All eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo again in Wednesday’s Euro 2024 match against Georgia after selfie-hunting pitch invaders in Portugal’s last game raised security concerns and forced UEFA to introduce stricter measures to protect the players.
Portugal’s 3-0 victory over Turkey was marred by at least six fans invading the pitch desperate to get photos with the great Portuguese during and after the game in Dortmund on Saturday.
The result secured Portugal qualification for the last 16 as Group F winners while Georgia need a win to reach the knockout stages.
“Safety and security in the stadium, on the pitch and at team facilities are the ultimate priority for UEFA, DFB (German Football Association) and Euro 2024,” UEFA said in a statement.
“To this end, additional safety measures will be deployed in the stadiums to further meet the requirements of the tournament, and to prevent such incidents. For reasons of security, we cannot comment further on specific measures.
“Any incursion onto the pitch constitutes a breach of the stadium rules and will result in expulsion from the stadium, a ban from all tournament matches and the filing of a formal criminal complaint for trespass.”
Though the invaders seemed to want just a photo, Portugal coach Robert Martinez expressed fears.
“It’s a concern because today we were lucky that the intentions of the fans were good,” he told reporters.
“I think we all love a fan that recognises that big star and the big icons … but you can understand that there is a very, very difficult moment if those intentions are wrong.”