NYON: UEFA has more than doubled Wembley’s quota of matches in the pan-continental Euro 2020 finals by handing it matches stripped from Brussels.
The Belgian capital has been ruled out because of uncertainty over plans to build a new venue left the European federation with no option but to find a new home for three group games and a second round tie.
Wembley was given the unanimous nod over Cardiff and Stockholm and will thus stage seven matches altogether including both semi-finals and the final.
The FA of Wales said it was “extremely disappointed” by UEFA’s decision to overlook Cardiff after the successful recent staging of the European Super and the 2017 Champions League final.
However it is thought that concerns over airport access and accommodation, particularly at last season’s Champions League Final, had counted against Cardiff.
The 2020 tournament, which runs from 12 June until 12 July that year, is the first championship to be played under a one-off format dreamed up by banned former UEFA president Michel Platini and will feature group games spread across the length and breadth of Europe.
The opening match will be played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Glasgow’s Hampden Park and Dublin’s Aviva Stadium will host last-16 matches and three group games.
The quarter-finals and three group matches will be held in Munich (Germany), Baku (Azerbaijan), Rome (Italy) and St Petersburg (Russia).
Each qualified host country will play a minimum of two matches at home in the group-stage.
The groups and host cities will be:
• Group A: Rome and Baku
• Group B: Saint Petersburg and Copenhagen
• Group C: Amsterdam and Bucharest
• Group D: London and Glasgow
• Group E: Bilbao and Dublin
• Group F: Munich and Budapest
Other decisions:
Nations League: Russia/Ukraine and Armenia/Azerbaijan will be kept apart in next month’s draw.
Futsal Cup: The Pabellón Principe Felipe in Zaragoza was appointed to stage the 2018 finals between April 19-22.
Next meeting: February 25, the day before the 42nd Ordinary UEFA Congress in Bratislava, Slovakia.
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