A delayed UEFA Euro 2020 can be held in Russia

FIFA leader's meeting

After the football fans all around the world got excited about the Euro 2020, especially those in Europe because of the number of host countries and cities, the Covid-19 virus postponed it. As you might already know, the new official start date has been set for June 11th, 2021. With only a few months remaining, you better register with the best betting agent now, to catch the best winning opportunities

However, there are still unresolved issues. The most important and probably the most urgent one is where is it going to be held. The initial plan was to celebrate the competition with 24 teams in 12 different cities. This seemed like a plan that required the highest levels of organization, as FIFA wanted a special setting for the 60th anniversary of the cup. That setting would include:

  1. Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam
  2. Baku Olympic Stadium
  3. The new San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao
  4. The national Arena in Bucharest
  5. The Népstadion in Budapest
  6. Parken Stadium in Copenhagen
  7. The Dublin Arena
  8. Hampden Park in Glasgow
  9. Wembley Stadium in London
  10. The Football Arena in Munich
  11. Stadio Olimpico in Rome
  12. The Saint Petersburg Stadium

Each venue was to host 4 matches of the tournament, except the Wembley in London where both semi-finals and the final were to be held.

Why Russia

Up to a couple of weeks ago, the original idea still held. However, Covid-19 is still spreading over the world and FIFA is considering changing its plans. Dominique Blanc, president of the Swiss Football Association, said that the tournament could be held in only one country. He named Russia, Germany, and England as 3 possible locations.

The consideration was based mostly on the fact that the country was among those with fewer cases of Covid-19 infections. However, this has changed. Russia is currently the worst in Europe and the 4th worst in the world, while the statistics are getting even worse by the day.

A second reason was that the country already hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup successfully, showing that they already have the infrastructure to organize a major tournament.

St. Petersburg was already selected as one of the 12. It would be interesting to see what other cities will join in if the country is picked as the sole host for the upcoming UEFA European Championship.

More doubts to come

So far, the official news confirm that UEFA had a meeting with the 12 federations last month to review all the details and make sure that the tournament could be completed without problems. Although the conclusion was a positive one, all the hosts requested flexibilities on several fronts due to the current crisis.

One of them is related to the spectators. In previous occasions, UEFA stated that up to 90% of the tickets were sold already. It is obvious that as long as the current pandemic exists, it would be impossible to allow so many fans in a stadium. Aleksander Čeferin, current president of the Association, said that football fans are an important part of the sport and that the organization would try its best to have people return to the stadiums.

Despite all, the UEFA Euro 2020 is just around the corner. Russia sounds like a great alternative and the fans there will surely confirm the claim, waiting for another chance to assist and support their national team. Don’t you have a favourite yet? Check the best betting tips and join the winning team of the competition! </p>

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