…Copa America now holds June 2021
UEFA has announced that Euro 2020 will be suspended for a year as a result of the spread of the coronavirus across the continent.
Initially the Norwegian FA confirmed the move. “UEFA has decided that the Euros should be postponed until 2021. It will be played from 11 June to 11 July next year.”
However, now UEFA has confirmed the news in a brief statement on their website.
“The health of all those involved in the game is the priority, as well as to avoid placing any unnecessary pressure on national public services involved in staging matches. The move will help all domestic competitions, currently on hold due to the COVID-19 emergency, to be completed.”
Whilst UEFA added that all games including the Champions League and Europa League are indefinitely postponed until further notice.
“All UEFA competitions and matches (including friendlies) for clubs and national teams for both men and women have been put on hold until further notice. The UEFA EURO 2020 Play-off matches and international friendlies, scheduled for the end of March, will now be played in the international window at the start of June, subject to a review of the situation.”
This years edition of the tournament had been slated to start between June 12 and July 12 across twelve countries in a pan-continental version of the competition.
Meanwhile, the Copa America due to kick off in June in Argentina and Colombia was on Tuesday postponed by a year to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, organisers CONMEBOL said.
The Copa is South America’s main continental competition between national sides and had been scheduled to run between June 12-July 12, 2021.
The competition was being staged for the first time in two countries rather than one.
The finals featuring 12 teams, for this edition, included invitees Australia and Qatar.
“It’s an extraordinary measure due to an unexpected situation, and therefore responds to the fundamental need to avoid an exponential evolution of the virus,” said CONMEBOL.
The tournament is now rescheduled to run from June 11-July 11 2021.
The decision was taken in conjunction with UEFA’s decision to postpone Euro 2020 to 2021.
“We also thank UEFA and its president Aleksander Ceferin for working together and the co-ordinated decision to also postpone the 2020 Euros for the betterment of the whole football family,” added CONMEBOL.
The South American governing body had decided to align the Copa, which mostly used to be played in odd years, to the Euros in order to reduce the impact on European clubs, where a large number of South American international players ply their trade. – BeIN, AFP.
