Paris (AFP)
Euro-2020 on hold: the coronavirus pandemic, which deeply disrupts national competitions and European football, forces UEFA to question the holding of its European Championship in twelve countries (12 June-12 July), between an overloaded calendar and economic and logistical constraints.
The vice tightens. "It is obvious that the UEFA (Union of European football associations) must ask the question of a postponement", underlines to AFP Jacques Lambert, former president of the organizing company of Euro-2016.
- What is UEFA considering? -
The European confederation, contacted Thursday morning, did not communicate on the situation. In recent days, she continued to ensure that her competition would start as scheduled on June 12 in Rome.
"We must not think of the worst-case scenario", explained its president Aleksander Ceferin at the beginning of March at the Congress of the instance, which recognized by the voice of its secretary general Theodore Theodoridis having "worked on detailed scenarios". However, the "worst case scenario", a "sine die" postponement, seems to take shape a little more.
It is a "probable scenario", estimates an influential president of French club. "UEFA will be forced to suspend its European competitions (Champions League and Europa League, note). And to give itself the opportunity to finish them, it will have to postpone the Euro. This is a reasonable scenario when you see that players are starting to be affected "by the virus.
Questioned by AFP, the main broadcasters of Euro-2020 indicated that no decision had been communicated to them by UEFA, and all say they are awaiting announcements to come.
But according to a source within a European broadcaster, who requested anonymity, UEFA works "in a crisis cell" and decisions "could take place in two stages: first concerning the Champions League which constitutes the most urgent issue, and then for the Euro ".
- What are the constraints? -
The new format with 12 host countries does not make things easier.
"For the first time, we are in a situation with the hypothesis of seeing several host countries being obliged to apply containment measures or significant traffic restrictions", poses Jacques Lambert.
This uncertainty is shaking up all the organization plans for the competition, according to the former boss of Euro-2016. From the stadiums point of view, first of all, "we cannot know precisely and definitively which host countries can be heavily impacted".
And on the other hand, "more sensitive problem" for Mr. Lambert, that of ticketing. "How to anticipate towards spectators the attitude to have insofar as even UEFA does not know the traffic conditions which will be imposed in three months? This cannot be improvised at the last moment, unless decided that all matches will take place behind closed doors. "
Holding meetings in empty stadiums therefore appears to be another scenario. According to Virgile Caillet, director general of Union sport et cycle, which represents companies in the sector, "this is the least worst of the short-term solutions. A postponement means that a broadcaster has nothing left to do. get your teeth into it. "
In this medium of broadcasters holding rights, however, concern looms. "With matches planned in twelve cities located in countries which are at different stages of the epidemic, it is difficult to see how sustainable it would be" to maintain the competition, said a source in a European broadcaster.
"Many companies will refuse to send their employees there for hospitality," added Bruno Bianzina, managing director of the marketing agency Sport Market. "The meaning of history is cancellation".
- What period of action? -
The European body may have to manage an overloaded calendar, with some European leagues currently suspended may push to postpone their meetings in May or June. Without counting on the possible suspensions of the Champions League and the Europa League, which several media announce as imminent.
"UEFA is faced with a dilemma: does it endanger its most profitable European competitions like the Champions League, or else it pushes back the Euro and in this case it can drag the competitions up to At the end of June? How to save the two, it seems very complicated to me, "says Virgile Caillet.
Last uncertainty, and not the least: will it know all the qualified countries before the kick-off of June 12? The last four tickets will only be distributed at the end of March, during roadblocks. And one of them is already pending, Bosnia having asked UEFA to postpone its match against Northern Ireland, highlighting the fact that most of its internationals come from countries at risk and will have to be placed in solitary confinement.
"What will happen when selections want to summon players confined to their club?" Asked the president of a French club. "Everything immediately becomes very complicated".
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© 2020 AFP