Euro 2020: FA making no plans for added games despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirming UK offer
Tournament is due to be hosted across 12 different countries, with both semi-finals and the final at Wembley; host cities have until April 5 to confirm number of fans allowed; England boss Gareth Southgate says country is "well placed" to host
Tuesday 2 March 2021 12:31, UK
The Football Association (FA) says there are no plans to host additional Euro 2020 games, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson claiming the UK has made offers to UEFA.
The tournament is due to be hosted across 12 different countries, with both semi-finals and the final at Wembley.
Speaking to The Sun, Prime Minister Johnson said Britain is ready to take on extra games, citing the rollout of the vaccines as a big reason behind his confidence, adding that talks between ministers and UEFA continue as organisers try to find a solution due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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For the time being, UEFA remains intent on hosting the tournament in the 12 cities originally named, which include Amsterdam, Baku, Dublin, and Rome.
The FA says it remains focused on hosting the seven games originally allocated to Wembley and has "no other plans" in the making.
In a statement, the FA said: "UEFA is committed to holding UEFA EURO 2020 across 12 European cities, according to the schedule agreed last summer. There are no other plans being pursued.
"The FA's focus remains on delivering the seven games at Wembley inclusive of both semi-finals and the showpiece final and welcome all efforts being made by government to ensure as many fans can attend."
Each host city has until April 5 to confirm the number of fans allowed in each stadium, before a final decision is made by the UEFA executive committee.
Southgate: Hosting no guarantee of success
England manager Gareth Southgate believes the country would be "well placed" to host this summer's tournament.
Asked what effect that hosting this summer's European Championship would have, Southgate told talkSPORT: "Obviously we have our group matches at Wembley anyway so we're hugely looking forward to that.
"We've got our fingers crossed that we keep progressing as we are and there could be some fans back in the stadium. That would be the first step.
"Then everything else is a bit up in the air, really. Of course, at the moment we're being told the tournament will stay in its current format.
"You would imagine if there's an option for one country to host, we'll be well placed with a couple of other countries to be able to do that.
"But as a team, we've got to remember that just hosting is not a great guarantee of success. There's only France, really, that have done that in European Championships, hosted and won.
"You don't win just because you're the host. We won't win just because our group matches are at Wembley. We've got to play well and we've got to be as prepared as we possibly can be."
When is Euro 2020? Hosts, dates, teams, fixtures
Who has made it to Euro 2020 and how will the tournament work?
Coronavirus has put Euro 2020 back a year to 2021, but 24 sides will still play across 12 host cities in a festival of football.
The top two teams from each of the 10 groups qualified for Euro 2020 and the four remaining positions were settled in the play-offs, with Scotland beating Serbia in a penalty shootout to join England and Wales at the tournament.
Here is the confirmed schedule so far.
When and where is Euro 2020?
The 16th UEFA European Championship runs from June 11 to July 11, 2021, and to celebrate the tournament's 60th birthday, 12 cities across the continent have been selected as hosts. The 12 cities and stadiums are:
- Amsterdam (Netherlands) - Johan Cruyff Arena
- Baku (Azerbaijan) - Olympic Stadium
- Bilbao (Spain) - San Mames
- Bucharest (Romania) - Arena Nationala
- Budapest (Hungary) - Puskas Arena
- Copenhagen (Denmark) - Parken Stadium
- Dublin (Republic of Ireland) - Aviva Stadium
- Glasgow (Scotland) - Hampden Park
- London (England) - Wembley Stadium
- Munich (Germany) - Allianz Arena
- Rome (Italy) - Stadio Olimpico
- Saint Petersburg (Russia) - Krestovsky Stadium
Rome's Stadio Olimpico will host the opening match on June 11, while England's national stadium Wembley will stage both semi-finals and the final.