Doubts over Dublin, Bilbao as Euro 2020 host cities

Apr 09, 2021 06:00 am

Euro 2020 matches in Dublin and Bilbao are in doubt after Irish and Spanish football chiefs said on Wednesday they were unable to give assurances over the presence of spectators, as Uefa extended to April 28 a deadline for host cities to submit fan number estimates.

European football's governing body had initially given the tournament's 12 host cities until Wednesday to submit their plans to admit fans for the delayed tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 11.

However, authorities from Spain and Ireland said they were not ready to provide numbers due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The Dublin Arena in the Irish capital and Bilbao's San Mames Stadium are scheduled to host three group matches and a last-16 game.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has warned that countries that fail to offer guarantees on supporter numbers could be dropped as hosts.

Last month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK, which has had a more rapid roll-out of vaccines than European Union states, was ready to host more games if needed. - AFP