UEFA ‘responds over legal threat’ to Champignons League pizza
A pizzaiolo in Germany who said he had faced legal action from a UEFA copyright enforcer appears to be safe to keep earning a crust from an item named after the Champions League.
The owner of Pizza Wolke dared the administrative body for European football to "see how far" it could take a potential claim over infringement against his 'Champignons League' creation, which he called the "best mushroom pizza in the world" as he hit the headlines earlier this week.
Now the celebrating chef has shared a purported email from a media relations official at UEFA which appears to back down on any threat and even suggest an interest in sampling the delicacy.
"UEFA obviously takes the protection of its intellectual property seriously," said the letter from the body which was shared by the entrepreneurial joker with his thousands of Instagram followers.
"But this instance seems to be a case of an over-zealous local trademark agent acting too hastily.
“The UEFA Champions League can happily live alongside this delicious-sounding pizza.”
Lawyers had reportedly written to the pizzeria, which is based in the town of Giessen, north of Frankfurt, in an attempt to have him sign a cease-and-desist letter.
Seems this one was solved rather quickly. In fairness, good email from UEFA 😊😊 pic.twitter.com/Nz5JhebZ2R
— Finn Rindahl (@FinnRindahl) February 1, 2022
"Long live the pizza," he said as the news first spread on a bad PR day for the organizers of the European Championships.
"I am honored, as a child of football. An ad from UEFA? Seriously? It just goes to show my gang and I that we're absolutely on the right track.
"My gang and I have started a journey and we won't stop... let's see how far UEFA gets."
The owner portrayed himself cheerfully catching a bag of the colorfully-branded pizza as he updated concerned fans in a video by saying: "Breaking news at the late hour: the Champignons League stays where it is."
His supporters were suitably pleased with the outcome. "Great promotion by UEFA," said one. "Send a few of the Champignons League to the office in Geneva."
Another namechecked the failed attempt by several huge clubs to launch a hated alternative to the Champions League by telling him: "Please create Super League pizza."
