UEFA’s very baffling response on blocking the Three Lions (It’s Coming Home) performance at this Sunday’s Euro 2020 final has been revealed.
The administrative body for football has rejected a request for Frank Skinner and David Baddiel to perform their much loved anthem on the pitch at Wembley.
Skinner appeared on Channel 4’s hit Friday night show claiming that the tournament’s organisers said performing the song at the national stadium before England play Italy on Sunday would be “too partisan and not fair to the Italians”.
The baffled comedian cheekily pointed out that Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli sang Nessun Dorma at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico before Italy took on Turkey in the opening game of Euro 2020.
Skinner said on The Last Leg: “There was a suggestion that we sang (Three Lions) on the pitch before the final on Sunday and UEFA said it was too partisan and not fair to the Italians to have that.
“In the opening game, which was Italy versus Turkey, Andrea Bocelli sang Nessun Dorma before the game.”
Because of this, people are now taking to listening to the song even more, in the hope of getting back to number 1 in the Official UK Charts.
In a statement to Sky News, UEFA confirmed a request for Baddiel and Skinner to perform Three Lions on the Wembley pitch was received on Friday but the closing ceremony had “already been finalised”.
“No additional elements can be integrated at this stage due to the very tight countdown schedule and operational complexities ahead of the kick-off,” a UEFA spokesperson said.
UEFA said Three Lions had been chosen as “the fan song” by the FA and it will be played during the players’ warm-up with karaoke graphics on giant screens, “as has been the case for England’s previous matches”.
Baddiel and Skinner will now perform the song with the Lightning Seeds at London’s 229 music venue in front of 200 England fans ahead of the Euros final on Sunday.
Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home) has become a song for England supporters since it was first released in 1996.
It is one of the UK’s best-selling singles of all time, according to the Official Charts Company, and has had four spells at number one.
It has zoomed up the charts again this week to number four as the England team look to win their first major trophy since the famous 1966 World Cup victory.
Explaining the intended meaning of the song, Baddiel said: “It’s about how we mainly lose but still irrationally believe that this time, hope might triumph over experience.
“It’s about yearning and magical thinking. It’s about the condition of being a football fan. Admittedly people have taken (Football’s Coming Home) to mean all sorts of b******s.”
Ahead of the final, government ministers are reportedly being urged not to declare “it’s coming home” while supporting the England football team because it aggravates foreign nations.
A briefing note from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, seen by PoliticsHome, said the phrase “does not go down well overseas” and might damage a potential UK and Ireland bid to host the 2030 World Cup. Ridiculous.
Government sources acknowledged the e-mail and said the song would not be put front and centre of a bid to host the 2030 tournament.
They added “the song is about us for us, it’s been a long old wait for a final”.
Gareth Southgate has made an appeal to the country’s wartime spirit ahead of their Euro 2020 final, urging fans to be proud of its achievements both on and off the pitch.
Southgate said the nation has “so much to be proud of” and urged fans to stop “looking at the negatives of our own country”.
“People have tried to invade us and we’ve had the courage to hold that back,” Southgate told The Daily Telegraph.
“You can’t hide that energy in the stadium against Germany was because of that. I never mentioned that to the players, but I know that’s part of what the story was.”
Fans reacted after hearing UEFA’s baffling response on blocking Three Lions performance at Euro 2020 final…
@Biggaggiesman: So UEFA veto a live performance of Three lions at Wembley for the final because of bias but allow Nessum Dorma before italys opening game? K den.
@ElleRudd_: I think I have found a solution to the issue of UEFA not allowing three lions to be performed at Wembley. Not only should we bring Maneskin in to perform, they can perform Three Lions for us and Skinner and Baddiel can perform I Wanna Be Your Slave
@WhyAlwaysMo: loool who gonna stop the 65k+ fans
@Nevjohnson81: @UEFAcom So you won’t let Three Lions be performed before the final but you will let an opera singer perform before Italy’s game, UEFA is a disgrace and yer obviously corrupt still.
@Hilton041155: Sing it louder than ever from the stands
@walsallben: Dw lads I’ll do it
@Wez_chiiiii: Give them a mic in the seats then and get the fans involved 😂😂
@zebz2003: Because it wouldn’t be fair to Italy, but they had no issue with Andrea Bocelli singing at the start of the Italy v Turkey game did they?
@sebncfc123: But it was ok for Italy to have a live performance of Nessun dorma before their first game?
@sh0121__: we’re gonna do it anyway
@chelseea_leaah: But Opening match for Italy v Turkey Andrea Boccelli could sing Nessun Dorma 🤷🏻♀️ mmmmm
@VillaVisionBen: Okay, so Italy can have that guy sing that opera song first game of the tournament in Rome, but we can’t sing 3 lions in the final. Sound UEFA 🙄
@Anthany_Scamp: We need Baddiel & Skinner Vs Andrea Bocelli in a rap battle before the game 😂😂
@CoryyJenkins: Cunttttssss
@lawsonandy1980: Do it anyway, take the fine.
@HarryW1889: But yet have Bocelli do opening ceremony for Italy’s game against turkey 😂😂
@TRIGGZYBOY: Someone call Barry from EastEnders.
@jofus02: Didnt bocelli sing before turkey vs Italy lmao
@DeanoCummings85: 60,000 England fans will just belt it out anyway
@tommybu86288239: That’s not gonna stop the PA system nor is it gonna stop the fans.
@SayerBenjamin: They should allow both Three Lions and Nessun Dorma to be performed
Can’t stop 65000 England fans belting it out before the game tho pic.twitter.com/7t3vRFbVB6
— Shaun Moore (@wigantoffee) July 10, 2021
— Jack Bennett (@jbennett1997) July 10, 2021
@UEFA pic.twitter.com/ItaJJpODKV
— Taftyyy (@Jake_Taft) July 10, 2021
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