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Euro 2028 will present stadium opportunity for Italy – Malagò

Giovanni Malagò, president of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), has said that hosting football’s UEFA European Championships in 2028 would provide a boost to stadium development in the country.

Italy is considering submitting a bid for the event, which would be the first major national team tournament to be staged in the country since the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

Euro 2028 is the next edition of the tournament available to bid for after Germany was last month awarded hosting rights for the 2024 tournament. France hosted the most recent edition in 2016, while the 2020 tournament will be held at stadia across Europe – including Rome’s Stadio Olimpico (pictured) – to mark its 60th anniversary.

Italy submitted a bid to host Euro 2012 but ultimately lost out to a joint proposal from Poland and Ukraine. Italy has hosted the European Championships twice before, in 1968 and 1980.

Malagò said, according to Italian news agency Ansa: “Italy’s bid to host the 2028 European Championships is the objective with a capital O … It is the only chance with the World Cup and the Olympics to have an acceleration … concerning the issue of the stadiums.”

The Stadio Olimpico will host three group-stage matches and a quarter-final during Euro 2020.

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