UEFA ban players' families from on-pitch celebrations
The sight of players celebrating Euro 2016 victories on the pitch with their families could be a thing of the past now that UEFA wants to prohibit all non-accredited people from going on the field.
Tournament director Martin Kallen cited security risks as the main reason for UEFA's request.
"We're not totally against it, but we have to be cautious and ensure security," he said. "It is a European Championship not a family party.
"A stadium is not the safest place for small kids. Only people with accreditation can access the pitch, nobody else."
As well as pointing to the security risks of allowing children on the pitch, Kallen also explained the need to preserve the grass.
Speaking about the state of the turf at the Stade de France - the venue for the final - he was confident that it would be sufficient.
"There shouldn't be a problem as we have roughly a week and in the most recent matches we've seen that the Stade de France turf was of much better quality, [it is good,] not excellent," he explained.
Asked about the prohibiting of teams from training on stadium pitches ahead of some matches, the director insisted that this was a necessary precaution.
"There are always concerns about the grass as it is used a lot," Kalen said.
More serious concerns have also emerged for European football's governing body following reports that a 25-year-old British fan was stabbed near Paris' Gare du Nord after the France-Iceland match on Sunday.
Emergency treatment was required at Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital and he now appears to be stable.
source: www.marca.com
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