UEFA Proudly Announce Euro 2020 Is Going To Be One Gigantic, Expensive Pain In The Arse For Fans

Chris Wright

21st, September 2016

8 Comments

euro2020-host#

UEFA have spent the morning proudly divulging details of Euro 2020 at a launch event in London.

As per Michel Platini’s vision of a pan-continental celebration of football to mark the 60th anniversary of the finals, the tournament will take place in a slew host cities across Europe.

With no hint of irony, UEFA are attempting to ‘bring football together’ by spreading it across the length and breadth of an entire continent.

Newly-elected president, Aleksander Ceferin, spoke of returning football “to its mythical cradle” with Wembley scheduled to stage a semi-final as well as the final itself.

As well as London, a further 12 cities in 12 different countries will also host games with Munich, St Petersburg, Rome and Baku (capital city of famed footballing stronghold Azerbaijan) all getting a quarter-final and three group stage game each.

Elsewhere, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Bilbao, Brussels, Dublin and Glasgow will all also be charged with putting on three group games as well as a Last-16 tie.

If you’re struggling to visualise the sheer sprawling idiocy of the thing, then here’s a helpful visual aid…

euro-2020-travel-fans

Image: BBC Sport

The cost for travelling fans – if there are any – will be absolutely astronomical, with no UEFA-backed subsidies planned to ease the financial burden.

Indeed, FA chairman Greg Clarke openly stated today that he’s “unsure” if UEFA will be able to do anything for fans regarding travel expenditure, merely making the glib suggestion that they start saving up for it now.

In other words, you’re on your own – unless of course you have the good fortune to be a UEFA delegate or guest of some kind. Once again, the fans are the ones who quite literally end up paying for UEFA’s selfish conceit.

Personally speaking, Pies hopes the whole thing tanks in spectacular fashion, with deserted stadiums abound.

Posted in Euro 2020, Opinion

Share this article: Email

8 Comments

  1. Walter Eagle says:

    Strange that M. Platini’s vision did not include his homeland. Hate to say it, but well done to the French FA for managing to keep well out of this.

  2. Jake says:

    Less travel than MLS fans in the US. Crying over nothing here

  3. Dave says:

    The mistake you’re making here is thinking that uefa give two shiny shites about the fans.

  4. charlie says:

    Whats the betting England have group games in Baku, St Petersburg and Bilbao?

  5. James Taylor says:

    I do not understand the thinking behind this at all. Surely the tournament will simply feel like a series of qualifying matches but without a home side, and only a handful of fans following each team…

  6. Stevo says:

    I don’t see the problem with this. Why do fans “have to” travel to all these places? Maybe more fans will get to see 1 game rather than a small amount going to all of them.
    The only issue I have with this is that it didn’t go to smaller countries. Wembley gets massive matches all the time. Why not Cardiff or Dublin or somewhere else where they have a couple of good stadiums but not enough to host a whole tournament?

Leave a Reply