The CTS admits it is ‘not possible’ to confirm how many spectators Italy can have at Euro 2020 games in Rome, putting their hosting duties into doubt again, while Dublin could lose the fixtures too.
UEFA had set a deadline for today, warning Governments and Federations they had to give some guarantees that a portion of the crowd would be allowed into the stadiums when the tournament kicks off on June 11.
The CTS admits it is ‘not possible’ to confirm how many spectators Italy can have at Euro 2020 games in Rome, putting their hosting duties into doubt again, while Dublin could lose the fixtures too.
UEFA had set a deadline for today, warning Governments and Federations they had to give some guarantees that a portion of the crowd would be allowed into the stadiums when the tournament kicks off on June 11.
Yesterday, the Italian Government told the FIGC that it would be open to letting supporters in, but that it depended on what the Technical Scientific Committee (CTS) had to say.
Today, the CTS gave its verdict and the response was not reassuring for Italy’s hopes of keeping the four Euro 2020 fixtures.
“We appreciate UEFA had officially asked the Federations to confirm their hosting duties by April 7, with a necessary condition being the presence of a percentage of spectators,” read the statement.
“Taking into account the current epidemiological situation, the intensity of the viral circulation, the occupancy levels of hospitals and the limited possibility to see what these indicator levels will say in the second half of June, it is not possible to give an opinion by the requested date of April 7, 2021.”
It throws Italy’s chances of hosting the games – three in the group stage and one quarter-final – into real doubt.
Rome isn’t the only one, as the Irish Federation today released a statement warning it is “not in a position at this point to provide assurances on minimum spectator levels at the Euro 2020 matches due to be held in Dublin in June.”
It is now possible that the Dublin games could be moved to Scotland or England.