Euro 2020: Uefa to snub Super League club stadiums when deciding contingency plans

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could have been an option for Uefa

Stadiums belonging to Super League clubs are set to be shunned when UEFA considers contingency options for staging Euro 2020 this summer, the PA news agency understands.

There had been reports before the weekend that Tottenham’s new stadium – one of the most impressive in Europe – might be considered, but any chance of that appears to have been extinguished by their involvement in the plans to form a breakaway competition which have since been abandoned.

Clubs receive a stadium hire fee from UEFA and it is understood European football’s governing body would be unwilling to line the pockets of the rebel teams.

UEFA’s executive committee is set to make a final decision on hosting for the finals at a meeting on Friday morning.

Bilbao and Dublin appear to be almost certainly out, but it is understood it would still come as a surprise if Munich dropped out.

The Spanish federation seems intent on moving the Bilbao matches to Seville, but what happens to Dublin’s matches is less clear-cut.

It is understood the preference is to use existing venues wherever possible, as any new venue would need to be “dressed” with Euro 2020 branding and signage.

The Football Association has said it is ready to host extra games.

However, Wembley would be unable to take on at least one of Dublin’s matches – Sweden v Slovakia on June 18 – because it is hosting England v Scotland the same day.

The venues cannot host more than one match a day because they will need to be disinfected between games.

World Cup 2018 hosts Russia have also expressed an interest in taking on extra games, and none of St Petersburg’s clash with Dublin’s fixtures.

Budapest has been a go-to neutral venue for UEFA club competition matches amid coronavirus travel restrictions this year, and its federation president, Sandor Csanyi, is highly thought of within UEFA and holds a vice-presidency.

The Hungarian city has also made the most ambitious commitment in terms of stadium capacity, advising UEFA that the Puskas Arena could be 100 per cent full.

The Puskas Arena hosted both legs of Liverpool’s Champions League tie with Red Bull Leipzig

Munich’s withdrawal would be a surprise given Germany’s hosting of the next Euros in 2024, and the standing of senior Bayern officials within the executive committee such as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Nine of the original 12 cities have given minimum capacity guarantees to UEFA over the games they are hosting.

Rome, which hosts the opening game between Turkey and Italy on June 11, was the last of those to be confirmed, with the Stadio Olimpico set to be at least 25 per cent full.

Wembley will be at a similar percentage for the three group games and last 16 match, but could go significantly higher for the semi-finals and final.

Hampden Park in Glasgow is due to host four matches, again at 25 per cent capacity.

PA

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