We’re well-placed to step in as Euro hosts – Gareth
ENGLAND manager Gareth Southgate believes Britain would be “well placed” to host this summer’s eagerly-anticipated European Championships if UEFA move away from a Europe-wide plan.
Euro 2020 was postponed last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing impact continues to provide headaches in the build-up to the rearranged competition.
London, Glasgow and Dublin are all among the 12 host cities for a tournament that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed an openness to stepping in and hosting if there had to be a rethink on the format. “We are hosting the Euros,” he told The Sun. “We are hosting the semis and the final. If there’s any other matches that they want hosted, we’re certainly on for that, and that’s where we are with UEFA.”
England are due to play their three group games at Wembley, where the semi-finals and final will also be held, and Southgate believes that the UK is capable of hosting the entire tournament if needed.
“Obviously we have our group matches at Wembley anyway, so we’re hugely looking forward to that,” the Three Lions manager said.
“We’ve got our fingers crossed that we keep progressing as we are and there could be some fans back in the stadium. That would be the first step.
Then everything else is a bit up in the air, really. Of course at the moment we’re being told the tournament will stay in its current format.
“You would imagine if there’s an option for one country to host, we’ll be well placed with a couple of other countries to be able to do that.
“But as a team we’ve got to remember that just hosting is not a great guarantee of success. There’s only France, really, that have done that in European Championships, hosted and won. You don’t win just because you’re the host. We won’t win just because our group matches are at Wembley. We’ve got to play well and we’ve got to be as prepared as we possibly can be.”
The Government’s
‘road map’ could see crowds of up to 10,000 returning to stadiums by May 17, with full capacity venues possible dependent on the success of pilot events from June 21 at the earliest.
England round off Group D the following day against the Czech Republic at Wembley and, however the tournament is structured, boss Southgate, who was part of the playing squad when the nation hosted Euro 96, believes this will be a summer that can provide a much-needed boost.
He added: “I think that the major tournaments are national events.
“The whole family sit and watch them. I think we’re ready for that, I think the country is ready for excitement about some sport.”