Article: Euro 2020… in 2021! A Preview of this Summer’s Tournament
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By Jonathan Lewis | 22nd April 2021
According to reports in the Spanish media, Seville could replace Bilbao as the host city for several Euro 2020 matches. The reason? The restrictions taken by the Basque region to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.
With just a few months to go before the start of Euro 2020, the organisers could see a change in the cities that will host matches. According to several Spanish media, Bilbao will be replaced by Seville. Last week, the Spanish Football Federation deemed the target of 13,000 spectators for the Euro games “unachievable”. This represents about 25% of the capacity of San Mamés (53,289 seats).
Football lovers from over the globe are getting ready to follow the tournament online or on their TV screen. It’s the ideal tournament for placing bets on recognised betting websites. The best is if they beforehand check out Euro 2020 betting tips on a trusted website so that they are ready to place their bets when the tournament starts of.
A competition in twelve different countries
The Olympic Stadium in Seville has a capacity of 57,619. The stadium will host four Euro 2020 matches: the Spanish team’s group matches against Sweden (14 June), Poland (19 June) and Slovakia (23 June). And a round of 16 match. According to the Spanish media, this change should be made official early next week. As a reminder, the competition was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020. However, it was postponed for a year due to the health crisis. This edition is special because it takes place in twelve different countries.
Rome was confirmed as the host city for Euro 2020 by UEFA on Wednesday. The Italian capital has guaranteed the presence of spectators in its stadium. The opening match between Italy and Turkey will therefore take place at the Olympic Stadium in Rome.Rome, threatened with losing the organisation of its four Euro football matches this summer, has guaranteed the presence of “at least 25%” of the public at the Olympic stadium, UEFA announced on Wednesday, “fully confirming” the Italian capital as one of the host cities of the tournament.
The opening match of the tournament between Italy and Turkey, scheduled for 11 June, has therefore been confirmed in Rome, where it is expected to be attended by fans.
UEFA has imposed a requirement to host the games despite the health situation, at a time when more contagious variants of Covid-19 are spreading, or else the cities concerned will lose the right to host the games. Only three of the 12 cities initially selected remain under threat, namely Bilbao (Spain), Dublin (Ireland) and Munich (Germany), with a final decision expected on Monday at the European body’s Executive Committee.
The other host cities have all already promised to host crowds, with capacity ranging from 25 to 100 per cent, although UEFA has refused to allow the tournament to be played in front of empty stands since mid-March. In Budapest, for example, the French team, which is playing against Hungary and Portugal, could play its two first-round matches in front of full stands.
On the other hand, it is uncertain whether the opening match of the French team in Munich against Germany will be held. The City of London, where seven matches are to be held, expects a “minimum of 25%” attendance for the three group matches, with the expectation of a “higher capacity for the semi-finals and final”.
Jonathan Lewis is an MFF sports writer
