NYON, Switzerland: European football’s governing body UEFA yesterday confirmed that the 2020 European Championship will be staged in 13 different cities across the continent.
UEFA’s executive committee rubber-stamped the proposals, which were first made public last month, for the 2020 finals to be the first “Euro for Europe.”
Previous tournaments have been held in one country or, as was the case at Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, joint-hosted by two neighboring countries.
For 2020, UEFA have stipulated that there will be a maximum of one venue per country, and added that the two semi-finals and the final will all be held in the same stadium.
The remaining 12 winning bids will each host three group matches as well as one knockout tie from either the Round of 16 or the quarterfinals.
No nation will qualify automatically for the finals, but every host that qualifies will be guaranteed two home matches in the group phase.
No such guarantees would be given for the knockout stages.
UEFA also said they will try to take travel distances into account when allocating hosting teams to groups, “for example, and if feasible, with flights not exceeding two hours’ duration between two host cities to allow easy access to traveling fans.” Cities hoping to stage matches must put forward their bids by September this year, with the winning candidates named in September 2014.
UEFA president Michel Platini put forward the controversial plan in December, saying that it would be difficult for any one country to make the necessary financial commitment to stage a 24-team championship given the current economic climate.
However, he insisted that UEFA would do everything to make a pan-European event — to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the first European Nations Cup — as fan-friendly as possible.
“Countries that would never have had the chance to host the Euros will be able to participate in this festival of football,” he said at the time.
“The situation is difficult in Europe. It’s hard to ask one country to invest in 10 stadiums like in Ukraine. There’s also the idea of belonging to a European country. It’s a great idea to mark the anniversary.
“The Euros will go to the fans. It’ll meet supporters. In previous years, they had to go to the Euros. Everything will be done so that the fans are able to get to games.” Platini has also insisted that the competition will return to its traditional format for 2024.
The 2016 European Championship, which will be held in France, will be the first following the decision to increase the number of competing nations from 16 to 24.
13 cities to host Euro 2020, UEFA confirms
13 cities to host Euro 2020, UEFA confirms
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s son could lift a trophy for AC Milan at Super Cup
- The younger Ibrahimovic could make his debut in one of the Rossoneri’s two matches in Saudi Arabia
- “They have good skills,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said
MILAN: An Ibrahimovic could be lifting a trophy for AC Milan on Monday.
The talismanic Zlatan Ibrahimovic hasn’t come out of retirement but his 19-year-old son, Maximilian, has been called up by Milan for the Italian Super Cup.
Maximilian Ibrahimovic is one of six players from Milan’s reserve team who traveled to Saudi Arabia with the senior squad amid an ever lengthening injury list for the club.
His father scored 93 goals in 163 appearances over two spells at Milan, winning two Serie A titles and the Italian Super Cup.
The younger Ibrahimovic could make his debut in one of the Rossoneri’s two matches in Saudi Arabia.
“They have good skills,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said on Wednesday. “I wanted to reward them for what they are doing in training.”
Milan, the Italian Cup runner-up, face Serie A champion Napoli on Thursday. Italian Cup winner Bologna play Serie A runner-up Inter Milan the following day, with the final on Monday.
Out of the four teams, only Inter won at the weekend, beating Genoa to go top of Serie A after Milan and Napoli both dropped points.
Milan were held to a 2-2 draw by Sassuolo — the third promoted team they have failed to beat this season, after a shock defeat at home to Cremonese on the opening day and a draw against Pisa.
“We should be angry but not demoralized,” Allegri said.
Milan managed to end the round in second place, a point below Inter and a one above Napoli, which lost at Udinese. Bologna lost at home to Juventus.
Despite their struggles against the promoted clubs, Milan have managed to beat the other teams in the top four this season, including Napoli.
“Tomorrow is a different match, it’s a knockout game where the aim is to get to the final,” Allegri said. “Napoli are a very strong team and they will be angry after the loss to Udinese.
“When there are difficult moments, (Napoli coach) Antonio Conte always manages to get the best out of his teams.”
Milan won the Italian Super Cup for the eighth time last season, beating Inter in the final to end a run of three straight titles for the Nerazzurri.
Napoli have won the competition twice — in 1990 and 2014. Bologna, which ended a 51-year wait for a major trophy with the Italian Cup, have never lifted the Super Cup.
