The United Kingdom will not be offering to host the entirety of the European Championships, according to Health Secretary Matt Hancock. This comes after following reports yesterday stated that the UK would be open to the idea of relocating the entire tournament to its shores this summer.
UK Hosting Euro 2020 Not on the Cards According to Matt Hancock
Health Secretary Matt Hancock Shoots Down UK Euros 2020 Reports
Across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, games would have been spread out to allow UEFA to lessen the loss of ticket revenue, with Wembley set to host both semi-finals and the finals.
Euro 2020 was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic a year ago and as it stands will currently take place in 12 cities in 12 countries between the 11th of June and 11th of July.
Asked about the circulating rumours Hancock replied: “I haven’t seen anything on that, I understand that that’s not right.”
Tournament Still to Go Ahead on Original Plan Across 12 Countries
The Times had speculated that Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has told UEFA that the United Kingdom is on course to allow crowds back into stadiums, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce further news about the current lockdown in England on Monday. It was announced that every adult should be offered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of July.
The European governing body was also sceptical about sticking to their original plan despite the logistical challenges and are looking at contingency plans.
But the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on plans for the European Championships as several Champions League and Europa League matches have had to move to neutral venues. This has happened to games in Germany, Spain and Portugal due to entry restrictions.
The tournament is set to start in the Italian capital of Rome, before closing at Wembley exactly a month later. Games are set to take place across numerous cities in Europe including Glasgow, Amsterdam, Munich, Baku, Rome and Budapest.
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