Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have told UEFA that they would be interested in hosting the Euro 2020 championships, Britain’s domestic Press Association news agency reported on Tuesday.
The agency quoted an unnamed source close to European football’s governing body as saying that they had received a written expression of interest from the Celtic nations. A deadline for expressions of interest closes at 2200 GMT on Tuesday. The only other country known to have told UEFA that they would be interested in hosting the showpiece tournament is Turkey but their bid could be scuppered if Istanbul is awarded the Olympic Games in the same year.
The former Soviet republic of Georgia were also reported on Tuesday to be interested in hosting the championship.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge told AFP in an interview last week that under IOC rules, no country can host another major sports event in the same year as the Games. Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have previously bid for the right to host the European championships. They were first to be eliminated in voting for the 2008 tournament and decided against bidding for the 2016 edition.
Euro 2020 will see the number of teams participating increase from the current 16 to 24, with host nations required to submit up to 10 suitable stadiums for matches. The Press Association quoted Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan as saying that there had been a discussion about bidding for the tournament but did not confirm or deny that an expression of interest had been submitted.
Scotland boss Craig Levein, however, said: “The first I heard about it was when I was walking in the door just now. I haven’t had a chance to even think about it. “I’ve got enough on my plate just now with worrying about the game in the USA to start thinking about what happens in 2020.” Scotland play a friendly against the USA in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 26.
Loew worried Bayern
failure could harm Euro hopes: Germany boss Joachim Loew has expressed his concern about the impact that a defeat for Bayern Munich in Saturday’s Champions League final against Chelsea could have on his players at this summer’s European Championships.
Loew has included eight members from the Bavarian giants — Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng, Thomas Mueller, Toni Kroos and Mario Gomez — in his provisional squad for Euro 2012.
He conceded that “after the failures in the league and German Cup, a defeat in the Champions League at their own stadium would be a tough blow.” Beaten to the title by Dortmund in the Bundesliga, Bayern were then humiliated 5-2 by Juergen Klopp’s side in the Cup final in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on Saturday.
“The disappointment would be huge and I think I would give them two or three additional days of rest to clear their heads and digest the situation,” Loew added.
Loew is currently with the provisional German squad at a training camp in Sardinia, with Dortmund players scheduled to join the squad on Tuesday.
Bayern players in the 27-man squad are scheduled to meet up with their international teammates during the second training camp, which takes place from May 18-30 in the south of France.
Loew must then reveal his final list of 23 by May 29.
