By Andrew Warshaw
September 4 – Further evidence has emerged that Germany will withdraw its bid to host the latter stages of Euro 2020, ensuring Wembley stages the semi-final and final. Last week in Monaco, both countries privately hinted that a deal had been done, echoing a previous gentleman’s agreement England were accused of reneging on back in the 1990s.
Under the new arrangement, according to the general secretary of the German football federation (DFB) Helmut Sandrock, Germany will withdraw Munich’s bid for the latter stages of the 13-city pan-European tournament when the vote takes place in Geneva in two weeks’ time.
England and Germany are the only two candidates to hold the semi-finals and final which UEFA have stipulated will be in the same city. Under the apparent deal, England will back Germany’s bid for Euro 2024, with the roles then reversed for Euro 2028.
Sandrock told Sport Bild: “The bottom line, I believe, is that we have a very, very good chance of hosting the European Championships in 2024. We have talked about this with England and that they could stand aside and support our application. We, in return, would waive our bid for the finals of 2020 and then support England in a bid to host the 2028 European Championship.”
With the tournament being expanded from 16 to 24 teams starting in 2016 in France, England and Germany are two of only a handful of individual countries with the infrastucture capable of hosting the event on their own.
Back in 1997 the English Football Association announced it would bid for the 2006 World Cup, much to the disgust of both Germany and UEFA who claimed that then FA chairman Sir Bert Millichip had shaken hands on a gentleman’s agreement not to do so, on the basis that Germany would not stand in the way of England hosting Euro ’96, giving the Germans a free run at 2006. UEFA’s then president Lennart Johansson was furious in case England split the European vote. As it turned out, all the Europeans bar one backed Germany which staged one of the best World Cups on record.
This time it would appear there are no such u-turns and that a tacit agreement has been reached though it remains unclear whether the Germans would still be chosen to instead host the early stages of Euro 2020, with 19 cities vying for 13 spots overall.
“Withdrawing of our application for the three final games of Euro 2020 would only come into question for if we could be certain of getting the 2024 European Championship,” added Sandrock, a somewhat confusing remark in terms of any bilateral deal with England since there are 54 voting UEFA member nations and the Euro 2024 hosts won’t be confirmed until 2017, with a lot of twists and turns likely between now and then.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734851038labto1734851038ofdlr1734851038owedi1734851038sni@n1734851038osloh1734851038cin.l1734851038uap1734851038