TEHRAN (Iran News) – This summer’s European Championship was postponed until the summer of 2021, UEFA decided, as it contemplates the unprecedented disruption caused by the coronavirus.
European football’s governing body held its scheduled conference call with Europe’s 55 national football associations at 12:00 p.m. UK time, and 17 minutes later the Norwegian FA was the first to tweet the news that the tournament has been postponed until next year. Shortly after 2:00 p.m. GMT, UEFA confirmed the news in a statement, the Guardian reported.
The tournament was due to have been held this year from June 12 to July 12 in host cities of 12 countries right across Europe, including London, Glasgow, and Dublin. Wembley was due to host seven matches at Euro 2020, including the semifinals and the final.
The postponement was widely expected after national leagues and UEFA’s own Champions League and Europa League club competitions were suspended last week and Europe became locked down by severe travel and social restrictions.
It emerged on Tuesday that UEFA last week canceled its hotel bookings in Copenhagen, one of the host cities. The CPH Hotel told Reuters that UEFA had booked 80 of its 102 rooms but canceled them a little over a week ago. The Marienlyst Strandhotel told Reuters that UEFA had canceled rooms booked on behalf of the Denmark team, who are usually based there.
The postponement of the Euros frees a month this summer to try to finish club competitions, which the Premier League, EFL, and all European leagues hope to do, but this remains highly uncertain as it is impossible to know when normal life, including football and other sports, can resume.
The European Club Association, European Leagues, and the international players’ union were involved in separate video-conference calls with UEFA after the first one with the 55 FAs, to discuss the possibilities for domestic competitions, and the Champions and Europa Leagues.
Assuming that the Euros can go ahead on the new penciled-in dates next year, UEFA will have logistical practicalities to work out in relation to the women’s European Championship, which scheduled for July 7 to August 1 in England next year. The Nations League final and Under-21 Euros in Hungary and Slovenia are also scheduled for next summer.
- source : Iran Daily, Irannews
