Lausanne (AFP)
In a month opens a football Euro upset by the health crisis, disseminated between eleven countries and which must designate the successor of an aging Portuguese selection, like its leader Cristiano Ronaldo.
Dreamed by Michel Platini when he was president of UEFA, to unite the continent around the 60th anniversary of the Euro, this pan-European tournament immediately appeared as a logistical challenge that was to take teams, media and spectators from London to Baku.
But the Covid-19 pandemic has also turned it into a health nightmare, first leading to the postponement of the competition for one year (June 11-July 11), before maintaining an endless vagueness on its progress.
- Doubt in Munich -
It was not until April 23 to know the eleven final host cities: Bilbao and Dublin were ousted, Seville invited to the party, and London and St. Petersburg have recovered more matches.
Complicating the preparation a little more, UEFA had demanded that local authorities commit to welcoming spectators for each match, despite the uncertainty created by the spread of more contagious variants of Covid-19.
This condition set in mid-March risks being expensive for the European body, the Basque organizers considering recovering in court the expenditure of 1.2 million euros incurred in vain.
And hardly confirmed the maintenance of its matches, the city of Munich sowed a new doubt: its mayor assured that there had been "no promise of any kind to guarantee spectators", especially as a such decision depends on the German government and is strictly conditioned on health developments.
- "Safe and festive" -
Usually as exuberant in the streets as in the stadiums, the Euro will take on a more austere face this year - just like the Olympics which will open shortly after in Tokyo (23 July-8 August) - even if UEFA promises it. "safe and festive".
"It seems obvious that given the configuration of the Euro, with matches in several countries and therefore travel, (...) the vaccination of participants would allow a more serene organization", observes with AFP a source close to the authorities of French football.
But UEFA has not set any rules in this regard and the security of the tournament will depend mainly on "bubbles" for the teams as well as on a battery of measures for the spectators - staggered arrivals at the stadium, gauges, disinfection and distancing.
However, two points remain to be clarified: first the concrete possibility for supporters to follow their team, while only Budapest, Saint Petersburg and Baku have promised to exempt them from entry restrictions or quarantines, Bucharest planning to make even if the stay does not exceed three days.
Finally, it will be necessary to see how the local authorities organize accommodation, catering and possible gatherings of foreign fans, without endangering their own population.
- Financial manna -
For European football, financially strangled by the end of competitions in the spring of 2020 then the resumption in empty stadiums, the Euro is also a financial issue: from 2018, UEFA planned to distribute 371 million euros to the 24 participants .
A selection beaten in each meeting will touch 9.25 million euros, while the champion will pocket up to 34 million euros.
In addition, the revenues of the Euro will feed the 775 million euros of "solidarity" paid to the 55 European federations over the 2020-2024 cycle, and the clubs will share 200 million euros for making their players available.
- And in the middle, a balloon -
On the sporting side, Portugal sees the end of a five-year reign - the longest in the history of the Euro -, started with the surprise victory of a selection more deserving than sparkling against the French hosts in 2016.
Led by a 36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, the Seleçao is behind in the forecasts, behind the young English guard or Belgium and its golden generation, in search of a first title despite the poor form of Eden Hazard.
To achieve a new World-Euro pass, as in 1998-2000, the Blues will have to extricate themselves from a very tough group with Portugal and Germany as the toughest rivals.
Impossible to hope to measure their rise in power, while many players end the season drained by the health context, changes in the schedule and a truncated summer preparation.
© 2021 AFP