Commentator makes Celtic fan claim as Rangers defender Filip Helander is booed at Hampden
BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce claimed that Rangers defender Filip Helander was not "welcomed him with open arms" by Celtic fans after he was booed at Hampden during Sweden's match with Ukraine at Euro 2020. Helander entered the action in extra time as the Swedes were ultimately knock...
BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce claimed that Rangers defender Filip Helander was not "welcomed him with open arms" by Celtic fans after he was booed at Hampden during Sweden's match with Ukraine at Euro 2020.
Helander entered the action in extra time as the Swedes were ultimately knocked out of the competition after a Artem Dovbyk goal at the tail end of stoppage time.
As the Rangers defender took to the field he was met with a chorus of boos and former Celtic man Mikael Lustig also received the same reception.
Attempting to explain the situation, veteran commentator Pearce said: "It's fair to say he gets a mixed reaction, Filip Helander at Hampden.
"Celtic supporters I don't think have welcomed him with open arms and Rangers fans here have."
Meanwhile, Andriy Shevchenko praised the Ukraine fans who made their way to Hampden Park, after substitute Artem Dovbyk’s dramatic extra time winner booked their Euro 2020 quarter-final place against England on Saturday.
Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko opened the scoring in the 27th minute but Emil Forsberg levelled with his fourth goal of the competition two minutes from the interval.
In the first half of extra time Italian referee Daniel Orsata, with the help of VAR, sent off Sweden’s Marcus Danielson for a high tackle on Ukraine substitute Artem Besedin.
The 10 men looked as if they would hold out for penalties but as the match edged into three minutes of added time, Dovbyk headed in a cross from Zinchenko from close range to send the Ukraine supporters, among the attendance of several thousand, wild with delight.
Boss Shevchenko, who will assess Besedin’s injury on Wednesday, said: “First of all I would like to congratulate every fans’ support of Ukraine for this historic moment.
“The players played for the supporters. We are really pleased.
“It was really hard to get here but our diaspora really supported us.
“The majority of those people work and I think they might have spent the last money they had to come to this game.
“We heard you, thank you very much for this support and greeting to the whole Ukraine, to our president for his support for the support of the whole Ukraine, we know that they were watching and supporting us.”
Sweden head coach Janne Andersson said: “First half we had chances but they managed to get the lead. We equalised before half-time, and in the second half we had four really great chances including hitting the post and the crossbar.
“It felt we would score eventually, but unfortunately we didn’t.”
