Seville and St Petersburg handed Euro 2020 matches

UEFA's executive committee was meeting on Friday to finalise plans after Bilbao and Dublin could not guarantee fan presence at matches.

Published : Apr 23, 2021 16:12 IST

Munich was the third host city that had been unable to offer UEFA the fan guarantees it needed but a new plan to allow at least 14,500 into the 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena looks set to be approved despite rising infection numbers in the country.
Munich was the third host city that had been unable to offer UEFA the fan guarantees it needed but a new plan to allow at least 14,500 into the 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena looks set to be approved despite rising infection numbers in the country.
lightbox-info

Munich was the third host city that had been unable to offer UEFA the fan guarantees it needed but a new plan to allow at least 14,500 into the 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena looks set to be approved despite rising infection numbers in the country.

Seville replaced Bilbao as a host city for Euro 2020 with St Petersburg in Russia, already a host venue, taking the three group stage games from Dublin, UEFA said on Friday.

Wembley Stadium in London gained the Irish capital's last-16 match, taking its total number of fixtures to eight which include the semi-finals and final.

The first pan-European tournament runs from June 11 to July 11 after being postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

UEFA's executive committee was forced into the changes after Bilbao and Dublin could not guarantee the presence of fans at matches. Munich, which was in doubt, was confirmed as a venue.

 

Boniek is an official of the Polish FA and Poland was due to play games in Dublin and Bilbao.

Munich was the third host city that had been unable to offer UEFA the fan guarantees it needed but a new plan to allow at least 14,500 supporters into the Allianz Arena, despite rising infection numbers in the country, was approved by UEFA.

“We have been working diligently with the host associations and local authorities to ensure a safe and festive environment at the games and I am really pleased that we are able to welcome spectators at all matches for a celebration of national team football across the continent," said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.


Ireland's sports minister Jack Chambers said it was simply not possible to commit to welcoming fans while still battling the pandemic.

"We are trying to reopen a lot of society but being able to leapfrog into having 11,000 people in one place and giving the assurances over that wasn't possible at this point," Chambers told national broadcaster RTE.

"Obviously we're disappointed that this will happen but we have to be honest about what's possible in the pandemic. We will have spectators back at games this summer. To do 11,000 in June as a starter event would be an extraordinary step up."

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment