Peak 2021.
The Euros are upon us! Yes, Euro 2020 has finally kicked off (in 2021) and it got off to a great start with an extremely impressive Italy brushing aside Turkey in Rome.
However, one moment really stood out. No, it wasn’t Insigne’s lovely third goal. It was a much greater moment that even overshadowed a stirring rendition of Nessun Dorma from the great Andrea Bocelli.
So what star are we talking about? The remote controlled car that delivered the ball onto the pitch of course!
You read that correctly.
A little car zoomed onto the pitch, carrying the ball to the center circle so that the match could begin. And safe to say no one quite knew what was going on.
AMA AL FUTBOL?!? pic.twitter.com/b2vtoenHFs
— Carl Anka (@Ankaman616) June 11, 2021
That’s it, the tournament has peaked, someone managed to create a dumb remote control sponsored car for the ball. pic.twitter.com/ypDbsMaCz6
— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) June 11, 2021
It really split opinion as well. Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges wasn’t a fan, describing the car as “creepy”…
Just seen that wee creepy car bringing the ball on there. Ruined the tournament for me.
— Kevin Bridges (@kevinbridges86) June 11, 2021
Others wondered whether they were hallucinating after having had the vaccine…
Is a side effect of the vaccine crying because the Euros made a tiny version of a real car and got it to drive the ball onto the pitch to start the game because
— Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) June 11, 2021
But many just absolutely loved how insane it was.
https://twitter.com/profanityswan/status/1403426994642108418
At the Stadio Olimpico next Sunday I’m going to ask if I can have a little go driving that little car with the ball 🤣
— Michelle Owen (@MichelleOwen7) June 11, 2021
And of course, in the age of Twitter, it wasn’t long before the little car had become prime comedy material.
One Twitter user noted how it was something that a certain Mr Partridge may have come up with, whilst another thought that the whole opening ceremony was perhaps the concoction of a power-crazy Lord Vader.
UEFA should use a Volkswagen remote control car to deliver the football onto the pitch for the first game of EURO 2020 pic.twitter.com/j3cmQruoTp
— Christian Howe (@christianhowe_) June 11, 2021
“Listen here. I want Bocelli, a load of balloons and a fucking remote controlled car with the match ball in it. Otherwise, you can kiss goodbye to Alderaan…” https://t.co/p1KHcEex9k
— A Funny Old Game (@sid_lambert) June 12, 2021
Before long, teams and players were becoming the butt of the jokes.
Some wondered whether it was perhaps little Lorenzo Insigne’s car, although as someone who also stands around the 5’5″ mark, you won’t catch me making these jibes.
Someone said this is insigne’s car 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/SYNEE0c2C4
— Louie (@LouieAlissa) June 11, 2021
Man said this was Insigne’s Uber 😭#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/g6Fe5BQbS8
— Jay 🌊 (@saucywfc) June 11, 2021
Lorenzo mate you can't just drive your car in to the middle of the pitch pic.twitter.com/uFRGV0Lb85
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) June 11, 2021
Others didn’t miss the opportunity to have a little dig at Paul Pogba.
No way has the VW Electric Car made more Key Passes (1) than Paul Pogba (0) in the euros 🤬🤬 pic.twitter.com/iSUmZvLQfS
— leon (@LeonFCUM) June 11, 2021
And finally it wasn’t lost on many that the car probably had a better game than most of the Turkey players on the pitch.
The cars had more possession than Turkey.#euro2020 #ITA #TUR pic.twitter.com/aF4KkT0oOu
— Monchi’s Moolah 💰 (@AVFCTranstweet) June 11, 2021
Possession Italy 90%, Turkey 3%, Car 7% #Euro2020 pic.twitter.com/Jev6rQWDov
— Jake Chester Holden (@ChesterToad) June 11, 2021
Forget any of the players at the tournament, I think we already have our breakout star of Euro 2020.