KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: European federation UEFA will expect all 12 countries hosting the Euro finals in June and July to permit fans to attend the matches. The unspoken threat is that states unable to offer this guarantee will be threatened with a withdrawal of hosting status.

Aleksander Ceferin, president of UEFA, has been quoted on the issue by media in Croatia ahead of a decision on April 20 by the executive committee on tournament staging.

UEFA has thus put pressure on the venues: Bilbao, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Baku, Bucharest, Budapest, Dublin, Glasgow, Saint Petersburg, Munich, Rome and London.

Ceferin said: “The sure thing is that it will not be played before the empty stands.”

He added: “Our expectation is that the Euro will be played in the 12 planned cities but, if that is not possible, then it will be played in 10 or 11 countries, if one or more cities cannot meet the necessary requirements.”

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