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Dublin, Munich and Bilbao given brief Euro 2020 stay of execution

The FAI will discover on Friday whether or not Dublin will be allowed to continue as a host city ...
Richie McCormack
Richie McCormack

15.48 19 Apr 2021


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Dublin, Munich and Bilbao give...

Dublin, Munich and Bilbao given brief Euro 2020 stay of execution

Richie McCormack
Richie McCormack

15.48 19 Apr 2021


Share this article


The FAI will discover on Friday whether or not Dublin will be allowed to continue as a host city for Euro 2020. 

Along with Bilbao's San Mames stadium, Dublin's Aviva Stadium's host status hangs in the balance over an inability to guarantee an attendance of 25 per cent capacity.

Earlier this month, the FAI informed UEFA that due to government guidance, they were not in a position to provide assurances regarding a minimum number of spectators inside the Aviva.

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Similarly, while the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) are keen to retain their card of matches, the Basque government are unwilling to offer up guarantees regarding crowd size.

The other ten host cities are all believed to be able to meet UEFA's fan remit.

A decision was due to be made by UEFA's Executive Committee on Monday, but will instead wait until Friday April 23.

The Aviva is due to host four matches during the Euros, starting with the Group E meeting of Poland and Slovakia on June 14.

Spain are due to play all of their Group E matches at the San Mames, but Seville is waiting to step in as a substitute should the Basque government preclude them from staging games.

"For us as a national team and as a country we feel it is fundamental to remain as a host nation," RFEF president Luis Rubiales said last week.

"It's true that there's some difficulties in Bilbao but UEFA need to decide on that. For us, if they decide to remove it, it would be terrible for us if those games went to another country.

"I'm going to do everything that's in our powers in order for Spain to remain as a host nation and La Cartuja is a fantastic stadium that has everything it needs to host it.

"We have a relationship with the regional government and the stadium and so if this were to happen Seville would be our first choice, but it's not up to us.

"Hosting three national team games and a last-16 tie would be a big deal for us, both in terms of for fans and economically."

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