KEIR RADNEDGE REPORT: Germany’s Interior Minister Horst Seehofer  has attacked European federation UEFA as “absolutely irresponsible” for allowing the presence of tens of thousands of fans at Wembley for the European Championship.

Seehofer, addressing a media briefing concerning regulations for foreign visitors to Germany for travelers, pointed out the increase in infection rates in the UK because of the so-called delta variant.

He said: “I consider the position of UEFA absolutely irresponsible . . . Minimizing contacts and respecting hygiene rules are essential measures that can hardly be met if you look at the pictures of the matches.

“Crowds of people and the hugs to celebrate the triumphs inevitably promote contagion.”

Seehofer, who is also responsible for sports issues, said that by restricting crowd levels to 14,000 fans, as in Munich, enabled the maintenance of social distancing while providing support for national teams.

He said: “I do not understand why UEFA does not follow a responsible line.”

Seehofer warned that “the commercial aspect” should not “overshadow” the need for protection against infection.

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