"Preparations are proceeding as planned": Sorokin on options for holding Euro 2020, ticket program and security measures

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the fate of many international competitions remains unclear.

In particular, this applies to the European Football Championship, which in 2020 was supposed to celebrate the 60th anniversary and, for the first time in history, take place on the territory of 11 states.

The general director of the organizing committee of the Russian part of Euro 2020, Alexei Sorokin, emphasized in an interview with RT that at the moment the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is not considering the option of completely canceling the tournament.

According to the functionary, the competition is still planned to be held in the previously established format.

At the official level, the reduction in the number of host cities or the holding of matches in one country, as previously reported by the British media, is not considered.

“We all found ourselves in difficult circumstances.

Today a round table meeting was held with the participation of the authorities of St. Petersburg, representatives of UEFA and the organizing committee.

It was dedicated to the holding of Euro 2020 in a pandemic.

The same issue was discussed yesterday at the UEFA Executive Committee.

It was confirmed that the format of the matches and the number of cities remain unchanged.

Preparations are proceeding as planned, "Sorokin said.

The interlocutor of RT noted that at the moment several scenarios for holding matches of the continental championship in St. Petersburg are being discussed, primarily with regard to the admission of spectators to the matches.

In the worst case, we are talking about a complete ban on visiting the stands.

“But there is still hope that it will be held in the original format with 100% utilization of the stadium.

And between the two, there are several other scenarios.

Of course, every fluctuation in the number of spectators means changes in terms of transport, accommodation, and the number of volunteers.

It is necessary to prepare for this in advance, which we are doing, ”the functionary explained.

The rest of the host countries of the upcoming European Championship are also working on various options, since UEFA's security requirements are the same for all organizing committees.

“Naturally, each city pays special attention to precautionary measures in the context of a pandemic.

We will closely monitor the development of the situation and wait for clarity regarding the format, "Sorokin said.

The lack of stability at the stage of preparation for such a large-scale sporting event, first of all, causes inconvenience for the organizers of the tournament.

According to the head of the organizing committee, in Russia they proceed from the most favorable scenario for the development of events, since it is he who requires the greatest expenditure of resources and efforts.

“All adjustments concern the number of fans, because the number of players on the field cannot be reduced.

At the same time, certain security measures will be taken for delegations.

This includes social distancing, disinfection of premises, and special control.

Unfortunately, all participants in the tournament will have to adhere to the same safety rules, but our operational efforts are primarily affected by the workload of the stadium, ”Sorokin said.

The fans are even more interested in the soonest clarification of the situation.

The fact is that at the moment all tickets for the Russian part of Euro 2020 are sold out, which means that several hundred thousand people are waiting for the start of the competition in St. Petersburg.

“There are not many refunds so far - about 10% of the total.

This means that people remain true to football and their passion.

Unfortunately, we do not yet know what will happen if the stadium occupancy decreases, since the ticket program is the prerogative of UEFA.

At the moment it is too early to announce something, ”Sorokin explained.

As a reminder, each of the 12 cities will host three matches of the Euro 2020 group stage and one game of the quarter-finals or 1/8 finals.

In addition to Russia, Finland and Belgium will play in St. Petersburg, as well as two teams that made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

In a successful scenario, foreign fans will arrive in the city, otherwise tickets may be redistributed among local football fans.

“Closing borders for us will mean that the overall situation is unfavorable.

So far there is no answer to the question of what we will do if foreign fans cannot get to Russia.

Most likely, tickets will be redistributed depending on the stadium attendance restrictions, "Sorokin concluded.

The European Championship, postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, should be held from June 11 to July 11.

UEFA will make the final decision on its format in March.