Eight host cities of Euro 2020 confirm matches with spectators, four remain doubtful

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Euro 2020, which has been postponed for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be played from June 11 to July 11. – AFP file photo

PARIS (April 10): Eight of the 12 host cities for this year’s delayed football European Championship have confirmed that spectators will be allowed at matches, while the other four – Munich, Rome, Bilbao and Dublin – are in doubt.

UEFA said on Friday that the remaining four cities have to provide additional information on their plans and final decisions will be made on April 19 regarding the staging of matches in those four venues, reported Xinhua news agency.

Earlier this week, the Football Association of Ireland said it was “not in a position at this point to provide assurances on minimum spectator levels” in Dublin, while Spanish city Bilbao is understood to be hoping to allow 13,000 fans inside the 53,000-capacity San Mames, but that is based on strict conditions laid out by the authorities which the Spanish Football Federation said will make it “impossible” to admit spectators.

The city of Munich indicated on Tuesday that it could only let fans inside the Allianz Arena if the health situation at the time allows, but the Italian government has given the green light for supporters to attend in Rome.

Among the eight cities that have confirmed the spectators’ attendance, Budapest aims to host spectators at full capacity, subject to spectators fulfilling strict stadium entry requirements. St. Petersburg and Baku have confirmed a capacity of 50 percent, while Amsterdam, Bucharest, Copenhagen and Glasgow have confirmed a capacity of 25-33 per cent.

London has confirmed a minimum capacity of 25 per cent for the three group matches and the round of 16 matches and is hoping to confirm a higher capacity for the semifinals and final in early June.

President of the European football governing body Aleksander Ceferin made it clear last month that he did not want to see any matches at the continental premier football tournament played “in front of empty stands.”

Euro 2020, which has been postponed for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be played from June 11 to July 11. – Bernama