Manchester United star Paul Pogba’s actions force UEFA Euro officials to reconsider product placement

According to The Telegraph (Subscription Required), the organizers of the European Championship have agreed not to place bottles of alcohol-free Heineken in front of Muslim players, thanks to Manchester United star Paul Pogba.

The French international caught the attention of the media when he removed a bottle of Heineken from the podium following the 1-0 win over Germany. This came on the heels of Cristiano Ronaldo removing bottles of Coca Cola in a similar manner. However, unlike the Portuguese phenom, Pogba’s actions have forced the organizers into a rethink since he practices Islam.

Organisers are keen to avoid a repeat of the situation and are making efforts to do so. Teams are now being asked whether players and managers appearing at press conferences would object to sitting next to Heineken 0.0 on religious grounds.

The change is now already being felt. No Heineken 0.0 was placed in front of Karim Benzema (also a Muslim) during his own man-of-the-match press conference following the 2-2 draw against Portugal on Wednesday night.

Benzema did however still appear in front of an advertising hoarding promoting the drink and with a man-of-the-match trophy sponsored by Heineken.

The intent matters

UEFA warned last week that it would begin fining teams if players continued to move drinks provided by its sponsors during press conferences. However, it would appear that a clear distinction has been made with regards to what prompts the players to make the decision.

While Pogba’s decision was influenced by religious beliefs, Ronaldo urged people to swap out Cola for a healthy alternative like water.

Commenting on Pogba’s snub, Heineken argued that the product placement was not a means to promote alcohol consumption but rather to help consumers decrease their alcohol intake by displaying alternatives such as beer with zero alcohol content.

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While players should be free to choose what they want to drink or endorse, some actions do come across as more shallow than others. For example, Ronaldo has promoted various carbonated drinks in the past and also fast-food chains such as KFC. That is not to mention his association with Herbalife, an organization that has allegedly been called a multi-level marketing scam in some quarters. (h/t The Sun)

It is not new for Muslim players to abstain from alcohol. For example, Franck Ribery asked to be kept away from alcohol during Bayern’s title celebrations in 2013. A more recent example is that of Liverpool, who ended their thirty-year wait for a title by celebrating with non-alcoholic champagne in lieu of the belief of some players in their squad.

It is a good practice to respect the beliefs of different faiths and make players feel comfortable in their own skin. After all, live and let live.