Is football – or that heady Euro ‘96 feeling, at least – coming home? That was the rumour that went viral online on Thursday after a loose-tongued member of Uefa’s executive committee told an Italian radio station that “Euro 2020 only in England is a possibility”.
Armand Duka, the Uefa executive committee member from Albania, raised the possibility of a change in format for a tournament currently still scheduled to involve 12 venues across Europe. Duka told radio station Kiss Kiss Napoli: “There are still four or five months left. Let’s see if the situation changes, or otherwise England will remain a possibility.”
In response, the comedian David Baddiel was moved to tweet: “The words ‘it’s’, ‘coming’ and ‘home’ spring to mind.” However, it would be advisable for football fans to contain their excitement and refrain from breaking into a chorus of “Three Lions” just yet.
i understands that in a meeting on Wednesday of the 12 national associations preparing to stage matches, there was not a single mention made of the prospect of switching to a single-host country.
At the end of January, Uefa gave the host cities an extended deadline of early April to submit plans for how they will accommodate fans, if at all. A Uefa spokesman reiterated on Thursday that the governing body remains committed to its continent-wide plan for the finals, due to take place between 11 June and 11 July.
“Uefa is committed to holding Euro 2020 across 12 European cities, according to the schedule agreed last summer,” he said. “There are no other plans being pursued.”
For his part, Mr Duka said he hoped “the rest of Europe” would be able to follow the British government’s lead by getting fans back into stadiums in time for June. “The hope then, is that Euro 2020 will be played with 50 per cent of the spectators in the stands,” he said.
Until a final decision is made, however, it is understandable why England – or Great Britain, given that Glasgow is a host city along with London – would be considered an option.
Wembley is already due to host the semi-finals and final of the tournament (along with four other matches) and the speed of the UK’s vaccination rollout and fact the Government has put in place a clear roadmap that includes the return of supporters to stadiums from 17 May, would put the country in a strong position were Uefa to do a U-turn.
Health secretary Matt Hancock has already denied a story in The Sunday Times last weekend that the UK Government had indicated to Uefa its willingness to host the tournament.
“I haven’t seen anything on that. I understand that that’s not right,” he told Sky News on Sunday.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2NJTctl
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