A month before Euro 2020, uncertainty off the pitch and on

PARIS: Postponed last year because of the pandemic, Euro 2020 finally kicks off in a month’s time when Italy face Turkey in Rome but the health crisis continues to cast a shadow over a tournament being held for the first time at venues all across the continent.

UEFA’S focus this week is on the headache of what to do with the Champions League final amid pressure from the UK government to move the all-english showpiece from Istanbul to England.

European football’s governing body has already dealt with similar difficulties surrounding the Euro, which will be staged in 11 cities, concluding with the final in London on July 11.

Dublin was due to be the 12th host but was dropped in April ater local authorities refused to give guarantees about a minimum number of spectators atending matches.

Its games have been moved to Saint-petersburg and London, while Bilbao was dropped for the same reason but Spain will still stage four matches with Seville stepping in.

Ater a year of football in empty stadiums, UEFA was determined supporters would be able to atend games at the 24-team European Championship.

The remaining venues have all confirmed fans will be allowed to fill between 25 and 100 percent of capacity, with the exception of Munich.

The German city aims to host at least 14,500 fans at the Allianz Arena, but mayor Dieter Reiter said in April there had been “no promises, of any kind, to guarantee spectators”.

In contrast, Budapest could allow a full house of 61,000 at the Puskas Arena, albeit with “strict stadium entry requirements for spectators”.

Nevertheless, Euro 2020 will not quite be the pan-continental party envisaged when, under former president Michel Platini, UEFA announced the format of Euro 2020 to mark the 60th anniversary of the competition.

No travel exemptions are being made for ticket-holders, meaning those entering countries from abroad could have to quarantine on arrival. They may simply not be allowed in at all.

Fans who are able to get in will be assigned a 30-minute time slot to arrive at stadiums, in an atempt to limit gatherings outside grounds.

Ater all that, there will be the football, and the hope is the second 24-team European Championship will live up to expectations on the field.

The list of contenders is a long one, and it remains to be seen which teams might benefit from the one-year postponement.