We’ve heard the rumblings that public gatherings are set to become a reality again this summer, and it gives us all hope that we’ll be able to get on the festival trail again this year. The first major barometer is likely to come from the world of sport. Major football matches in the top leagues and tournaments have been taking place behind closed doors in front of empty stands over recent months, but all that is set to change when Euro 2020 kicks off in June.
Spectators return
No, we’ve not entered a time warp, Euro 2020 is indeed taking place in mid-2021. UEFA say it is to honour 60 years of the Championship, although cynics might argue that saving money on a complete rebranding was also a factor. Either way, the bookmakers are sharpening their pencils to work out the Euro 2020 odds and even more importantly, vendors are selling Euro 2020 tickets for fans to attend in person.
It’s led to some last-minute rescheduling, of which more in a moment, but UEFA was always adamant that the tournament would have spectators in attendance. From the moment the revised date was announced, the sport’s administrative body said: “UEFA is pleased to announce that there will be a return of spectators to the Euro 2020 venues and wishes to express its appreciation to its member associations and the national and local authorities who are collaborating closely in ensuring the safe return of spectators to the stadium.”
Dublin and Bilbao withdraw
Hosting the tournament across multiple nations was always going to be a challenge under the current circumstances, so unsurprisingly, some have fallen by the wayside. The highest profile casualty has been Dublin, which was scheduled to host four matches, but was unable to give UEFA the required assurances regarding minimum spectator numbers. As a result, three group matches have been moved to St Petersburg and a last-16 game to Wembley.
It was a similar story in Bilbao. Here, it was deemed “very unlikely” that spectators would be able to attend, so the four matches scheduled to be played in the heart of the Basque Country will now take place at Seville’s Estadio La Cartuja. Again, there will be three group matches and one round of 16 encounter, and the stadium has pledged to open the stands at 30 percent, which means up to 18,000 fans will be there to watch the action unfold.
A final for the ages
A flagship tournament needs a flagship final, especially when it has been so long-awaited. Euro 2020 will come to a head at the Wembley Stadium on 11 July. Given the form of the teams, there’s every chance that the de facto hosts will be out there in the middle, and it will be the first Euro Final at the famous stadium in a quarter of a century.
In February, Boris Johnson suggested that by then, restrictions might be lifted completely, so while still to be confirmed, there’s a real possibility that the game will play out in front of a capacity crowd. It would be the biggest sign yet that the new normal might not be so different to the old one.
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