You're reading: English Football Association to file complaint against BBC for film about Ukraine

The English Football Association (FA) is preparing a formal written complaint against the BBC, claiming the broadcaster launched a campaign ahead of the Euro 2012 European Football Championship in Ukraine and Poland aimed at discrediting the tournament's co-hosts, the Ukraine 2012 Information Center has reported, with reference to the UK's Daily Mail newspaper.

In May 2012, a film was shown on the BBC program Panorama pointing to
problems of racism and football hooliganism at the stadiums in Ukraine
and Poland. Former England international Sol Campbell advised English
fans to avoid traveling to the two Eastern European countries.

The England fans who supported their national team in Kyiv and
Donetsk during Euro 2012 group stage matches saw that that the BBC’s
claims were untrue, the center said.

The FA leadership said that through their unprofessional actions, the
BBC had deprived the English national team of significant support from
fans at Euro 2012 matches in Ukraine.