A continental selection tournament in 12 places seems crazy right now, with the coronavirus epidemic still infecting many worldwide. However, this is the UEFA plan for Euro 2021, a tournament that has already been postponed for a year due to Kovid-19.
In recent months, rumors that the tournament may drop the initial plan and only be played in the UK have surfaced in the European press. In October 2020, UEFA acknowledged the possibility of the tournament being held in fewer than 12 places, a position from which it retreated, maintaining the initial number. In January 2021, Karl-Heinz Rummenig, a Bayern Munich consultant and close to the organization’s summit, said the idea of a single seat was not ruled out.
“This is just speculation. How the tournament will be hosted is a matter for UEFA. As they said yesterday, they are committed to the current format of the tournament. We are focused on the matches that are scheduled for the United Kingdom. , Including seven. A government spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Wembley and matches are also being held at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
However, if logistics was already a challenge, the epidemic made it worse. Many European countries have closed their borders in recent weeks, such as Germany – a situation that has forced the Champions League and Europa League games to play in other countries. Others have created quarantine obligations for specified days. And without the possibility of widespread vaccination by June, the situation is unlikely to improve.
UEFA plans to host games in 12 cities across the continent: London, Dublin, Baku, Munich, Rome, St. Petersburg, Copenhagen, Bucharest, Amsterdam, Bilbao, Budapest and Glasgow. Since the semi-finals, all games will take place at the English capital’s Wembley Stadium. Groups are already prepared, with the locations of each match defined.
