Marc Cucurella wears his hair long because of his mom, France's short flight causes head shaking and a political hiccup between Germany and Turkey. The European Championship splinters from Thursday.
Hair: a guide for mom
The "Süddeutsche Zeitung" described Marc Cucurella's hair as "the most exciting football mat since the Colombian Carlos Valderrama". Spain's curly head of hair will at least visually stand out again in the quarter-final clash against Germany. The 25-year-old from Chelsea FC wears his dark hair really long - contrary to all trends among professional footballers - and keeps it back with a narrow ribbon during matches. "When I was little, my mother talked for half the game and wasn't very attentive," explained Cucurella in an interview with Radio Cope. Thanks to her long hair, mom Patricia was able to tell her son apart from the other boys on the pitch. "That's how it stayed and that's how I keep it," said Cucurella, adding: "I'd let them cut my hair if we won the European Championship - but my wife Claudia would kill me for it. She likes my hair so much." However, he would have his hair dyed red if the Furia Roja won the European Championship.
France's short flight
The French national team caused a stir after the round of 16 final against Belgium with a short flight from Düsseldorf to Paderborn. The Ministry of the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany strongly criticized the move. "This is indeed unbelievable," said the conservationists, "this is one of the most absurd examples I have ever heard of." The charter flight lasted half an hour. The players spent around 75 minutes on the bus for the two airport transfers. The usual check-in regulations also applied to the teams. In total, the French players were on the road for three and a half hours after the game. The bus journey from the Rhine Stadium to the European Championship quarters, 177 km away, would have taken two hours.
Calling in
Merih Demiral's double goal celebration in the round of 16 match between Turkey and Austria with the so-called "wolf salute" was elevated to a political level. On Wednesday, the Turkish government summoned the German ambassador. The Turks accused the Germans of "xenophobia". Germany responded by summoning the Turkish ambassador on Thursday. The summoning of an ambassador is considered a harsh diplomatic measure. The Turks feel badly treated because of the affair. The Turkish Foreign Ministry describes the UEFA investigation as unacceptable. Not every person who displays the Grey Wolves sign can be described as right-wing extremist. Furthermore, the wolf salute is not banned in Germany and the authorities' reactions were "xenophobic".
SDA
