This morning it was announced that UK prime minister Boris Johnson has flirted with the idea of the nation being the sole hosts of this summer’s European Championship.
UEFA Euro 2020 was initially scheduled to be held across multiple cities across the continent. Then, after it was delayed for a year due to COVID-19, nobody really knew what would come next.
This morning English fans were greeted by the news that the country could actually welcome more Euros fixtures than planned. In addition to that, Johnson also threw our name into the hat as potential 2030 World Cup hosts.
Is football coming home?
It was a lot to take on for a Tuesday morning. The semi-finals and final are already pencilled in for Wembley, though the idea of a more games being played in the UK will do wonders for morale.
England manager Gareth Southgate was questioned over the idea today during an appearance for talkSPORT.
“You’d imagine that if there is an option for one country to host, we’ll be well placed.”
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) March 2, 2021
“We’ve got to remember that just hosting isn’t a great guarantee of success.” ❌
Gareth Southgate tells talkSPORT his view on reports England could host the Euros. pic.twitter.com/H8WQonKpNh
“At the moment we’re being told the tournament will stay in its current format. You would imagine if there is an option for one country to host, then we will be well placed with a couple of other countries to do that.
“But as a team we’ve got to remember that just hosting is not a great guarantee of success. You don’t win just because you’re the hosts. We won’t win just because our matches are at Wembley. We have got to play well and be as prepared as we can possibly be.”
The current format could become a logistical nightmare for a number of reasons. From different restrictions to potential outbreaks, there’s a whole lot that could go wrong.
Given how close we’re getting to the summer, it feels like this scenario would have to be decided pretty quickly.
Featured image credit: Getty