Adding stickers of your favourite players into an album is arguably one of the few innocent pleasures that remain for football fans. But children and seasoned collectors have discovered that even this gentle pastime has been affected by modern football’s passion for money. The Panini sticker album has been a staple of international tournaments since the 1970s.
But after Uefa sold the rights for stickers for Euro 2024 to its American rival Topps, Panini launched an alternative “England 2024” album, using rights held by England, Italy, Germany and France that were not part of Uefa’s deal. It means that fans cannot fill an album with players in their kits from all 24 nations in this year’s tournament, and some big names are missing from the official Topps collection, including Phil Foden, John Stones and Marcus Rashford. To make up the numbers Topps has been forced to include lesser-known footballers, including some who have never even played for England such as the Leicester City defender Luke Thomas.
Now the Consumers’ Association, publisher of Which? magazine, has criticised Uefa, Panini and Topps for an “embarrassing episode” that has “left football fans in the lurch”. Collectors are disappointed, and some have accused Panini of pettiness, while others are concerned future tournaments will be even more disrupted. “It’s really disappointing that Uefa and sticker companies have left football fans in the lurch ahead of the Euros,” Lisa Webb, Which? con.
