The Euro 2020 venues - ranked
By Harry Symeou
As this summer's European Championships edge closer, much of the talk has been around the venues.
UEFA were forced to delay their official announcement on the subject after running into issues regarding the varying local policies on the attendance of fans. As a result, the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and Athletic Bilbao's San Mames will no longer play host to any matches.
Now that the final list of venues has been confirmed, here is a ranking of all 11 venues.
11. Estadio de La Cartuja, Spain
Capacity: 60,000
The Andalusian venue will replace San Mames after the local authorities were unable to offer guarantees regarding the attendance of fans due to coronavirus restrictions in place.
The multi-purpose stadium, which was built in 1999, has become something of a white elephant in Spain, after Seville's failed olympic bids.
It will play host to all of Spain's group games as well as their fixture in the round of 16 should they progress to that stage.
10. Parken Stadium, Denmark
Capacity: 38,065
The home of FC Copenhagen is Denmark's biggest stadium and will host all three of their group games, as well as one of the knockout matches in the round of 16.
Arsenal fans will be familiar with the venue having seen their side compete in two European Cup finals there. The Gunners defeated Parma in the 1994 Cup Winners Cup final but were beaten in the UEFA Cup final by Galatasaray in 2000.
9. Hampden Park, Scotland
Capacity: 52,000
Over 100 years old, Hampden Park in Glasgow is famed for it's electric atmosphere. Having qualified for their first major tournament in over 20 years, Scotland will be relying on their reduced home support to help them through their games versus the Czech Republic and Croatia.
This was also the venue in which Zinedine Zidane scored a stunning volley in the 2002 Champions League final for Real Madrid.
8. Stadio Olimpico, Italy
Capacity: 72,698
The Stadio Olimpico is a venue steeped in history. Rome's two major clubs AS Roma and Lazio share the stadium and and it has played host to some of club football's biggest occasions.
The ground has hosted four European Cup finals, the final of Euro 1968 and the 1990 World Cup final.
However, it is expected to be at only 25% capacity during the tournament and the running track is only likely to reduce the atmosphere even further.
7. Baku Olympic Stadium, Azerbaijan
Capacity: 68,000
The Olympic Stadium in Baku controversially hosted the 2019 UEFA Europa League final in which Chelsea defeated Arsenal to lift the trophy.
This stadium is quite the spectacle and its modern look makes it extremely eye-catching. It's like something out of a sci-fi movie.
The ground opened in 2015 and is said to have cost a whopping $600m.
The home of the Azerbaijani national team is expected to be at 50% of its capacity during the championships.
6. Johan Cruyff ArenA, Netherlands
Capacity: 53,748
Formerly known as the Amsterdam Arena, the stadium was renamed after the Johan Cruyff back in 2018. Opened in 1996, it was the first stadium on the continent to feature a sliding roof, while it is known for its steep stands.
The home of Ajax has a history of hosting European Championship fixtures. The Netherlands and Belgium co-hosted the tournament back in 2000 and five games were played in the Dutch capital.
It's understood the stadium will be at 25%-33% of its capacity.
5. St Petersburg Stadium, Russia
Capacity: 56,196
The St Petersburg Stadium, which was built as recently as 2017, has already hosted seven World Cup fixtures including a semi-final and a third-place playoff.
It was designed to look like a spaceship by its architect and judging by the above photograph - he succeeded.
4. Puskas Arena, Hungary
Capacity: 67,155
Hungary's national stadium opened it's doors in 2019 making it the newest stadium at this summer's tournament.
It's yet to stage an event as high-profile as a fixture in the European Championships but has already won the honour of hosting the 2022 Europa League final.
The venue is named after Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskas and is expected to be at full capacity during the Euros.
3. Wembley Stadium, England
Capacity: 90,000
The English national stadium will host both the semi-finals and the final of this summer's competition. Built in 2007, Wembley is the second largest football ground in Europe behind the Camp Nou in Barcelona.
Having hosted both the 2011 and 2013 Champions League finals, this stadium was built for the big occasions.
2. National Arena Bucharest, Romania
Capacity: 55,634
This stunning venue is the home of two of Romania's biggest football clubs - FC Steaua and FC Dinamo. The stadium stands on the site of the old national stadium and is owned by the city.
Inside and out, there are few more visually appealing arenas in world football.
It's expected to be at 25-33% of it's capacity during this summer's competition and famously hosted the 2012 Europa League final between Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.
1. Allianz Arena, Germany
Capacity: 75,000
The home of Bayern Munich opened in 2005 and has already hosted a World Cup semi-final - the clash between France and Portugal in 2006.
The 2012 Champions League final took place there, a fixture in which the Bundesliga giants had their hearts broken by Chelsea on their own ground.
Still state-of-the-art looking over 15 years since its opening, the Allianz Arena is a one of a kind stadium that stands out for its allure, gravitas and atmosphere.