Requirement: Play the Nations League without an audience

No decision has been made on the matter. But the German national team physician Tim Meyer, who is also the head of the European Football Association's UEFA medical committee, is clear in his position.

Although several countries have begun to open to spectators, he wants autumn's international games to be played in front of empty stands because of the corona pandemic.

For the Swedish national teams, it affects a number of national matches during the autumn. The men's team has six matches in the Nations League and during the same period the women's team has five European qualifying matches.

- Uefa matches are based on Uefa's regulations. No one can fill an arena with spectators if it goes against Uefa's rules, says Meyer to German news agency DPA, Norwegian NTB reports.

He believes that national team games are complex because matches are played across Europe with countries from all over the continent.

Karl-Erik Nilsson, chairman of the Swedish Football Association (SvFF), tells TT that Uefa will have a vote in July on both club and national team competitions as well as on the public issue. He says that Uefa cannot take over authorities in the respective countries and says that SvFF must plan based on the conditions that apply in Sweden.

- If it is allowed with crowds in Uefa's closing club competitions, then it can act as a small plow car even for national team competitions and can have a positive impact on authorities in different countries. Well, that's how you should see it. We will know more in the coming weeks and the development of the pandemic is absolutely crucial, ”says Nilsson.

He also points out that it is "starting to move" in Europe.

- We see that the Danish Association has allowed audiences in connection with a recent derby in Copenhagen (Brøndby – Copenhagen on June 21) and there is discussion about audiences in more and more countries. Who knows, eventually there may also be opportunities for us, if not fully so to a limited extent. But we're not quite there yet.

Karl-Erik Nilsson thinks it is important that a discussion is started about gradually entering the audience, not just in football.

- I think you are affected by what's happening in our world. In parts of Europe that have had much tougher restrictions than we do, we are gradually starting to discuss and also open an arena. It is good that the discussion starts, then it will not really be real until we can have packed arenas.

Swedish Federation Captain Janne Andersson does not want to speculate on the public issue, but notes:

- It is clear that there is a big difference between meeting France and Portugal at home with or without an audience. There are two amazingly cool and tough challenges ahead of us. But that (the audience question) we see when we get there. We cannot put energy on that today, he tells TT.