POZNAN, POLAND—They can’t quite seem to get the stands under control, but UEFA officials are having no problem controlling discipline around something they understand — marketing.
On Monday, UEFA fined Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner 100,000 Euros ($129,000) and banned him for one match after he raised his shirt to reveal the name of Paddy Power, an Irish bookmaker, emblazoned across the top of his underwear during a goal celebration.
Ladbrokes, Paddy Power’s greatest business rival, is an official sponsor of the Euro.
In the aftermath of his celebration, Bendtner offered the flimsy excuse that the underwear were “just a lucky pair of boxer shorts.”
Some sanction was inevitable, but the amount was surprising, especially when compared to other more serious, though non-financial, footballing ‘crimes.’
Over the last 10 years, fines against the supporters of Spain, Serbia, Croatia and Villareal for racial abuse did not amount to 100,000 Euros.
Earlier in this tournament, Russia was fined 120,000 Euros after several of its fans attacked and injured four stadium stewards. Croatia still faces a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday, after its fans were accused of jeering Italian striker Mario Balotelli with monkey chants. Croatian manager Slaven Bilic yesterday disavowed that section of the Croatian crowd, calling them “a few crazy supporters.”
Paddy Power urged Bendtner to fight the ban, and promised to underwrite any defence he mounts.
They also cut the odds on another player drawing a six-figure fine for displaying Paddy Power insignia to 6/1 from 12/1.
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