The European football championship, UEFA EURO 2020, will be postponed until the summer of 2021 because of the new coronavirus (Covid-19).
Normally, EURO 2020 would take place in June and July in 12 cities across Europe this year, but the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) decided to postpone the tournament because of the coronavirus pandemic. The proposed new dates are 11 June to 11 July 2021.
For both men and women, all UEFA competitions and matches, including friendlies, for clubs and national teams, have been postponed indefinitely.
"We are at the helm of a sport that vast numbers of people live and breathe that has been laid low by this invisible and fast-moving opponent. It is at times like these that the football community needs to show responsibility, unity, solidarity and altruism," said UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin in a statement on its website.
Related News
- Coronavirus situation closely monitored ahead of Nanjing Athletics Games
- Coronavirus: EU changes policy on containing the spread of the virus
- Coronavirus Numbers: over 7,050 deaths worldwide
"The health of fans, staff and players has to be our number one priority and, in that spirit, UEFA tabled a range of options so that competitions can finish this season safely, and I am proud of the response of my colleagues across European football," Čeferin added.
People who have already bought tickets but will not be able to attend the tournament in 2021 will be refunded in full, the association said. Further information on the refunds can be found on euro2020.com/tickets, and will also be sent to buyers via email.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
