Euro 2020 postponed by a year due to coronavirus

LONDON: Euro 2020 has been postponed by one year until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, European football’s governing body UEFA said on Tuesday.

The European Championship were due to be played in June and July this year. UEFA announced that the new proposed dates for the tournament were June 11 to July 11 next year.

The postponement provides a chance for European leagues that have been suspended to now be completed. UEFA said the postponement “will help all domestic competitions, currently on hold due to the COVID-19 emergency, to be completed” as it made a “commitment” to finishing club seasons by June 30.

The announcement came after UEFA held crisis talks with national associations as well as clubs and players bodies via video-conference. “The health of all those involved in the game is the priority, as well as to avoid placing any unnecessary pressure on national public services involved in staging matches,” UEFA said in a statement.

In delaying Euro 2020, Uefa said it wanted to avoid “placing any unnecessary pressure on national public services” of its 12 host countries, as well as helping allow domestic competitions to be finished.

ICYMI: UEFA announced on Tuesday that #EURO2020 would be postponed by one year. It is proposed the tournament will now run from 11 June – 11 July 2021.

The 2021 UEFA #NationsLeague finals, the @UEFAUnder21 EURO and the @UEFAWomensEURO will be re-scheduled accordingly. pic.twitter.com/eFnO7zMoFA

— UEFA (@UEFA) March 18, 2020

The UEFA Champions League and Europa League competitions for clubs have been suspended, with both still in the last-16 stage. The postponing of the European Championship means they will have the chance to be completed assuming travel restrictions are lifted in time.

UEFA has set up a working group involving leagues and clubs which will try to come up with a new match calendar to allow for the season to be completed.

Twenty of the 24 nations set to take part in the Euro have already qualified, but play-offs to determine the final four participants, due to be played this month, have been postponed. UEFA said the matches, and other scheduled friendlies, would now be played in June “subject to a review of the situation.”

South America’s equivalent of the Euro, the Copa America, also scheduled for this June and July, has also been postponed by a year.

Euro 2020 was due to be held in 12 countries. There is no suggestion the format or number of venues will change. The semi-finals and final are supposed to be played in London.

There have been knock-on effects from the postponement. The women’s Euro 2021, scheduled to run from July 7 to August 1 next year in England, with the final at Wembley, has been postponed and will be rescheduled accordingly.

UEFA have also postponed the Nations League finals and the Under-21 Euro, to take place in Hungary and Slovenia, from June next year to a later date.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed delaying next year’s 24-team Club World Cup in China to avoid clashing with the Euro.