PARIS: Turkiye is the only rival to the UK and Ireland candidacy to host the 2028 European Championship, UEFA announced on Wednesday after receiving final bids from interested countries.
European football’s governing body said that Turkiye would go up against the joint bid from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland to host Euro 2028 and that Turkiye is also a candidate to host Euro 2032.
Italy is the only other bidder for the hosting rights to the 2032 tournament.
“In the forthcoming months, the UEFA administration will evaluate each of the bids, with the UEFA Executive Committee to vote on who has won the right to host both editions in October,” the body said in a statement.
The British and Irish joint bid for Euro 2028 is the favorite after the countries abandoned plans to run for the 2030 World Cup.
Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Newcastle’s St. James’ Park, Birmingham’s Villa Park and Everton’s new stadium in Liverpool would host matches in England, as would Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.
The Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Hampden Park in Glasgow, Dublin’s Lansdowne Road and Casement Park in Belfast are the other venues being proposed in the bid.
The English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish and Irish football associations said in a joint statement: “High-capacity, world-famous football grounds and state-of-the-art new venues will provide the platform for the biggest and most commercially successful UEFA EURO ever — making us a low risk, high reward host.”
The bid carries the slogan “Football for all, football for good, football for the future,” and says more than 80 percent of ticket-holders would be able to travel to matches by public transport.
It also predicts benefits of up to £2.6 billion ($3.25 billion) for the nations involved.
England and Scotland hosted 12 games during Euro 2020, which took place across Europe in 2021 after a delay caused by the pandemic.
Fan violence marred the Wembley final, won by Italy, but UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has played down fears the disorder would affect England’s chances of hosting major events.
Turkiye is hoping for success this time after losing out to Germany in the bidding to host Euro 2024.
Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium will host this year’s Champions League final on June 10.
Italy, the reigning European champions, have hosted the Euro twice before, in 1968 and 1980.
Rome’s Stadio Olimpico was also used as a venue at Euro 2020.
The 2028 and 2032 tournaments will feature 24 teams.
Russia had initially declared an interest last year in hosting one of the two tournaments but UEFA announced last May that it would not consider any bid from the Russian Football Union.
That was after Russian clubs and national teams were suspended from all UEFA competitions due to the war in Ukraine.
Turkiye only rival to UK and Ireland Euro 2028 bid
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Turkiye only rival to UK and Ireland Euro 2028 bid
- European football's governing body said that Turkiye would go up against the joint bid from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland to host Euro 2028
- Italy is the only other bidder for the hosting rights to the 2032 tournament
Mbappe, Vinicius help Real Madrid thrash Monaco in Champions League
- “The players won this game, with their effort and their quality,” Arbeloa told Movistar, after the record 15-time champions moved provisionally second in the league phase table
MADRID: Kylian Mbappe struck twice against his former side Monaco as Real Madrid romped to an emphatic 6-1 Champions League victory on Tuesday to ease tensions around the club.
Vinicius Junior, who was jeered by his own fans during a home win over Levante last weekend, also shone and scored a brilliant goal as Madrid strengthened their bid to claim a top eight finish in the league phase.
New coach Alvaro Arbeloa secured a second win at the helm after replacing Xabi Alonso last week, with his team producing a dazzling attacking display to help fans forget recent disappointments.
Jude Bellingham and Franco Mastantuono were also on target for Los Blancos and Thilo Kehrer bundled a Vinicius cross into his own net as Madrid delivered perhaps their best performance of the season.
“The players won this game, with their effort and their quality,” Arbeloa told Movistar, after the record 15-time champions moved provisionally second in the league phase table.
“I loved their attitude and their quality, this mentality and ambition is what all Madrid fans want to see.”
There were still a few boos for Vinicius at the start but they dried as he reminded Madrid’s fans how good he can be.
“The last few days have been very complicated, for all of us, but above all for me because of the whistles, and everyone speaking about me,” said Vinicius.
“I try to give everything for this shirt and for the club who have given me so much.”
Mbappe has been in superb form even as Madrid have struggled and stretched his lead at the top of the European goalscoring charts with his 10th and 11th goals to give his team a commanding lead.
After missing the Copa del Rey humiliation by Albacete in Arbeloa’s disastrous first game, Mbappe has netted in the next two matches.
It took just five minutes for the French superstar to open the scoring, slotting home from just inside the area after Fede Valverde knocked on Mastantuono’s cut-back.
After celebrating with his team-mates Mbappe apologized to the visiting supporters, having first emerged into the world’s spotlight while at Monaco.
Ansu Fati, on loan at Monaco from Madrid’s rivals Barcelona, came close before Arbeloa’s side struck again.
They launched a devastating counter-attack, with Eduardo Camavinga’s clever flick to Arda Guler sparking the move. Guler found Vinicius, who span the ball across for Mbappe, just onside, to tuck home.
Despite being shredded defensively, Monaco offered some attacking threat and Jordan Teze hit the crossbar with a well-guided long range effort.
Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also made a couple of solid saves before the break, with Madrid’s third coming shortly after the action resumed.
Vinicius, heavily involved, unselfishly teed up former River Plate playmaker Mastantuono, who swept home.
‘This is my Vinicius’
After 55 minutes Madrid had four, with Kehrer turning Vinicius’s raking low cross into his own net as Monaco crumbled.
Arbeloa has only had words of praise for Vinicius since taking over and the forward rewarded his coach with a hug after ramming in the fifth.
Vinicius fired into the top corner past helpless goalkeeper Philipp Kohn for only his second goal in his last 19 matches for the club.
“This is my Vinicius,” said Real midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. “When we play well, the people that come here are very happy. Today was a very good night here in the Bernabeu.”
Teze pulled one back for Monaco after a mistake by Dani Ceballos, before Madrid struck again to round off the rout.
Bellingham rounded the goalkeeper to net in the 80th minute after Dean Huijsen cleverly dummied Valverde’s pass.
The England international celebrated by chugging several imaginary drinks, an apparent riposte to claims he is fond of the nightlife in Spain, while Madrid’s heavy win offered their own response to the turbulent period they are in.
