Thursday, April 8th, 2021
“Impossible to Fulfill”
Munich and other EM hosts wobble
Markus Söder is not at all enthusiastic about UEFA’s plans. The Bavarian Prime Minister does not want many spectators to sit in the Munich stadium during the European Football Championship. The Spanish association formulates it even more drastically for the venue Bilbao: The UEFA demand is “impossible to meet”.
The Spanish city of Bilbao threatens to cease to be the venue for the European Football Championship (June 11 to July 11) – as does Munich. In view of the conditions of the regional government of the Basque Country, games in front of an audience in Bilbao are unthinkable, said the Spanish association RFEF. The seven demands of the authorities were “impossible to meet” by June, it said. Previously, on Wednesday in Spain it was reported that the European Football Union (UEFA) had received a relatively specific promise for games with spectators from Bilbao.
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder sees it the same way. He told RTL / ntv: “At the moment, to be honest, I can’t imagine operating with great viewership, it won’t be long before the EM.” Söder advocates pursuing the ghost games option: “Playing in large stadiums, all over Europe, with extreme mobility – I dare to doubt whether this is really a good idea!”
It remains to be seen whether UEFA will insist that European Championship matches must take place in front of spectators. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said on Sky that you had to look at the health situation. “If the situation allows, we expect spectators,” he emphasized. Söder does not believe in this discussion either. If only played where spectators were completely admitted, “that would also meet with resistance.”
Dublin is also skeptical
The Basque regional government wants to allow EM games in front of spectators only under certain conditions. This includes, among other things, that at least 60 percent of the population of the Basque Country and all of Spain must be vaccinated against the coronavirus by June 14th. According to the central government’s vaccination program, however, this condition cannot be met. Madrid only wants to have around 70 percent of all citizens immunized by the end of August. And the media doubt that this goal can be achieved at all.
Another requirement, which according to the association cannot be met, is that in June a maximum of two percent of all intensive care beds may be occupied by Covid patients. “All of this will mean that there will be no audience in Bilbao,” said the RFEF.
Several of the twelve planned European Championship hosts had already declared their willingness to host matches in front of spectators, including Glasgow, Amsterdam, London, St. Petersburg, Copenhagen, Bucharest and Rome. No problems are expected for Baku and Budapest either. The confirmation from Dublin, like the Munich, is considered uncertain.
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