Greenpeace Hijack Real Madrid Press Conference with Protest Banner

Greenpeace briefly disrupted Real Madrid's Champions League press conference in Denmark on Monday, as reported by Greenpeace Spain, as they unveiled a banner protesting against one of the competition's primary sponsors.

The banner, presumably smuggled into the room and prepared beforehand, was unfurled behind Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti and defender Pepe as they began speaking to the press ahead of Tuesday's meeting with FC Copenhagen:

The banner protested against Russian energy company Gazprom. Greenpeace is vehemently against the company's continuing plans to drill for oil in the Arctic Circle, with 30 volunteers and journalists (known as the 'Arctic 30') arrested in October by Russian police after protesting the Prirazlomnaya rig in the Pechora Sea.

Ancelotti and Pepe attempted to continue with the press conference initially, before it was soon removed by an official.

This is not the first time Greenpeace have disrupted a Champions League event with an anti-Gazprom message this season, as October's group stage meeting between Basel and Schalke 04—whose shirts are also sponsored by the company—was temporarily halted after a banner was unveiled from one stand of St Jakob-Park.

Basel were eventually fined £25,409 by UEFA for "insufficient organisation" over the incident, as reported by Eurosport.