EUROPE - UEFA EURO 2020

[parcdesprinces]

OK, I just understood which is IMHO the real reason behind this strange idea from Platini: The two Turkish bids and which seems to be a "pride issue" between IOC and UEFA. Anyway, apparently Rogge and especially Platini are not really happy regarding what Platini called "the Turkey's ambiguous position" :

Rogge:

We know there is a bid by Turkish Football Federation to host Euro 2020.
But we also know that the bid has not yet been accepted by UEFA and that there are no financial guarantees for it from the Government in Turkey.

When we invited Istanbul from the Applicant phase of the bid to the Candidate phase of the bid, we took a strong bid forward that had been endorsed by the Turkish Government.

That is not the case with Turkey's bid for Euro 2020 and they have not been endorsed by UEFA at this stage.

Platini:

The two decisions are not at the same moment and they can carry on bidding for both if they want, I'm not particularly happy about that but it's their problem not mine.

But I say again, if they get the Games they won't get the Euros, simple as that.

They can gain everything or lose everything.

We are not going to wait until we know whether or not Turkey are going to get the Olympics. We can't accept this. It creates a problem for us.

I think Platini shouldn't be that harsh with Turkey, because they already tried hard (three times in a row) to host the Euro, so if UEFA/Platini rejects their bid once again, and during the bidding process, IMO such a decision would be very contemptuous toward the Turkish people.

[RobH]

There is that argument PdP, but you also have to consider the relationship between the Turkish FA and UEFA at the moment, which isn't great. The ongoing match fixing scandal and the way it's been dealt with hasn't impressed UEFA and why should it have done? Does UEFA really want to give its jewel to Turkey right at this moment?

This pan-Europe Euro idea might be full of holes, but it does give UEFA a different option should their relationship with the Turkish FA diminish any further or should the IOC pick Istanbul. I think there's an element of UEFA saying "we have options if you don't sort your own house out".

[www.sercan.de]

Actually the old TFF H. Ulusoy (1997-2004, 2006-2008) and supported Platini and made a lot of lobby work in the small countries for him.
Platini liked Turkey and the UEFA cup Final 2009 was a "gift" by him for Turkey.

But because of the match-fixing scandal and "passive" TFF presidents (MA Aydinlar 2011-2012, Y. Demirören 2012-) Platini is now very angry. IMO Platini do not want to give the EURO 2020 to Turkey (and IMO it is a good idea)

[kerouac1848]

I doubt a pan-European Championship will happen for a number of reasons and I personally think there are more benefits to the host method (and UEFA should use some of the income generated from the EC to help hosts if they're struggling financially), but if it did it's clear stadiums would be clustered together in zones to reduce traveling for fans and teams. You wouldn't get London-Rome, or Berlin-Madrid in group games, more like Milan-Munich, Barcelona-Marseille, London-Paris, etc. In knockout rounds you just get two clusters due to the way it splits. The most problematic logistic issue would be with team bases, I guess many sides would just stay at home and fly out like clubs do a few days before match.

[alexandru.mircea]

^ agreed. I said more or less the same on another forum:

If I were to organize this, I’d arrange the six group around two venues each group; the two venues would be in major European cities that would be in close distance to each other; you’d play two games in a group, then move and play the third game in the other venue which should be close. Such pairs would be Lisbon + Madrid, London + Paris, Amsterdam + Brussels, Copenhagen + Stockholm, Berlin + Warsaw, Istanbul + Athens, Milan + Vienna, etc.

[GEwinnen]

Originally Posted by RobH

Now THAT would be worth seeing!!

I guess, the people from the "rest" of England get p*ssed by this stupid idea to host this major football tournament in a single city.

[Galandar]

EURO 2020 will be an epic fail if case they accept the idea of Platini

[Fabri88]

Originally Posted by GEwinnen

I guess, the people from the "rest" of England get p*ssed by this stupid idea to host this major football tournament in a single city.

Maybe it's because I love London, but actually a Euro in London only is possible in my opinion!

London hosts at least 3 major football events every weekend (Chelsea, QPR, Arsenal, Tottenham, Fulham and West Ham are in EPL). Do you think they could have problems in hosting a Euro?

[hingus2000]

Originally Posted by alexandru.mircea

I think everyone would prefer a properly hosted tournament, including UEFA. But if the compromises imposed by the current bidding situation outweigh those of having a pan-European tournament, then why not.

I'm not sure you are aware of what a EURO now means for traveling fans.

A drive from Gdansk to Donetsk is 1835 km, while a drive from London to Rome is 1775 km. A drive from Poznan to Kharkiv is 1532 km, while a drive from Barcelona to Frankfurt is 1336 km.

Not to mention that roads would be better but, more importantly, there are plenty of direct low cost flights between the major European cities, while there were not between the provincial venues of the EURO.

Have you not followed the stories of fans and journalists trying to follow matches throughout the tournament?

I appreciate your patronising tone, but I was one of those travelling fans. I took four night trains following England in Ukraine.

While the distances were huge, fans within the group stages were limited to one country, allowing them to feel the proper hospitality of that nation. So your Gdansk to Donetsk example is utter nonsense. No fans had to make that journey.

Furthermore, Ukraine is almost the biggest country in Europe, it is the extreme of travelling. Most Euros are very good for the travelling fan, with relatively small distances. The distances in a whole of Europe tournament blow even Ukraine out of the water.

[alexandru.mircea]

Originally Posted by hingus2000

I appreciate your patronising tone, but I was one of those travelling fans. I took four night trains following England in Ukraine.

While the distances were huge, fans within the group stages were limited to one country, allowing them to feel the proper hospitality of that nation. So your Gdansk to Donetsk example is utter nonsense. No fans had to make that journey.

Furthermore, Ukraine is almost the biggest country in Europe, it is the extreme of travelling. Most Euros are very good for the travelling fan, with relatively small distances. The distances in a whole of Europe tournament blow even Ukraine out of the water.

Sorry but no, many German, Dutch and Portuguese fans were based in Poland and made go&return trips to Ukraine every few days for the group games. Spain was based in Poland for the group phase, then went to Donetsk for the quarter, returned to Poland, then return to Donetsk for the semi - no wonder they were tired and poor in the semi; and no wonder that with a travel from Poland to Donetsk there barely were two thousand Spanish fans for the quarter in a 50k stadium, which I find ridiculous, and defeating the purpose of having a final tournament. Italian fans had to change country midway through. The Italian squad arrived in Kiev at 3 AM the day of the final, that surely didn't help.
Also lets not forget of the hundreds of journalists out there, and if you look above I have posted links that tell how it was to leave a country at noon, travel a thousand and half kilometres with the available means, cover a match, then jump on a couple of planes/trains to arrive back in your room before 24 hrs have passed, knowing you'll repeat the feat in a day or two.
So, I appreciate the fact that you've been there, but that doesn't necessarily make your personal experience representative of the whole. Kiev-Donetsk isn't what anyone would have highlighted as particularly difficult traveling. Also, all this talk about travel isn't meant to put down EURO2012, which I think it was a success, but was just a reminder that the idea of a multi-european tournament can actualy imply excellent traveling conditions, by comparing some hypothetical scenarios with the traveling done throughout this tournament.
Finally, we all know single country hosts are the best, but need I remind you, if you read back through this thread and the 2020 Olympics bids thread you'll notice that soon there might not be any single country bid for EURO 2020, just a couple of unconvincing multi-host bids.

[Turkiiish]

Two candidats official :

- Azerbaidjan / Georgia
- Ireland / Scotland / Wales


> Turkey not approved by UEFA (CNN TÜRK TV)

[Fabri88]

Could you post a link?

[Turkiiish]

Originally Posted by Fabri88

Could you post a link?

CNN TÜRK -> http://www.cnnturk.com/2012/spor/oli...2.0/index.html

[www.sercan.de]

Actually its not a surprise.

Before 03/07/2011 UEFA prefered Turkey. But within one year the TFF became "enemy no. 1" for UEFA. First extending the time limit. Now this Pan-Euro plan.
UEFA will do everything to not give the EURO 2020 to Turkey. But our stupid TFF still thinks nothing happened and everybody is innocent

[alexandru.mircea]

That's sad, I was having high hopes for Turkey 2020.

[MyHeartIsYours]

I want to see new land!!! it must be in Azerbaijan and Georgia

[oxo]

The quarter finals, semi finals and final could be held in Scotland, both Irelands and Wales. All the 6 group games could be held in 12 stadiums dotted around the rest of Europe.

Example:
Group 1. Wembley and Amsterdam
Group 2. Moscow and Kiev
Group 3. Prague and Warsaw
Group 4. Budapest and Bucharest
Group 5. Istanbul and Athens
Group 6. Stockholm and Copenhagen

Showcase round games: Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Cardiff.

This way, a lot of nations get a fair share of the pie whilst the tournament ''proper'' would be hosted by the Celtic nations as is consistent with their current bid.

[Turkiiish]

Originally Posted by MyHeartIsYours

I want to see new land!!! it must be in Azerbaijan and Georgia

+ 1 000 000 !!!

[robbery4774]

Platini is a narcist joke. He is worse than Blatter ever was. It's all about him and his all-time idea of changing the football and getting remembered as special. You can see it in his eyes. First he tries to ruin to the CL and now the EURO...
But he dislike goal-line technologie and prefers useless referees, who stand there the whole game just to fail in the decisive moment like in ukraine - england or spain - coratia

If you share the EURO to more than 2 countries you ruin the special atmosphere of this great tournament. So it is no more a tournament just a competition...

[Fabri88]

Originally Posted by robbery4774

If you share the EURO to more than 2 countries you ruin the special atmosphere of this great tournament. So it is no more a tournament just a competition...

Why?

Groups will always play in two cities and no more. What's the difference between a group played in Gdansk and Poznan and a group played in Brussels and Amsterdam or in Hamburg and Copenhagen?

The atmosphere will be always the same: every chosen city will host at least 3 matches in the group stage and at least 1 match in the knockout stage!

Bids will be not made by the countries but by the cities!

And obviously in order to grant a Europewide spreading of the tournament if a city is chosen then it could not bid for any of the next 5 editions of the Euro!