Rummenigge admits UEFA could scrap 12-nation plan for Euro 2020 due to Covid-19 fears | OneFootball

Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has revealed that UEFA could scrap the 12-nation plan to host the Euro 2020 due to coronavirus fears.

The global pandemic caused the tournament to be delayed by a year, and Rummenigge believes UEFA president Aleksander Cerefin favours holding the tournament in just one country.

The Bayern chief told Munchener Merkur/TZ: “We must not forget that the idea of this special hosting of the tournament came about when the coronavirus did not yet exist.

“At that time it was an initiative of the EU Commission that wanted to have football shown all over Europe.

“But I know that the UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin – who is incredibly careful with corona – is thinking about whether it wouldn’t make more sense in these times to play the tournament in just one country. That would be with a corresponding hygiene concept, of course.”

UEFA did not deny the suggestion, but have so far insisted they have no plans to change the tournament.

“In agreement with the 12 cities, we are currently working on four scenarios: full stadiums, stadiums between 50 and 100 percent full, 20 to 30 percent full, and behind closed doors,” a UEFA spokesman said.

Safety issues might prompt UEFA to consider one host country

Last week, Swiss FA president Dominique Blanc suggested that Euro 2020 could be held entirely in one country – either Russia, Germany, or London.

Speaking to Swiss newspaper 24 Heures, Blanc said: “One option could be to host the Euro in one country, in Russia or Germany.

“A second option would be to pick a metropolis with enough stadiums to stage the six groups. London for example.”

Wembley in London is set to host the group stage matches, the semi-final, and the finals. Munich, Rome, St Petersburg, and Baku are to host the quarter-finals as well as some group-stage clashes.

Copenhagen, Bucharest, Amsterdam, Dublin, Bilbao, Glasgow, and Budapest are the other venues, staging group-stage and last-16 encounters.