Euro 2020 to be staged in 13 cities
Reuters - Friday 25 January 2013, 14:42
Euro 2020 will be held in 13 cities across the continent
and the semi-finals and final will be played in the same stadium, UEFA
said on Friday as it unveiled the first concrete plans for the
ambitious tournament.
UEFA Secretary General Gianni Infantino said no more than one venue per
country would be permitted, no host nation would be guaranteed
qualification and that venues would be chosen in September next year.
European football's governing body had voted in December to stage the event in
cities across the continent rather than one or two host countries, in a
radical departure from the traditional format for major tournaments.
On
Friday, it gave the first clues as to how it would allocate matches,
ensure that host nations who qualified played at home and cut down
travelling for fans in a region which comprises countries as far apart
as Iceland and Kazakhstan.
"Ideally,
we would like to keep travelling times down to a two-hour flight
between matches for the teams and their fans," said UEFA President
Michel Platini, adding that supporters could make use of low-cost
airlines.
UEFA said that 12
cities would be awarded a package of three group games plus one
knockout-stage game, either from the round-of-16 or quarter-finals.
A
special 13th package would be awarded, consisting of the two
semi-finals and final. Countries could present up to two bids each, one
for the knockout matches and one for the final package.
Platini
said that in his opinion Turkey, which had planned to bid as sole host
for the tournament until December's decision, would be favourite to
stage the semi-finals and final.
POT LUCK
Infantino
said no teams would qualify automatically for the tournament,
potentially meaning that some host nations would not be taking part.
Those
host nations which did qualify would be guaranteed two home games in
their group but it would be pot luck in the knockout stages. Each
six-team group would include a maximum of two host nations.
The
decision to stage the semi-finals and final in the same venue takes the
competition back to its early days when a four-team final stage was
played. The full tournament format was started at the 1980 championship
held in Italy.
The minimum
stadium capacities would be 70,000 for the semi-finals and final,
60,000 for the quarter-finals and 50,000 for the group stage and round
of 16 matches, although two exceptions would be made where 30,000
capacity stadiums would be permitted.
"The 30,000 rule means that many more countries will be able to bid," said Platini.
"I tell them they should build," he added after being asked whether economic problems would discourage countries from bidding.
"It's
an excellent business. A country which only has one stadium can welcome
the euro and this a very good deal for many countries."
UEFA said countries would have to confirm their bids by September this year.
Euro 2020 marks the competition's 60th anniversary.