The story behind that noise during the Euro 2024 draw

“There is some noise here that… has now stopped,” Giorgio Marchetti tentatively noted during the middle of the draw for Euro 2024.

“No noise any more,” UEFA’s deputy general secretary chirped before returning to his duties as host. Yet, seconds later, the squeaky moans remerged while David Silva was doing his best to uncap a ball containing the fourth nation involved in Group A.

Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie hall had been the stage for a rousing operatic display from tenor Jonas Kaufmann and the bandana-clad violinist David Garrett but was repeatedly pierced by pre-recorded pornographic outbursts.

Here’s everything you need to know about a prank that English viewers have seen before.

At around 17:45 (GMT), a moment of silliness was injected into the stiff ceremony which mapped out the group stage of this summer’s European Championships.

With most of the draw already completed, high-pitched sexual moans could be intermittently heard above the announcement of each participant in the upcoming tournament. They were the same distinct screeches that derailed the BBC’s coverage of an FA Cup tie between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool in January.

On that occasion, the prankster had managed to smuggle a phone onto the underside of a chair in the studio before cranking the ringer to full volume. Unable to locate the device during the programme, Gary Lineker, Paul Ince and Danny Murphy were drowned out by the deafening noise.

At the far bigger arena in Hamburg, the moans were not as loud. Although, they were still audible enough for host Marchetti to stop mid-draw.

Whether he was adhering to a hurried bark in his ear or taking charge of the matter himself, Marchetti was the only host to acknowledge the shouts. Lineker at least made light of the incident when he was the left red-faced in January, wryly telling viewers: “I don’t know who’s making that noise but Alan Shearer is in the commentary gantry.”

Impressively, none of the former footballers in charge of uncapping the balls were caught reacting to the outburst. Danish icon Brian Laudrup came closest to breaking into a smirk, lacking the same mastery of his facial expressions as he did of the ball.

England manager Gareth Southgate confirmed that the noises were just about audible from the crowd. “I’m assuming it was some sort of a prank,” the Three Lions boss astutely deducted, “but it was hard to really make out what it was.” You’d think that…