France midfielder and Manchester United player Paul Pogba became the latest footballer to snub a sponsor at the ongoing UEFA European Championship.
Pogba, a practicing muslim, removed the bottle of Heineken placed in front of him during his press interaction. Heineken is a major sponsor and a popular beer brand.
Although the bottle displayed at the press interaction was a non-alcoholic drink but Pogba removed it from the table as it clashed with his religious beliefs.
The incident happened post France's 1-0 win over Germany. Pogba was named man of the match.
Paul Pogba - a devout Muslim - removes a bottle of Heineken beer from the press table after France's win over Germany. #Euro2020 pic.twitter.com/amMXov8ivi
— Khaled Beydoun (@KhaledBeydoun) June 16, 2021
The incident comes days after Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo removed Coca-Cola bottles placed in front of him at a European Championships press conference.
The global beverage giant a staggering USD 4 billion in his market value after that.
A well-known fitness enthusiast, Ronaldo set aside two Coca-Cola glass bottles which lay in front of him during a press conference ahead of Portugal's opening Euro match against Hungary here on Monday.
In a video that has since gone viral, the 36-year-old Juventus striker picked up a bottle of water instead saying "Agua!" in Portuguese, seemingly urging people to choose water over aerated drinks. (with inputs from Agencies)
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