Wembley Stadium is in danger of losing the UEFA Euro 2020 final should fans remain banned from Premier League stadiums.
According to the Daily Mail, UEFA said the tournament, which has been postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is likely to be held in “three or four countries” as opposed to the original plan of 12 cities across Europe.
However, the English Football Association has reportedly been given assurances that the national stadium will remain a host venue.
With the Euro 2020 tournament likely to be condensed to four countries, England could even be asked to stage more games than its original allocation of seven matches. The Mail reports that the FA remain hopeful they will retain their host status, even if strict lockdown measures extend into 2021. The association said it has measures in place to respond to any easing of restrictions to allow fans into Wembley.
UEFA did not comment on specific host nation changes and said it is still assessing the situation. The governing body for European football will allegedly delay making decisions on how the tournament will look until 2021.
The Mail reports that UEFA’s primary concern is how fans and sponsors will be accommodated inside stadiums, considering their financial importance to the event.
In March, UEFA decided to delay Euro 2020, which had due to be staged this summer, to new dates of June 11 to July 11 next year, over health concerns in an effort to avoid placing further pressure on national public services during COVID-19.
The tournament was due to be held across 12 stadia in 12 different nations, and had been scheduled to kick off in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on June 12. Wembley was to serve as the centrepiece of Euro 2020, with the final, semi-finals, Round of 16 and group stage games taking place in London.
In late September, the UK government halted plans to allow 30 per cent of a venue’s capacity back on October 1, along with the pilot events programme, which had been hosting test events with up to 1,000 spectators.
At the time, the Prime Minister said restrictions are likely to remain in place for the next six months.
Image: David Wilson / CC BY 2.0 / Edited for size
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