UEFA promises Euro finals solution to mixed zone muddle
Manuel Pasqual of Italy walks past the mixed zone after the UEFA EURO 2016 qualifier between Italy and Malta on September 3, 2015 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
LAUSANNE, June 7, 2024 - A wide grouping of European sports media organisations have raised concerns with UEFA about what may await journalists at the Euro finals which kick off in Germany next Friday.
The joint approach, also supported by several football associations, followed upset at mixed zone arrangements - in particular - at the Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley last Saturday.
Complaints were raised by AIPS, by an AIPS-Europe working group, and sports journalists’ association from England, Germany, Netherlands and Spain among others.
A letter from the German VDS stated: “The decision to make only a handful of the approximately 30 involved players available is incomprehensible. The location in the poorly lit catacombs of Wembley Stadium next to the team buses with running engines was as unsuitable as the poor technical quality and the far too limited space for non-rights holders in front of the only two podiums.”
UEFA, in response, conceded that the mixed zone did not work as well as hoped and outlined a revised set-up in Germany. This will involve three podiums per venue in the mixed zone in six out of the 10 venues as per:
Podium 1 for all non-rights-holders cameras;
Podium 2 for written press and radio with a focus on Team A;
Podium 3 for press and radio with a focus on Team B.
All the national teams and their media officers have been briefed to provide three players each in all three of these sections. These will be appended by a “couple of meters” at the tail of each mixed zone in which other players may (or may not) interact with the media.
The joint approach, also supported by several football associations, followed upset at mixed zone arrangements - in particular - at the Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley last Saturday.
Complaints were raised by AIPS, by an AIPS-Europe working group, and sports journalists’ association from England, Germany, Netherlands and Spain among others.
A letter from the German VDS stated: “The decision to make only a handful of the approximately 30 involved players available is incomprehensible. The location in the poorly lit catacombs of Wembley Stadium next to the team buses with running engines was as unsuitable as the poor technical quality and the far too limited space for non-rights holders in front of the only two podiums.”
UEFA, in response, conceded that the mixed zone did not work as well as hoped and outlined a revised set-up in Germany. This will involve three podiums per venue in the mixed zone in six out of the 10 venues as per:
Podium 1 for all non-rights-holders cameras;
Podium 2 for written press and radio with a focus on Team A;
Podium 3 for press and radio with a focus on Team B.
All the national teams and their media officers have been briefed to provide three players each in all three of these sections. These will be appended by a “couple of meters” at the tail of each mixed zone in which other players may (or may not) interact with the media.
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