Lausanne (AFP)
UEFA lifted on Wednesday the 30% spectator gauge in stadiums decided last October, leaving local authorities to decide on possible limits, especially in view of the Euro football (June 11-July 11).
"Given the fact that the 55 member associations of UEFA each face a different situation in the management of the pandemic, such a limitation is no longer required", explains the body after meeting its executive committee.
The organization nevertheless maintains the stadium ban for supporters coming from abroad, "until the finals of club competitions", that is to say of the Champions League and the Europa League, "which will take place in May ".
His ruling goes into effect on Thursday and also applies to futsal competitions, which so far have been held behind closed doors.
UEFA thus allows the 12 host cities of Euro football, spread over twelve countries, to fill their enclosures if they wish.
Their reception plans must be submitted by April 7 to the body, which will validate or refuse them on April 19 at its next executive committee.
The organization nevertheless ruled out in mid-March that some matches of the tournament were played behind closed doors, thus forcing the local authorities to promise to admit spectators if they did not want to see their matches moved to another country.
This requirement, in the midst of a health crisis and the spread of more contagious variants, was poorly received in Germany, which must organize four matches in Munich and has banned since March 2020 the presence of the public in the stadiums.
Romania, on the other hand, announced on March 18 that it expected a gauge of at least 25% of the public at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest.
Denmark plans to host at least 11,000 spectators per game for the four meetings scheduled for this summer in Copenhagen, even if the government reserves the right to tighten the screw if the health situation deteriorates.
© 2021 AFP