All 11 host cities — from Glasgow to St. Petersburg, and
Sevilla to Bucharest — have agreed to allow at least some fans into their
stadiums for Euro 2020 matches. Restrictions related to the pandemic, however,
could still affect the final numbers — even with the tournament set to open on
Friday in Rome.
The most should be in the east, with Budapest, Baku and St.
Petersburg expected to fill between 50 per cent and 100 per cent of capacity.
In Hungary, that means a possible 68,000 fans — the full stadium capacity for
the Puskas Arena — could be there to watch matches involving the host nation
taking on both Cristiano Ronaldo and European champion Portugal, and Kylian
Mbappe and World Cup champion France.
Portugal and France will also play each other in the city,
on June 23, with advancement to the round of 16 possibly on the line.
Baku and St. Petersburg want their stadiums half full. In
Azerbaijan, that could mean 35,000 spectators for the three group matches and
one quarterfinal match, while in Russia it could be about 30,000 for six group
matches and a quarterfinal.
"The first priority, second priority and third priority
at a tournament is always fan safety," said Martin Kallen, the CEO of UEFA
Events, a commercial company run by the governing body. "It’s important
for everybody that we have spectators back — it represents a step towards
normality for all of us in society.
“But, with that, we ask that supporters are sensible and
plan ahead. Come on time; don’t rush to the stadium. Wear a mask. Keep a distance
from others when possible and make safety a priority in all that you do."
Most other stadiums are expected to fill about 25 per cent
of capacity, with Munich the lowest at 22 per cent and a some others possibly
going as high as 45 per cent.
London, which will host the most games at the tournament
with eight matches, is expected to have 25 per cent capacity at Wembley
Stadium. That number could be increased for the two semifinal matches and the
final.
Foreign fans have not been banned from attending matches in
other countries, but there are protocols to follow for those traveling around
the continent. UEFA has set up a dedicated page on the tournament’s website for
up to date information.
"Football without fans is not the same and it’s very
important to have them back," Kallen said in an interview posted on the
Euro 2020 website, "so I will be very, very happy to see supporters
throughout the tournament and we can feel satisfied that we managed to make
this happen." -AP
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