UEFA is said to be weighing up a new ticketing process in order to get supporters in stadia for the rescheduled Euro 2020.
The governing body for European football is reported to be considering either a ballot system to decide which tickets would remain valid or refund all 1.5 million of the three million tickets already sold and start again, with the latter option being viewed as the simpler task.
The rescheduled Euro 2020, which is due to take place from June 11 to July 11, will be held in 12 cities across the continent but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is set to cause further logistical challenges and alternative hosting models have been mooted to limit travel for teams and fans.
UEFA recently confirmed its commitment to staging this summer’s European Championships across 12 host cities and gave venues until early April to make a decision on fan attendance.
After meeting with representatives of the 12 host associations/organisers to discuss operational matters relating to the tournament on Wednesday, UEFA said that all parties “recognise the need for flexibility” around the decisions that will be made on arrangements for the tournament.
In addition, it is understood that only domestic-based fans are expected to be allowed to attend group matches, with limited numbers of travelling supporters permitted for the latter stages, reports the UK newspaper The Times.
UEFA advised that it would be much easier to persuade national governments to permit fans in stadia if only domestic supporters are allowed. Sources in the meeting told The Times that the Football Association’s (FA’s) plan for Wembley Stadium is for the facility to be 30 per cent to 35 per cent full, based on one-metre social distancing.
The FA is understood to have told UEFA it would ideally like to have some overseas fans, perhaps 2,000 or 3,000, for the semi-finals and final, by maintaining bubbles. They would be flown into London on charter flights, taken straight to the stadium and then back to the airport directly after the match, therefore generating minimal contact with the local population.
The 12 cities scheduled to host matches at Euro 2020 are London, Glasgow, Dublin, Bilbao, Amsterdam, Munich, Rome, Copenhagen, Budapest, Bucharest, Saint Petersburg and Baku.
London’s Wembley Stadium is due to host seven fixtures, including the semi-finals and final. Rome’s Stadio Olimpico will host the opening match between Italy and Turkey on June 11.
Image: Wembley Stadium
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