German switch on Euro 2020 could be good news for Wembley bid
FRANKFURT: German federation president Wolfgang Niersbach has hinted the organisation could switch bidding strategy to target UEFA Euro 2024 instead of Euro 2020.
Any German decision to step back from 2020 would be good news for Wembley which is seen as a leading candidate for the semi-finals and final.
The DFB announced last month that Berlin and Munich put forward bids to be considered for a possible tilt at host city status for Euro 2020, which will be staged across 13 different cities in Europe.
The DFB is currently examining the two cities’ claims and will decide on whether to back a single candidate at a board meeting on August 30.
Germany had been expected to put forward a bid for Euro 2020’s semi-finals and final package but attention could now be switched to the 2024 tournament which is expected to return to its traditional single-country hosting format.
Concerning Euro 2024, Niersbach told the Express newspaper: “If you look at the map of Europe, we can with confidence – not arrogance – say that we are able to host such a complex tournament.”
Any German decision to step back from 2020 would be good news for Wembley which is seen as a leading candidate for the semi-finals and final.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munchen CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and the German Football League (DFL) have both stated they are in favour of a winter World Cup in Qatar.
FIFA last week said its executive committee will meet in October to discuss the issue of potentially switching the 2022 World Cup to a winter calendar slot.
The issue is a hugely divisive topic and the English Premier League has reiterated its opposition to any potential switch in dates for Qatar 2022, claiming that such a move would disrupt the calendar for both that season and the ones before and after, and also affect broadcast contracts.
However, Rummenigge, who also serves as chairman of the influential European Club Association, said: “No doubt about it, it is good to hear if FIFA agrees on playing the 2022 World Cup during the winter. A tournament during the summer is not feasible.”
He added: “Of course, you’d then have to come to an understanding about an arrangement for the scheduling of the domestic leagues with the associations, leagues and clubs for that year.”
Commenting on the situation, DFL chief operating officer Andreas Rettig said: “The league would only welcome a winter World Cup in Qatar.”
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