Thursday April 25, 2024

Munich confirmed as Euro 2020 host city, Bilbao and Dublin removed

Published : 24 Apr 2021, 01:50

  DF News Desk
File Photo Xinhua.

UEFA on Friday announced that Munich remains as one of the 12 host cities of this summer's Euro 2020 while Bilbao was replaced by Seville and the games scheduled in Dublin were reallocated to St. Petersburg and London, reported Xinhua.

Bilbao and Dublin were dropped because they could not guarantee the presence of fans at the stadiums, while Munich has confirmed that it will welcome "a minimum of 14,500 spectators" in each of the four matches held at the Allianz Arena.

Three Group E matches and a round-of-16 clash which were initially scheduled in Bilbao will be moved to Estadio La Cartuja in Seville, who promised attendance at 30% of the stadium capacity.

The other three Group E matches originally held in Dublin will be moved to St Petersburg, which is already hosting three Group B matches and a quarterfinal. Wembley Stadium in London will host a round-of-16 match initially placed in Dublin.

"We have been working diligently with the host associations and local authorities to ensure a safe and festive environment at the games and I am really pleased that we are able to welcome spectators at all matches for a celebration of national team football across the continent," said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

Budapest, St Petersburg, Baku, Amsterdam, Bucharest, Glasgow, Copenhagen, Rome, and London had all promised crowds at between 25 percent and 100 percent of capacity in the run-up to UEFA's deadline this month.

The premier football tournament in Europe, which has been postponed for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take place between June 11 to July 11 in 11 cities in Europe.