A year from its initial cancellation, Euro 2020 is finally back. The clock is ticking for this summer’s delayed festival of football, and it’s a first in that it’s had a 12-month deferral.C:\Users\B O S S\Downloads\pexels-photo-396300.jpeg Much changed in the time between, and stadiums across Europe are now under pressure to consider how to proceed.

The fact is that many countries have curbed audience participation in sport as a result of global crises. With said crises still ongoing, there is renewed pressure on European sport to react to UEFA demand.

Do we know which countries will let people into their stadiums at this point? With 12 cities still earmarked to host the football tournament, the clock is speeding up all over the continent.

UEFA Expects

Euro 2020 was going to be a major highlight of last year’s sporting calendar. Alongside the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, the tournament was curtailed following global changes. Therefore, UEFA has – of course – had to pull out all of the stops to move the colossal event to 2021.

Those looking to bet on soccer Euro 2020 have been keeping their fingers tightly crossed. Now, at the tenth and eleventh hours, it seems as though things are finally going to proceed as planned.

That said, some countries are keeping tight-lipped. This tournament will take place all over Europe, and while England may feel confident, other countries are not so sure.

UEFA themselves has expressly stated fans must attend, in some capacity, at the games. However, they have also noted that it is down to the individual remits of country border controls. This is because, at the time of writing, travel remains under restriction.

Who Gets to Decide?

Several outlets report that, even now, no one is emerging to lead confirmation for stadiums to open. While the UK’s confidence is growing, there is still no movement on what will happen concerning Euro 2021.

In fact, UEFA’s deference to government control means that fans in Blighty may need to depend on Prime Minister Boris Johnson. While some sport is opening up, very little is coming to light regarding the Euros.

Some football fans worry that Euro 2021 – or Euro 2020 – will go the way of the Olympics. Tokyo’s Summer Games, deferred to 2021 also, will reportedly curtail foreign visitors. That is a large closure that will make the event a bizarre affair – albeit a safer one.

Right now, Hampden Park, Aviva Stadium, and Wembley are all still on the slate to host the Euros. The latest news is that the police are supposedly still working with officials to draft plans.

What Happens Next?

That is anyone’s guess, even at this late stage. Some reports state that Dublin may not be ready to welcome fans by the time the festival starts. At the moment, the games’ official start date of June 11th is still good to go. When the 12 cities taking part will know how to proceed, remains to be seen.

Therefore, for fans all across Europe, it’s a waiting game. While the tournament itself is still very much on the cards, the stadium scenes are likely to be much different compared to what we are all accustomed to.

The decisions yet to come will revolve around emerging figures and country restrictions. With Dublin unsure, and London confident, it’s very much a careful balance.

Will this mean the cities initially taking part have to sacrifice their hosting duties? It’s a possibility – but fingers crossed, all will safely go according to plan.

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