Plans to Host Euro 2020 in 12 Different Countries 'Abandoned'
UEFA are understood to have abandoned plans to hold the rescheduled 2020 European Championship in 12 different countries, with Russia poised to take over as the sole host.
The tournament was due to be held last summer, with the 60th anniversary to be marked with an unprecedented format. England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Spain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Hungary, Romania, Azerbaijan and indeed Russia were all due to host games, until the finals were postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The plan was to proceed with the tournament as planned in the summer of 2021, but that scenario appears to be unfeasible with the virus still prevalent in almost every host country as we approach the end of 2020.
UEFA likely to alter the EURO 2021 format from having 12 host countries to just one, with Russia the favourite to take up that mantle, according to Le Parisien. https://t.co/12Gq7TFnQm
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) November 2, 2020
French publication Le Parisien, via GFFN, state that UEFA's original plans have changed drastically, and it is no longer viewed as viable for 12 different countries to host players, staff and fans from all over the continent.
The report goes on to suggest that the tournament could now take place solely in Russia, in a bid to contain the spread of the virus as much as possible.
The consideration of Russia as the host country owes to the relatively low prevalence of coronavirus in the country, with infection rates standing at 1.6m since the beginning of March - a large number on the surface, but one that is proportionally small when you consider the country's population.
Having hosted the 2018 World Cup, Russia are proven to have the facilities and means to host a major tournament, while the sheer size of the country allows games to be spread far and wide.
UEFA are yet to confirm the reports, but will be anxious to finalise plans sooner rather than later. The upcoming international break will see the tournament's lineup finalised, with four playoff matches - Serbia vs Scotland, Northern Ireland vs Slovakia, Hungary vs Iceland and Georgia vs North Macedonia - poised to determine the final four participants.