Can the Celts host Euro 2020?

At first glance it did not look serious.


Two last-minute expressions of interest in hosting Euro 2020 were registered before the deadline to add to Turkey's existing one.

One came from Georgia and the other was a joint proposal from Eire, Scotland and Wales.

The Turkish government had been desperate for rivals to the Turkish FA's bid to emerge so UEFA lent on two groups to express an interest. 2020 is also Olympic year and Istanbul is in the running for the rings against Baku, Doha, Madrid and Tokyo.

The Ankara government would much prefer the Games to the Euros, so was dismayed when Germany pulled out of the Euro 2020 race, leaving Turkey as the sole bidder. The International Olympic Commission has made it clear no country can host both tournaments in one summer.


With 24 finalists involved, whichever host is chosen will have to provide ten up-to-date stadia, two holding a minimum of 50,000 seats, three at least 40,000 and four 30,000.

It is hard to see how Georgia (pop. 4.5 million), despite its growing economy, will be able to muster that many arenas, while its infrastructure surely also requires a miracle.

The tri-Celtic bid also looks a long shot, although not impossible, as a number of large and modern arenas with experience of hosting football already exist in those countries:

1. Croke Park (Eire) 82,000
2. Millennium Stadium (Wales) 74,000
3. Murrayfield (Scotland)  67,000
4. Celtic Park (Scotland) 60,000
5. Hampden Park (Scotland) 52,000
6. Aviva Stadium (Eire) 51,000
7. Ibrox (Scotland) 51,000

These seven compare very favourably in terms of size and access, being based in Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Wales has two other modern football stadia whose capacities could be increased without too much difficulty - Cardiff City Stadium (built 2009, 27,000 seats) and Swansea's Liberty Stadium (2005, 20,500).

Ireland's other football stadia are nothing to write home about, although it has a dozen Gaelic football stadia with capacities of 30,000 or more, but they are mostly standing venues, while the only all-seated stadia of sufficient size reside in tiny towns which would be too small to host Euro 2020.

In terms of access, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Wexford or Waterford would be the realistic candidates to have their arenas rebuilt.

Although giving out three automatic qualification spots is unprecedented, the transport connections are probably easier than between Poland and Ukraine, the hoteliers less likely to overcharge and the police more trustworthy.

More importantly, the presence of a competitor allows Istanbul to challenge for the Olympics in the final IOC vote in Buenos Aires in September 2013. The Euro 2020 decision is not until the following Spring, which allows Turkey the back-up of the European Championships.

Turkey is still the outstanding candidate for Euro 2020, having narrowly missed out on hosting Euro 2016 to France. As a  strategic geo-political bridge between the Islamic world and the West, the large nation on the edge of Europe is high on the politicians' list of priorities.

But should Istanbul get the nod for the summer games, the Euros could be heading back to the British Isles for the first time since England hosted 1996.

- Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile


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Euro 2012 football

Turkey faces 2020 dilemma

Having narrowly missed out on Euro 2016, Turkey today threw its hat into the ring for the European Championships in 2020.

With the final vote not due until 2014, there is still time for other applications but the large nation at the crossroads of two continents looks the front-runner, boasting a large population, growing infrastructure and the emotional claim of never having hosted the tournament before.

The expansion of the Euro 2016 from 16 to 24 teams, means the list of countries capable of being a host nation has also inevitably shrunken. Previous bids such as that of Hungary & Croatia for 2012 or exploratory bids like that of Scotland & Ireland or Norway & Sweden look impossible in the future. The days of a Sweden hosting Euro '92 are long gone.

France has ten stadia in place for hosting the tournament four years from now; Turkey at present has one stadium of 83,000 capacity, three holding more than 50,000 and two of 30,000+. Their 2016 bid planned seven new arenas with five renovated ones to complete a total of ten grounds with three in reserve.

Italy may try again after failing to land 2012, as could Germany, rumoured to have been the reserve host for this year. Spain, the reigning kings of football, have not hosted a major tournament since 1982, while Russia's powerful claims will probably have to sit out 2020 having hosted the World Cup in 2018.

“We are currently in the process of building state-of-the-art stadiums across the country," Turkish F.A. chief Yildirim Demiroren announced, "and huge developments have been made in improving the transportation networks between cities in Turkey."

What could scupper the Turkish delight however is a simultaneous bid from Istanbul to host the 2020 Olympic Games. That will be decided a year before the Euro vote in 2013 but already it seems plain that both tournaments cannot be hosted in the same summer.

UEFA Michel Platini has already stated that it is the Olympics or Euros for Turkey in 2020, and with no other bidders on the table yet for Euro 2016, will be secretly praying one of Baku, Doha, Madrid or Tokyo pip the Turks in the Olympic race.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

Tags

Euro 2012 football