Lausanne (AFP)
Will the Euro take place in the twelve stadiums initially selected?
Dublin on Wednesday expressed doubts about hosting spectators this summer, a prerequisite for UEFA, which has given host cities a new deadline, until April 28.
Blur in Dublin, annoyance in Munich ... The will displayed by the European Football Confederation to plan a championship with the public this summer (June 11-July 11) comes up against uncertainties linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
UEFA had set a first deadline on Wednesday for the host cities, spread over twelve European countries, to specify the possible tonnage in each stadium during the tournament, and intends to communicate on these proposals on Friday.
But while the health crisis makes such projections uncertain, Dublin admitted on Wednesday that it did not know whether the anti-Covid measures will allow the reception of spectators at the Aviva Stadium.
The Irish Football Association (FAI) "is not in a position, at this stage, to give assurances on the presence of a minimum number of spectators", she wrote in a statement, an announcement which puts in danger the holding of the four meetings planned in Dublin (three of group stage, an eighth-final).
Opting for flexibility, UEFA announced Wednesday at the end of the day that it would grant a second deadline, "until April 28" to host cities to adjust their health scenarios and increase the number of spectators expected, explained Wednesday to AFP a spokesperson for the body.
- A final in a full stadium?
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UEFA has been promising for several weeks to specify the organization of the Euro at its next executive committee on April 19, even if it means moving some meetings if the cities concerned cannot accommodate a public.
In mid-March, when the spread of more contagious variants of Covid-19 was already putting the continent on alert, UEFA boss Aleksander Ceferin surprised by promising the Croatian newspaper Sportske Novosti that the Euro matches would not be " not contested in front of empty stands ".
"All the hosts will have to guarantee the presence of the supporters", had insisted the leader, whereas the authority envisaged until then four options for each city: full stadium, 50 to 100% of spectators, 20 to 30%, or a huis closed.
A requirement that annoyed in Germany, where the presence of the public in the stadiums has been prohibited since March 2020. But Munich nevertheless submitted on Tuesday a scenario providing for the presence of spectators.
For their part, several other host countries have shown their confidence in the possibility of hosting the public this summer, starting with Great Britain, which said it was ready to host more matches than those already planned in London - including the semi-finals and the final - and Glasgow.
According to the press, the English federation is counting on a half-full Wembley (45,000) for the semi-finals, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes for a final in a full stadium.
For its part, Romania announced on March 18 that it was counting on a gauge of at least 25% of the public at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest.
In Hungary, the main sports daily Nemzeti Sport reported that Budapest could offer a 50% gauge.
- Unpublished format -
Denmark plans to host at least 11,000 spectators per match in Copenhagen, although the government reserves the right to tighten the screws.
Bilbao could accommodate up to 13,000 spectators if several sanitary conditions are reached, or 25% of the San Mamés stadium, reports the Basque press on Wednesday, while Amsterdam hopes "at least 12,000 spectators" (25% also).
In Italy, the government has given the green light to the presence of spectators at the matches scheduled at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, including the opening meeting on 11 June.
The president of the Federation pleads for an opening to 30% of the Olimpico stadium, that is to say some 20,000 spectators.
On the basis of the information received, UEFA must give its final opinion on the organization of the pan-European tournament imagined by former UEFA boss Michel Platini and postponed for a year due to the pandemic.
This unprecedented format is to be held in Amsterdam, Baku, Bilbao, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Glasgow, Munich, Rome and Saint Petersburg, with the semi-finals and final in London.
Last week, UEFA also lifted the limit of 30% of spectators in stadiums decided last October, in order to allow local authorities to freely increase the tonnage in view of the Euro.
© 2021 AFP