[Epoch Times, June 20, 2021]The 2020 European Cup football match was reopened in June of this year after being postponed by the Chinese Communist virus for one year. According to the German “Business Daily” report, UEFA is playing a dangerous game: one-third of the sponsors are from China.
1/3 of sponsors are from China
Fa Guang quoted the German “Business Daily” as saying that, what is striking is that Volkswagen is the only European company among the sponsors of this European Cup football match. In a team of 12 UEFA financiers, 1/3 of the companies are from China, and the others are from Russia, the United States and the Arab world. UEFA has written great goals, such as international understanding, human rights, tolerance and anti-racism.
The report questioned where the money for their super-large football show came from, it seems to be secondary. In any case, European values are almost invisible from sponsors, and these advertisements are worrying.
UEFA has won a number of Chinese sponsors, including Alipay, Hisense, VIVO, Douyin-Chinese companies focused on advertising at the European Football Championship.
UEFA also managed to get the sponsorship of the state-owned company Gazprom before the start of the game. Just because the company joined at the last minute, UEFA’s revenue should have reached the level of the last European Cup football game. In 2016, UEFA raised a total of 483 million euros for such “commercial rights”.
Some sponsors are involved in forced labor
The report said that Russian and Chinese sponsors are doubtful. In particular, the concentration of Chinese companies has caused more doubts. This year’s European Cup football game showcased the propaganda hodgepodge of Far East sponsors. According to Thomas Koch, a Düsseldorf media expert, “UEFA is far from the audience.”
Through the advertisements on the stadium, the audience can experience some little-known or rarely used Chinese suppliers, such as Hisense household appliances, VIVO smartphones and Alipay. Short video expert Douyin has now joined the sponsor’s team.
The offensive of these four business groups was a complete success for Beijing’s official website China.com. However, both Hisense and VIVO are suspected of benefiting from forced labor against Uighurs in Xinjiang. Whether the money is dirty or not does not seem to matter to UEFA. The choice of who to join the sponsor team is entirely up to UEFA.
The German startup commissioner warned: “The football game is still football. But for some sponsors, such as those from China and Russia, strategic and political considerations may be more important.”
Editor in charge: Zhao Fenghua #
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