The 2020 European Championship has already been pushed back a year due to coronavirus, but further alterations to the tournament could still be made.
According to reports, the pan-European format may be changed for the finals, which will now take place between June 11 and July 11, 2021.
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The Daily Mail claim the Spanish and Italian Football Associations have doubts over hosting matches, with Bilbao and Rome selected as two of the host cities for the tournament.
Their doubts are related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the financial fallout expected once the crisis subsides; Spain and Italy are the two worst affected European countries by COVID-19.
Other stadiums across the continent are facing issues relating to the postponement of the finals for a year, with these arenas already having lucrative music events booked for June and July 2021.
Scotland’s Hampden Park, the Aviva Stadium in Ireland and the Amsterdam Arena are all understood to be in this predicament, as well as Wembley – with the FA already cancelling a number of summer gigs at the national stadium to ensure they can host Euro 2021 matches.
England’s FA remain committed to hosting European Championship matches despite the doubts from elsewhere across the continent, with Wembley to host six matches – including the two semi-finals and the final.
As a result of these numerous issues, the number of host cities may be reduced for the finals – something UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is open to considering he has never been keen on the pan-European format, which was developed by his predecessor Michel Platini.
A statement from European football’s governing body read: “Euro 2020 is foreseen to take place between June 11 and July 11, 2021, with the intention of having the same match schedule and the same host cities.
“However, at this stage the match schedule has not been officially confirmed. UEFA is in contact with all 12 host cities and further announcements will be made.”
