By Richard van Poortvliet
May 1 – Russia’s Minister for Sport, Vitaly Mutko, in his promotion of the bid for hosting Euro 2020 matches, said that “EURO 2020 will be a continuation of the 2018 World Cup.”
St. Petersburg has been put forward as Russia’s candidate city for EURO 2020, which will be spread across Europe. The country’s second city is hoping to hold three group games as well as a quarter-final.
Speaking at a press conference, Russia’s Minister for Sport, Vitaly Mutko said, “St Petersburg has all the necessary infrastructure and the city will be ready to host the championships. The stadium meets all the criteria for holding the tournament. Not all the cities in Europe have a stadium that can hold more than 60,000.”
Mutko, who is also a member of FIFA’s executive committee, says that 72% of the population of St. Petersburg support the project.
St. Petersburg will host matches, including a semi-final at the 2018 World Cup, while it will also be used for the Confederations Cup a year earlier.
When asked whether any other cities were considered to try and bit for the event, Mutko was keen to stress that St. Petersburg was Russia’s only viable option, as aside from the Luzhniki Stadium, which is undergoing reconstruction, no other stadium in Russia can hold over 60,000 spectators.
“We needed a strong city and there was no other city that even came close,” Russia’s Minister for Sport added.
The bid also has strong backing from the Governor of St. Petersburg, Georgy Poltavchenko, who said: “Football is the most popular sport in the city. I am sure that if UEFA decide to let us host games in 2020, we will be able to guarantee an excellent tournament from our side. We are building a stadium, which is unique in Russia, which will be ready for 2016.”
The city attracts six million tourists a year, while those arriving by ferry can stay in St. Petersburg for 72 hours without a visa. Negotiations are underway to try and introduce visa free travel, if St. Petersburg wins the right to host games, such as was implemented for the Champions League final in 2008, when Manchester United and Chelsea fans with a valid match ticket were able to arrive into Russia without a visa.
Mutko mentioned that St. Petersburg was not looking to host the final or semi-final, as it would be highly unlikely the city would be granted such an opportunity, given that Russia is hosting the World Cup, two years earlier.
St. Petersburg’s bid has certainly caught the imagination of one player. Domenico Criscito, who plays for local side Zenit said, “St Petersburg is a wonderful city and it would be a dream come true for me if I could play in this stadium for Italy against Russia.” Time may be against the Italian international, who will be 33 when the Euros take place.
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