Has anyone read the Dominique Blanc (Swiss soccer chief) interview where he suggests the tournament could either move to one country (he specifically mentions Germany or Russia) or one metropolis with enough stadiums to host the six groups (he specifically mentions London)? https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...ation-or-country--swiss-soccer-chief-13968066 Not sure which of those makes more sense from the perspective of controlling the virus. I can see that the metropolis option stops possibly infected people spreading it across the country, but then having the supporters of 24 countries descend on one city could potentially overload the city's health system to breaking point if things go wrong. Does hosting it all across one country make more sense in that the risk is spread out thinner?
Oh, that's exactly what they are doing in my opinion. This way it saves them the trouble of the issue of taking away tickets. It's almost assuredly why they are doing that now instead of in March when we have more clarity. I just think it is BS because there are some places that I want to go that I have never been and I want to know if those are still going to host before I commit. I would think hosting it one country makes the most sense. If it is in England, you can spread out the tournament and the risk to London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, and wherever else you want to have it. Same with a place like Germany. The other plus with that is people can meet the guidelines when they enter once and then not have to worry about them again until they leave.
Uefa have gave an update if the game is moved more than 50 km away from original stadium, you'll be entitled to a refund ..source Henry winter sports writer
Yes I agree UEFA want tickets back. If limited attendances then far better to let people return them rather than choose who misses out. Anecdotal evidence here suggests most people are taking a refund. However this is the first opportunity for Irish people to get one since we lost in the playoffs. I doubt too many in Scotland are returning tickets for their games. I re-booked hotels on free cancellation but will lose out on flights. I only re-booked some of them but last summer I didn't think things would be this bad in 2021. Will there be another chance to return tickets? Possibly. However I don't think you can expect UEFA to keep allowing returns.
I imagine much of this will be based on: The level of returns during this window The amount of fans they decide to allow, decision made at the March meeting If they get enough to return now and can have a decent sized crowd, maybe not. If they still have to take 5-10k tickets per match back after the March meeting, have to think they allow another refund before forcing folks to give them back. We shall see shortly.
So they're basically just covering a situation where, say Wembley has to be closed down due to an outbreak, they can move the match to The Emirates Stadium (8 miles away) and you wouldn't be entitled to a refund. Or, if they decide to move it to Old Trafford (200 miles away) you would be entitled to a refund. Either that or they're hedging their bets to include the scenario mooted by Blanc where the entire tournament could be held in London. Plenty of stadiums in London which would fall within the 50km rule and allow them to transfer your ticket. The Emirates or Stamford Bridge could be better suited to a reduced capacity crowd than Wembley? Either way in light of this update the rule really doesn't sound as onerous as it first appeared, the only mystery is why on Earth didn't they just tell us the full story in the first place?
That doesn't make much sense either though because only London is within 50km of London. The tickets sold for the other 45 or so matches would still be applicable for refund.
While I appreciate them providing further guidance and I think it offers clarity to everyone not sure on how to handle their tickets that fear a venue change, I also don't get them using 50 km as the determining factor on them supplying a refund or not. Literally any kind of venue change means they will provide a refund as a venue change within 50 km will be extremely rare. Also, I can't imagine too many people thinking that they would go to Wembley, but screw going to Vicarage Road or Selhurst Park. It would have been easier to just say "if the venue changes at all, we will provide a refund." All the chatter around now seems to indicate that a good bet will be that less countries or only one country will host. Bayern's CEO today suggested that he thinks that only one host will happen. The Telegraph has in their paper that "England is expected to be a frontrunner to take on more Euro 2020 matches this summer amid mounting doubt over host cities due to Covid-19." I will say that potentially only one host country and this new clear refund policy makes me more apt to hold. Especially because I think the host options would be England, France, Germany, and Russia, which are three countries that I would have no issue going to and one that I would definitely ask for a refund. I feel like a teenage girl deciding on a prom dress between two choices at this point because I can't make up my mind, haha.
I do not see France as an option. They have no games and no planning in place. Germany are hosts for 2024 so unlikely to take it and certainly not swop. England or Russia to me seem the obvious options. I am sure England will be the preferred option although Russia will probably guarantee full crowds. I would assume Scotland would keep their games if the tournament moves to England. I had thought this would be the case for Dublin as well but less sure now.
Did anyone else take the tone of today's follow up e-mail from UEFA to mean "please return your tickets.........PLEASE!"?
Looks like the Tokyo Olympics are on the verge of being cancelled... honestly UEFA would be smart to just push this to next summer to get maximum dollars. "The Japanese government has privately concluded that the Tokyo Olympics will have to be cancelled because of the coronavirus, and the focus is now on securing the Games for the city in the next available year, 2032." https://t.co/i9yF8DFY6e— J.R. Reed (@JRReed) January 21, 2021
Those were four of the options speculated before, but really only the UK makes sense to me. The optics for UEFA of having it in Russia don't seem that great to me for them to do it there. I don't think anyone truly believes their Coronavirus case counts and that Olympic ban they have from a sporting perspective too. The UK has all the stadiums and the travel between the matches is simple enough. London already has the most important matches, so just keep it there (and maybe Scotland too) and go with it. I can't see Boris saying no if it is offered to him. The big difference between this is the Japanese government are the ones willing to accept a cancellation. They are much more conservative in regards to the virus than most European countries. It's not like it is being pushed onto them by the IOC at this time. UEFA's going to do the opposite as they are going to push at least one government to host because really postponing again isn't a realistic option and short of domestic leagues shutting down for awhile between now and then (a very slim chance), they aren't cancelling. They need that TV money in order to give funding to some of the UEFA federations so they can compete in further events like WC qualifying. The fact that they are allowing for refunds now tells you all you need to know about their plan of the show must go on.
Whilst the +50km venue change refund was very welcome, the insurmountable problem for me was that I don't feel safe attending the tournament if not vaccinated and being as the UK government aren't deciding when people of my age will be vaccinated by mid-February and all unofficial forecasts have me receiving my second jab until after the tournament is over, I've had to make the reluctant decision to cancel all my tickets today. I'll be honest, when I got as far as the FMT semi-finals and final I was typing every permutation I could think of into the OMNI vaccine calculator to see if there was any conceivable way I might get vaccinated in time, but unless there is a minor miracle it doesn't look like I'll be done in time. Obviously it's disappointing, but I'd feel even worse if I held onto near enough a grand's worth of tickets then didn't use them. When I look at how much I would have spent including accommodation and travel, I do wonder whether the lack of atmosphere generated by a half to two thirds empty stadium would have felt as if I wasn't getting value for money, but that was perhaps a secondary consideration. I've kept my hotel room bookings open for now just in case I get vaccinated quicker than expected and I'm lucky enough to pick up a ticket or two in the re-sale, if not then it simply wasn't meant to be and I basically have a grand toward the World Cup 2026 fund.
Isn't there the possibility that the named countries won't want to host this tournament, as it will possibly be prejudicial to chances of hosting a pandemic free tournament in the next decades?
Not happening, the tournament will happen whether any fans are present or not. TV money has to be had. Also no way you can fit two major tournaments in 2022 and FIFA is not pushing the WC.
I guess it would give UEFA maximum dollars but not sure why you and I should care about that. It would be hard for UEFA to sell this idea to the fans. I mean, here they are squeezing-in 3 WC qualifying games into one FIFA int'l break at the height of the pandemic, which involves national team players flying all over Europe. Meanwhile they are going to cancel or postpone a major tournament that could (at least theoretically) all be played in the same country? Plus, having the Euros 4 months before a World Cup!? They will get totally overshadowed. Plus it would be hard on the players that are involved in both competitions. I think they are counting on the summer of 2022 to have a bit of a rest.
As far as getting vaccinated before the tournament, I doubt it will be insurmountable. There are around 160 in development and testing, I bet some will make the decision to sell privately rather than through governments, and I doubt it will cost more than a PCR test you need now for most airlines and destinations.
You might be right about the players but I think it would be the World Cup that gets overshadowed. A Europe wide festival of football versus a concrete jungle built by slave labour in the desert?
Yeah Qatar sucks, but still... WC >> Euro. I'm not even sure a "Europe wide festival" will be better than the usual Euros, frankly. We will likely never find out.
That's what I am holding out hope for in the States too. I want to be vaccinated asap, but I am less concerned about being vaccinated to attend (even though I would prefer that) and more concerned about being stuck at an airport not being able to enter because I did not have it. I totally understand someone bailing out on their tickets because they do not think they will be vaccinated in time though. Maybe I am in the minority, but I would much rather stay at the Two Seasons in Baku for weeks than go to watch the WC in Qatar. Even if you gave me tickets to that WC. I do think the atmosphere even without a pandemic will be more mooted with a continent-wide Euros though. It will feel more like a commuter event because of all of the travel and lack of people having a base location that can easily be reached by train. Having said that, I would personally love for them to try it again in 2028 if they have to scrap it for one country this year.
I am with you. I'm not going to Qatar and I am going to these Euros. Just pointing-out that staging both within 4 months of each other is problematic.
Yeah, I agree. I also think we agree that the odds of that actually happening are the same as a team coming back from 4-0 in a quarter of an hour.
Why would the UK be willing to host? Seems like a huge risk to do it with fans in attendance and little to no revenue generation if fans are prohibited or limited? Perhaps the landscape will look different in June but I would think they would have to commit in March.