Euro 2020 - Dublin braced to be stripped of hosting games, 'too soon' to promise 25% capacity
ByReuters
Published 21/04/2021 at 10:00 GMT
The Irish government says it is unlikely it will be able to guarantee a minimum 25% capacity at the Aviva Stadium, the requirement UEFA is looking for if hosts are to keep their matches. The European Super League delayed the governing body's final announcement on the final cities, with a call due to be made on Friday.
Dublin's Aviva Stadium could miss out on the games it is due to host at Euro 2020
Image credit: Getty Images
The Republic of Ireland's deputy prime minister Leo Varadkar says the government is braced to lose the matches it was meant to host at the European Championship, as it cannot guarantee a minimum capacity for supporters to attend.
June's delayed Euro 2020 is due to be hosted in 12 cities across the continent for the first time and UEFA is set to decide on Friday what to do with Munich, Bilbao and Dublin, which have been unable to guarantee spectator attendance.
"We're just very cautious about that, we just think June is too soon. I think if they continue to insist on that (having 25% of the stadium full), it’ll be hard for it to go ahead quite frankly, which is unfortunate," Varadkar said.
While Ireland has one of Europe's lowest incidence rates of COVID-19, the government plans to reopen sectors very gradually with most shops due to stay shut until at least May and hotels potentially only opening in June.
Ireland, whose team failed to qualify for Euro 2020, is due to host three Group E matches between Poland, Slovakia and Sweden at Dublin's Aviva Stadium from June 14, followed by a last 16 tie on June 29.
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