After being overlooked by UEFA for EURO 2024, Turkish media have heavily criticized the football governing body’s decision.
Turkey’s newspapers have responded harshly to UEFA’s decision to award the Euro 2024 football tournament to Germany. Sabah newspaper wrote “You lost!” on its front page, adding, “Ceferin used his power in an unethical way in favor of Germany.” “Ceferin’s dirty bargain,” it wrote, saying the UEFA head “put pressure on five members” at their hotel to switch their support to Germany.”
“It’s not just. UEFA gave its support to racism,” said the Yeni Safak daily. It referred to the scandal that broke out when Arsenal star Mesut Ozil quit the German national team in the wake of the World Cup in a row over racism in Germany’s football federation after he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“UEFA was expected to take a stance against racism and discrimination but did the exact opposite and gave the event to Germany, which has been under the shadow of racism,” the paper said.
“Nothing changes in Europe’s head,” said the Turkiye daily. “Turkey experienced disappointment for the fourth time.”
“We did not lose. Europe lost,” said Takvim. Sports daily Fotomaç described the voting as a “dirty game.” Referring to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, Milliyet said, “He stabbed us in the back.” Fotomaç further described Ceferin’s alleged lobbying against Turkey as a “stab in the back,” recalling that the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) had backed the Slovenian for UEFA president back in the 2016 elections. “Which criteria did Poland and Ukraine match when they staged this tournament in 2012?” columnist Turgay Demir asked in Fotomaç.
“We lost it in one night,” said Hürriyet, accusing Ceferin of swaying committee members on Wednesday night so that a 9-7 advantage for Turkey turned into a 4-12 loss. The daily wrote, by backing Germany, Ceferin wanted to “strengthen his bid” for re-election next February. But the result calls Ceferin’s presidency into question, Hürriyet said.” It was a Germany operation from Ceferin,” said Fanatik, the sports daily. “After the decision, the very surprised TFF delegation showed its response to Ceferin,” the paper added.
“Stabbed in the back,” daily Vatan wrote, adding the TFF would withdraw its support for the Slovenian president in the coming election.
“UEFA has betrayed a vision to carry European football into new regions. Shame,” commentator Ersin Duzen wrote in Vatan.
source: dailysabah