Finns disappointed but fan safety comes first, says captain Sparv

Finland's soccer players were looking forward to competing at the finals of a major tournament for the first time ever in June, but captain Tim Sparv said it was right to postpone the Euro 2020 Championship to protect fans from the coronavirus.

The towering 33-year-old, who plays for FC Midtjylland in Denmark, was out training by himself when the news broke via the Norwegian FA that the tournament was to be postponed by a year.

"I think that the football society as a whole needs to take their responsibility and try to protect our fans, the football fans. I think it's the only right decision," he told Reuters by telephone.

"We've been looking forward to this for a really long time. It would have been the first time that Finland was in a European Championships so it's a bit sad, but in the general perspective, in the big picture, football is a really small matter. Now it's about life and death and trying to control the spread of the virus, so it's a good decision.

"I'm sure that, next summer, Finnish fans and players can enjoy their time in the spotlight. We just need to be a little bit patient," he added.