Euro 2020: why Uefa's European tour might benefit the Euros

By David BondBBC sports editor

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments152

Best moments of Euro 2012

Uefa's decision to host Euro 2020 in 12 different cities is unquestionably groundbreaking.

There will also be those who say it's bonkers.

Spreading a summer football tournament across a whole continent will deny fans the chance to soak up the cultures of host countries and rob hosts of the international focus and tourism benefits.

With the Euros set to expand to 24 teams from 2016 - with those finals to be staged in France - will the tournament come to feel a bit disjointed?

Then there are the logistical considerations of teams and fans criss-crossing the whole of Europe to get to and from matches.

But when the inevitable outcry has died down, it's maybe not such a bad idea.

A "Euros for Europe", as Uefa president Michel Platini put it, would take the pressure off hosts to deliver 10 or maybe more stadiums capable of hosting big international games.

In times of economic uncertainty in the Eurozone, Platini knows only a handful of countries have the money and the infrastructure to put on a mega event like this.

The experience of Ukraine and Poland was a big lesson for Uefa that taking such events to new territories has many potential benefits in opening up new markets but can cause a lot of stress along the way. Anyone who attended Euro 2012 will tell you it felt like two separate events and that the distances between the two countries were too great.

By hosting Euro 2020 in lots of countries, Platini will be able to keep to his promise - one that helped get him elected - to bring the smaller European nations to football's top table.

Besides, top players are used to flying across the continent to play in a big European tournament - it's called the Champions League.

Interestingly, this development has only come about because Turkey, the favourites to host the Euros in 2020, are bidding for the Olympics in the same year. Istanbul is the front runner there as well and Uefa knew it couldn't stage both.

For England and the Football Association, it opens up the enticing prospect of staging the Euro 2020 final without the risk of having to launch another expensive and high-profile bidding campaign.

I understand Platini met FA chairman David Bernstein and Sports Minister Hugh Robertson two weeks ago in London. The possibility of a Euro 2020 bid had already been discussed internally at the FA and Bernstein wanted to see whether Platini would support an English bid if Turkey pulled out.

Today's decision ends that debate but after what happened to England in the doomed 2018 World Cup bid contest this will be seen as a big opportunity for the FA - without the prospect of humiliation on the international stage.

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152 comments

  • Comment posted by bitofrealism, at 19:58 6 Dec 2012

    Let me guess David Bond.

    Seeing as license fee payers will be the ones picking up the bill of the BBC flying staff all over Europe, not you, you don't consider cost to be a pressing concern?

  • Comment posted by U15528727, at 21:48 6 Dec 2012

    You know what I think 35. is right, have each country host a group, or spilt the group between neigbouring countries. Meaning most teams wont even have to travel anymore than they do already, then you can decide what to do in the knockout stages.

  • Comment posted by soupdiet, at 22:09 6 Dec 2012

    David-have a look at the Englandfans website to see the reaction.
    The guys that pay thousands & use most of their holidays to follow their team for years & years.Not a journo on expenses or some corporate fan their looking for their face painted 15 mins of fame. UEFA aren't interested in saving countries or fans money-only in engaging more countries venue streams,corporates,advertisers etc

  • Comment posted by magicDarkshadow, at 22:05 6 Dec 2012

    Just to add something David left out. Platini stupidly answered a question on who should host euro 2020 by saying Turkey. As soon as he said that the other bidders pulled out. As the Uefa suits would probably back their boss in the vote. Then the Turkish gov said that they would only underwrite an olympic bid. Leaving Platini with a big problem. This all about saving Platini's reputation.

  • Comment posted by jimmytheweed33, at 21:26 6 Dec 2012

    Interesting how many journos think this is a great idea. Of course, it's just another all expenses paid junket for them along with all the suits on a corporate sponsors jolly. What does it matter if the fans have to fork out more money for flights here there and everywhere. An absolute disgrace and further confirmation that UEFA along with FIFA have no interest other than maximising revenue.

  • Comment posted by Tidbit, at 21:24 6 Dec 2012

    @40 as opposed to the carbon footprint created by building 5 new stadiums... it's a good idea.

  • Comment posted by KingLaursen - Houllier Out Capello Out, at 20:10 6 Dec 2012

    Just let England host it.

    We could host it tomorrow without building a single stadium.

    Group A - London - Wembley & Emirates

    Group B - East Midlands - City Ground & KP Stadium

    Group C - West Midlands - Villa Park & Ricoh Arena

    Group D - North-West - Old Trafford & Anfield

    Group E - Yorkshire & Humber - Elland Road & Hillsborough

    Group F - North-East - St James' Park & Stadium of Light

  • Comment posted by Sam, at 20:10 7 Dec 2012

    Totally defeats the object of the competition. Spreading it around Europe will just dilute any atmosphere or sense that a competition is taking place.
    Well done Platini, you've excelled yourself in destroying traditions for the sake of money. After all, who cares about the fans or the football, money's the only thing Uefa are interested in.

  • Comment posted by jarvish, at 13:45 7 Dec 2012

    Football fans being change averse - who'd have thought it? Next everyone will be saying that the Champions League should be for league winners only, players should be paid £100 a week, and tickets to matches should be £3 each.

  • Comment posted by U15511657, at 23:10 6 Dec 2012

    Deserted stadia, skint fans, and what will now thanks to Platini's masterplan be a dull, bloated tournament. The Euro's used to be a thrilling competition, now Platini is killing it. Sad.

  • Comment posted by conradk, at 20:00 6 Dec 2012

    I'm sure that as the BBC pundits and presenters think it's a great idea as they won't have to pay their own tickets and travel expenses like a normal fan will, maybe you should try looking at it from the view of someone who watches for pleasure rather than as a paid job, hmm?

  • Comment posted by andy, at 19:55 6 Dec 2012

    a poor idea from the men who never have to pay to travel and watch a game of football, kick them off the park, stupid idea for all fans !!!!!! no doubt if it was an England Scotland final they would have it in Turkey or some other far away country. fans will vote with their feet and keep their euros and £'s for club football !!!!

  • Comment posted by grahame, at 19:22 6 Dec 2012

    It will take the excitement and atmosphere away from the games, it will just be another football match instead of an occasion. Part of the attraction is the welcome countries extend to fans of other countries, none of that will happen as fans will only spend a matter of hours in the country to watch the game then move on. I always thought of the EUROs as the friendly games, not a business.

  • Comment posted by armia, at 19:26 8 Dec 2012

    I don't think the cost to fans was even factored into this really silly idea. Lets make a security problem throughout Europe as well. Next thing they will be holding World Cups in ridiculous places like Qatar.

  • Comment posted by GeoffWode, at 17:09 8 Dec 2012

    is Euro 2020 sponsored by RyanAir then?

  • Comment posted by Nick Ebrell, at 14:00 8 Dec 2012

    If this wasn't a cash cow they wouldn't be doing it. That's the motivation and in all sports where money takes precedence over prestige the soul gets destroyed.

    Yes, you can pick the best and biggest stadia, but so what? Instead of 99% of people missing out who want to be there, you now have 98% missing out. But that 1% is huge in revenue.

  • Comment posted by AGlassOfRed, at 13:59 8 Dec 2012

    I think it really could work as a one-off tournament.

    Group 1 plays at Stockholm and Copenhagen
    Group 2 plays at Edinburgh and Manchester
    Group 3 plays at Dublin and Cardiff
    Group 4 plays Munich and Vienna
    Group 5 plays at Athens and Istanbul
    Group 6 plays at Marseille and Lisbon
    Quarter-Final venues at Rome,Paris,Madrid,Berlin
    Semi-Final venues at Dortmund and Barcelona
    Final at London

  • Comment posted by jwc2012, at 10:37 8 Dec 2012

    Feels like it could be another nail in the coffin for international football for me. Getting swept up in the excitement your own countries campaign and host nations [remember s. korea's performance]
    The vibe of euro 96, different fans from different countries soaking up the culture of one country.
    International football will lose alot of its identity if this becomes a more permanent fixture.

  • Comment posted by U15531101, at 09:03 8 Dec 2012

    It's not hard to see why a journalist would see this as a good idea: the opportunity to wine and dine across Europe's premier cities at the company's expense. For genuine football fans though, it means the days of bombing round a country in a camper van soaking it all up with all the other fans are sadly numbered. Looks like France 2016 will be the last hurrah. Miss it at your peril.

  • Comment posted by U14855028, at 23:52 7 Dec 2012

    Speculation is pointless. Bond has seen the figure of 24 finalists and divided by 2 to come up with 12 cities, yet nobody knows how it will work. Keep dividing 24 by 2 and you end up with an odd number.

    Will it be 8 groups of 3 or 4 groups of 6?

    Having 24 "Finalists" is nonsense. That's almost half of UEFA affiliates, and they include Andorra, Faeroes, Liechtenstein, Monaco and San Marino.

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