Portugal vs Turkey at Euro 2024 was a very entertaining encounter with plenty of action in both boxes but, unfortunately, it was overshadowed by multiple pitch invaders. Not once, not twice, but three times play was stopped as fans went rogue attempting to secure a selfie with Cristiano Ronaldo.
We can all sympathise with supporters who are desperate for a photo with their hero, but this is not the way to do it.
Cristiano Ronaldo a busy man as pitch invaders strike
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Pitch invaders halt play during Portugal vs Turkey
🤳❤️ Cristiano Ronaldo poses with the young pitch invader! 😅 #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/Wj0eBVoMJv
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 22, 2024
The focus should have been on the glorious attacking football that Portugal played for large parts of the match and for the most part, it was. However, on three separate occasions, our attention was taken away from the players and shifted to pitch invaders.
In the first instance, the culprit was a young child who the crowd inside the ground reacted warmly to – but this only encouraged others to follow in his footsteps.
Two more invaders then followed, the last of which was certainly an adult, and the quality of play on the pitch appeared to be suffering as a result.
Both sides were unable to find any sort of rhythm as the action was brought to a stop multiple times, something which likely hindered Turkey far more than it did Portugal.
It was a shame, and questions must be asked of the stewards for allowing it to happen on three separate occasions throughout the 90 minutes.
A threat to player wellbeing
Pitch invasions, whether that be by a single culprit or a group of supporters, are inherently dangerous. They put not only the invader at risk but also the players too.
The Chief Constable of Cheshire Police has previously “The pitch is the players' place of work and like everyone else, they should be able to feel safe.”
We often talk about the extreme financial benefit that exists for simply being a footballer, and while that is true, no amount of money should subject anyone to threats to their well-being while they are essentially at work.
Football governing bodies have unsurprisingly echoed those words shared by the police in England, with the FA previously stating that “Football stadiums should always be a safe and enjoyable space for everyone, and these incidents are completely unacceptable and have no place in our game.”
Wanting a photo with a player is perfectly acceptable, but pitch invasions are unequivocally the wrong way to get them.