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ZDF demands UEFA compensation for match blackout

German public broadcaster ZDF is in talks with UEFA for compensation for repeated broadcast blackouts of the Euro 2008 quarterfinal match between Germany and Turkey last month.

ZDF demands UEFA compensation for match blackout
Photo: DPA

The television signal of the match on June 25 was subject to disruptions of service due to bad weather at the tournament’s international broadcast centre in Vienna and German fans couldn’t see what was happening on the pitch for over six minutes.

“We are negotiating with UEFA about compensation,” ZDF Editor-in-Chief Nikolaus Brender said on Thursday, claiming that the channel’s “image had been damaged considerably” since German fans believed ZDF was to blame for the broadcast problem.

The match was held in the Swiss city of Basel, but UEFA required all international broadcasters to use a signal from the broadcast centre in the Austrian capital. Eventually ZDF was able to get a signal directly from Swiss television, since it was not affected by the power outage in Vienna.

“Now we’ll see how much we’ll be compensated,” Brender said.

UEFA took responsibility for the cock-up the day after the match and apologized for not having a contingency plan after the storm knocked out the broadcast centre. Turkey’s fans avoided the horror of not knowing how their team was doing since the channel showing the match used a different broadcast technology than ZDF.

RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

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