Pandemic, politics and a bit of football: Euro 2020
A tournament intended to unify a continent could underscore divisions and uncertainties gripping Europe.
The ambitious plan to spread European Championship games like never before has handed organiser Uefa huge logistical challenges.
Coronavirus curbs remain in place across the 11 cities being used for the 51 games, restricting crowds and movements as European football stages the biggest sporting event since the pandemic began 15 months ago. Not only will stadiums be far from full but the absence of visiting fans could diminish the atmosphere at a continent-wide event intended to celebrate six decades of the Euros and already delayed by a year.
Across the 24 squads, there’s much more than just winning games to worry about. Even making the field is the concern for players — highlighted by coronavirus infections in the Spain and Sweden squads.
With not all squads vaccinated, the need to protect bubbles around the teams is a priority, especially when they are having to fly across Europe – from
Scotland in the west to Azerbaijan in the east; Russia in the north to Italy in the south. While the opening game is in Rome between Italy and Turkey today, the venue with the most games is Wembley. The north London stadium that is home to the England national team will stage the semifinals and final after five earlier games – starting tomorrow with England against Croatia.
It should be a moment of joy in England since Gareth Southgate’s team has a chance to lift the country’s first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup final was played in the old Wembley. But antiracism campaigning by the team has managed to fracture England’s fan base with some booing of players taking a knee since crowds were allowed back into games last month.
‘‘It shows that if there’s still people booing because we’re standing together against racism that there is still a problem and we’re still going to fight it and we stand together on that,’’ England vice-captain Jordan Henderson said.
Uefa’s hope will be once the first ball is kicked the focus is on more joyful moments such as the debuts of Finland and North Macedonia and live up to the name of the tournament song, ‘‘We Are the People’’.