Football fans around the country flocked to their televisions Wednesday night to catch A-League champions Sydney FC play Liverpool only to find some of the most cringe-worthy pre-match presenting seen in sporting history. Presenters Jules Schiller, Tegan Higginbotham and Steen Raskopoulos took viewers on a memorable (or forgettable?) half-hour of TV before the match. The sky box, usually kitted out with modern technology such as touch screens and tablets, was instead equipped with two sturdy whiteboards with cut-out faces to depict each side’s line-up. Schiller, Higginbotham and Raskopoulos presented an energetic preview of the match ahead, mispronouncing Liverpool striker Milan Baros’ name as “Milos Baros” and pulling together a skit where they all texted former Soccerroo Harry Kewell asking him a variety of questions. “I guarantee he will write back,” Higginbotham said after texting the 38-year-old “you called, who is dis?” Higginbotham revealed she didn’t get a response from Kewell, but was told by her mum she had lipstick on her teeth for the entire pre-game coverage. Fans exploded on Twitter, slamming the network for “wasting their taxes” on the disappointing hosts. Some even went as far as labelling them the “worst football hosts in history”. Fans also questioned why the network didn’t enlist popular football show presenters Santo, Sam and Ed — best known for their stellar coverage of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa in their show Cup Fever. -PB
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