave the European Union.

El Chiringuito host Josep Pedrerol, who went viral after slamming Eden Hazard for laughing after Real Madrid’s Champions League loss to Chelsea earlier this year, asked Morales: “You think UEFA organised this for an England final?”

The journalist responded: “For me, this has been the most shameful competition that we have covered. It has been pathetic. We’ve had matches in cities that aren’t even European in any sense. We’ve got a final that was prepared for a country that left the European Union.

“It has been totally prepared. They’ve played every game at home except one. It has been totally conditioned for England.

“All that was missing was the help received (on Wednesday) with the penalty in a game that was proving complicated.”

Italian newspapers including La Gazzetta dello Sport also peddled rumours the Euros were rigged in England’s favour.

The paper claimed the Three Lions were only given their winning penalty against Denmark because UEFA wanted to repay the favour to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his role in stopping the European Super League.

Describing the penalty decision as “generous”, the paper declared, “Let’s take the crown”, adding that Denmark “frightened” England.

A column in popular Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport attacked the tournament for “stinking of Anglophilia and anti-Italianism”.

The fuming piece said UEFA gave “a nice little help to Southgate’s boys” by scheduling all their games, bar one, at Wembley, while other teams were forced to criss-cross the continent.

It claimed a “football crime was committed” when England were awarded a penalty in extra-time against the Danes because “no one noticed” there were two balls on the pitch.