EURO 2016: 5 most controversial Euro moments of all time
Some things in life are constant: death, change, and controversies. In a sporting competition, the chances of it ending without a spot of black is lesser than the ability of fishes to climb trees.
The Euro 2016 has only just begun, but it has already been marred by the tumult caused by fans’ behavior in the Russia-England game. As the tournament proceeds with some wonderful games, most of the talk is about the dark arts that have made fans worry about whether they should actually go and watch games, risking their lives in the process.
It is not like this is the only Euro where the dark nebulous of hullabaloo has shrouded it with its ugliness. Almost every edition before this has had incidents that etched itself to the memories of fans, albeit in a not-so-good way.
And here are the 5 most controversial Euro moments…
#1 Spain’s denial by Franco
General Franco was one of the most notorious dictators of the last century. Despite not being as infamous as Hitler, he had his fair share of ruthlessness. Among many other things, he was an avid football fan and keenly followed the game.
However, he once became the biggest enemy of his country’s football team. In the 1960 edition of Euros, he banned the Spain national team from participating in the quarter-final of the tournament.
Why? Because Spain had to travel to the USSR in order to play their remaining fixtures—something that didn’t go down well with him due to political reasons. In the end, the Soviet Union won the tournament, much to the agony of Spain fans.