Euro 2020 to be held all over the shop.

[alberta white]

well, all over Europe anyway.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20631963

Personally, I think it will make the competition harder to follow.

But this is a comment by a poster called Kopking2011" in the reponse bar to the article

"killed it, with no hosts their will be no buzz around and share of cultural experience. with it held in different cities, it will defo be like domestic game feeling. Wonder what idea they are going to come me up next, pretty sure, they might host euro 2024 in Middle East to the highest bidder and maybe franchisee certain things, absolute ridiculous idea."

[Toje]

Awful idea. Please just keep it in one country, or maximum two.

[alberta white]

Apparently Its to be a one off to err "Celebrate the 60th running of the competition.

[rob.notenboom]

The CL is held all over ... it still has lots of buzz.

[alberta white]

To me that might be the Problem.

Its going to look just like the CL. That would be two CL type tournaments straight after one another? Difference is, for the fans of CL teams its one game away then the next at home, over a sequence of two phases. Pre Christmass for the Group stages then a six week break and, at best, six more games home and away before a last big expense for the final.

The Uefa Championship does not have that time scale to deal with. Smaller competition granted, but its going to be 24 teams in four groups. Do England get drawn away from the UK, or Germany end up playing In Spain? seems really ungainly to me.

Also fans of English top 4 who frequent the CL are as a rule, not always those who follow England on mass team. Mostly its Lower division fans who rack up for the bi-annual pilgrimage . Since the hooligan element, was marginalised they tend to use it not just for footy reasons but to absorbe the Host Nations hositality and treat it as a holidayor vacation. Whizzing round Europe for six games in three weeks is a much bigger finacial ask than doing it in a single country.

I'd like to know how the Fans of other nations see it.

[RJB]

Europe is not that big, all things considered and I think this is a great way to save some countries a lot of money. What a sham the bid process is, and what a joke the costing of venues is. Share the burden, share the reward, and now we likely won't have a poor team qualifying as host again.

[Greatest Cockney Rip Off]

Europe is not that big

And considering the next two World Cups are in Brazil and Russia I don't see a big deal about the distances. I have't seen any of the criticism that is be levelled against the Euros put toward these two World Cups.

[amacpher]

And considering the next two World Cups are in Brazil and Russia I don't see a big deal about the distances. I have't seen any of the criticism that is be levelled against the Euros put toward these two World Cups.

Depends. There is still a lot unknown. Will 3 countries host 2 groups each? Will the six groups be hosted by 6 different countries? Will the entire knockout stage be allocated to 2 countries - one getting the top-half of the bracket, the other the bottom-half? Or will numerous countries host knockout stage games?

Yes, Brazil and Russia are big. But nobody is forcing fans to travel all over those countries to follow the tournament. You can just stay in one city and see 5 or 6 matches live and see the other matches in Fan-zones or bars with amazing atmospheres. The atmosphere will be prevalent everywhere whether there is a match in your base city or not.

I'm pretty sure Euro 2020 will lose that. Like I said, it depends how distributed it will be. But anything beyond 4 "host" countries will make it pretty diluted. Meaning you could visit a "host" country and not even know that the Euros are going on.

I also prefer the concept of 2 teams playing on neutral ground. Now we're going to have lots of home teams which will just be unfair to countries that don't host any matches.

Other question: Will this be a one-time thing? If so, I can live with it. If not, this will ruin the tournament.

[Greatest Cockney Rip Off]

Yes, Brazil and Russia are big. But nobody is forcing fans to travel all over those countries to follow the tournament.

If you want to follow one team, then yes you'll need to travel all over Brazil.

Other question: Will this be a one-time thing? If so, I can live with it. If not, this will ruin the tournament.

It being a reported as one off to celebrate the 60th Anniversary.

[amacpher]

If you want to follow one team, then yes you'll need to travel all over Brazil.

hehe... ok, if someone really wants to travel all over Brazil, they can.

I still don't see anything hypocritical about complaining that a tournament is held all over Europe but not complaining that a big country gets awarded a World Cup.

[Greatest Cockney Rip Off]

hehe... ok, if someone really wants to travel all over Brazil, they can.

I still don't see anything hypocritical about complaining that a tournament is held all over Europe but not complaining that a big country gets awarded a World Cup.

Then what is the difference?

From Manaus in the north of Brazil to Porto Alegre in the south, it is 4,500km. From Dublin to Moscow it is 3,500km. If the 2020 euros were all held east of Moscow, other than Brazil being one country apposed to a region with multiple countries I don't see a difference.

[Unnamed Trialist]

It has nothing to do with the size of a country, fellas, it has to do with how you brand a tournament. Since the first World's Fair of the modern era at Covent Garden, and with Expos, Olympics and other major sports events since, you bid for the rights, then exploit them. Your effort means you can have your national or muncipal identity expressed, your sponsors, use the event to develop your facilities better, get your fans on board, unite your political parties and the third sector. You use the event to promote your athletes and get behind them, they end up doing better and that becomes an inspiration. And of course the economic impact from having all those fans travelling about is quite large, and helps counter the overall cost to your nation.

Take the national compoment away and you toss those principles out.

Mind you, I am sure this comes from some Sports Management guru I have not read who has done the numbers and argues it is a new option, to brand and organize from the centre and let cities be sub-hosts to UEFA's general hosting role. I am not sure about it but I'd be willing to at least listen to how they break down the numbers and rationalize the factors that are being lost. I still think the "old" way has life in it, for a lot of reasons.

But obviously the question of proximity for travel as being a factor in single-nation hosting: that has to be ranked down about number 10 in importance, meaning it is simply not important.

Does anyone think this looks like a condensed 6-Nations tournament with more teams?

[amacpher]

Then what is the difference?

From Manaus in the north of Brazil to Porto Alegre in the south, it is 4,500km. From Dublin to Moscow it is 3,500km. If the 2020 euros were all held east of Moscow, other than Brazil being one country apposed to a region with multiple countries I don't see a difference.

Again, the difference is you don't have to travel all over Brazil if you don't want to. You can see plenty of games by parking your butt in one city and experience the rest of the games in the Fan Zones. As a neutral, this has generally been my preferred method anyway. I'm not going to travel across 5 countries to watch Serbia v Greece. Puh-lease! If I had that much money, energy and time, I would hop around Europe to watch a bunch of Champions League games every spring (and see higher quality football in the process).

That said, I generally agree with the above poster that travel isn't the biggest potential problem.

[alberta white]

Again, the difference is you don't have to travel all over Brazil if you don't want to. You can see plenty of games by parking your butt in one city and experience the rest of the games in the Fan Zones. As a neutral, this has generally been my preferred method anyway. I'm not going to travel across 5 countries to watch Serbia v Greece. Puh-lease! If I had that much money, energy and time, I would hop around Europe to watch a bunch of Champions League games every spring (and see higher quality football in the process).

That said, I generally agree with the above poster that travel isn't the biggest potential problem.

Apart from the fact that you'll need a new passport because you have filled all the stamp pages up.

A Tournament where you are in one country means in most cases going through immigration once on the way in and once on the way out, see half a dozen games , do a fan zone and your done. True, with the CL you have all the shinnanigins at immigration but its only once every other week.

Honestly not sure on this.

[amacpher]

Apart from the fact that you'll need a new passport because you have filled all the stamp pages up.

A Tournament where you are in one country means in most cases going through immigration once on the way in and once on the way out, see half a dozen games , do a fan zone and your done. True, with the CL you have all the shinnanigins at immigration but its only once every other week.

Honestly not sure on this.

Well, I think most of the games will be within the EU so you probably won't have to deal with immigration too much.

I guess we should see how it goes before judging it. But at this point it really seems to cater to the non-traveling fan who lives in Europe and doesn't really care about the whole camaraderie that usually accompanies these tourneys. Like I said earlier, I'm okay with it as long as its a one-time thing. But I fear that it might become a habit as this will probably break an attendance record and bring-in large profits.

[ted]

Apart from the fact that you'll need a new passport because you have filled all the stamp pages up.

It has been decades since there were any border controls between most countries in Europe. I was there around '94 and driving from Germany into France was like driving between Ontario and Quebec: a sign marking the border.

[amacpher]

Well, I think most of the games will be within the EU so you probably won't have to deal with immigration too much.

Ignore my comment above. I just remembered that Turkey and the U.K. were in the running for Euro 2020, so they will probably be given a bunch of matches in this tournament as a compromise. Both countries require going through immigration no matter where you're traveling from. Wouldn't be surprised if countries of the Former Yugoslav Republic are also given some matches.

[alberta white]

Well, I think most of the games will be within the EU so you probably won't have to deal with immigration too much..

Wouldn't be too sure. If for Example, they use Wembly. anybody entering the UK, EU citizen or not, will still have the usual imirgation issues at point of entry. The freedom of movement rules in the EU, with regards to the UK effect workers rights not travel per say. In short a Registed English speaking Nurses from Canada and Australia has to do ELTS test; Non-English speaking nurses from Europe can get a Job without speaking a word.

As for border control in mainland Europe, I have now recent knowledge, Although I remember land borders were quite relaxed even 10 years ago.

I guess we should see how it goes before judging it. But at this point it really seems to cater to the non-traveling fan who lives in Europe and doesn't really care about the whole camaraderie that usually accompanies these tourneys. Like I said earlier, I'm okay with it as long as its a one-time thing. But I fear that it might become a habit as this will probably break an attendance record and bring-in large profits.

Which seems to fly in the face of what the tournament has become over the last 20years, where the Fanzone experience was designed to encourage a cultural exchange of humour and comaradrie. I would worry that attendence would actually drop in this instance. For Example You may get a good crowd for Turkey verses Poland in Wembly due the the relative diasporas in the UK , but I doubt it would be full of Local English fans with no historic connection to the combatants.

If you think the exciting Knock-out games in the later stages of the CL one of the teams has home advantage. I don't see hove this set up can generate that senario.

Not at those Prices anyway.

[alberta white]

It has been decades since there were any border controls between most countries in Europe. I was there around '94 and driving from Germany into France was like driving between Ontario and Quebec: a sign marking the border.

Agreed but what about flying from one to the Other?

Also, ever tried getting of the ferry on the UK side?

Saying that, chances are it'll be a good excuse for UEFA to exclude the UK from hosting. which may be what "Napolean" as a current custodian of the Crysal Palace hot seat called him, has been looking for.

[alberta white]

Ignore my comment above. I just remembered that Turkey and the U.K. were in the running for Euro 2020, so they will probably be given a bunch of matches in this tournament as a compromise. Both countries require going through immigration no matter where you're traveling from. Wouldn't be surprised if countries of the Former Yugoslav Republic are also given some matches.

Sorry my bad didn't note the correction before I posted.

Still think a UEFA tin foil hat conspiracy to exclude the UK may come into play though. Or am I just been naughty?

[RJB]

Being in Vancouver during the Olympics made clear what a sham the whole "hosting" experience actually is. It's just an excuse to raise beer prices, and have other people get rich. They trump the legacy of these events, but other than a good feeling for citizens, it's just an expensive event. Or has Donetsk seen a jump in tourism as a result? Vienna? Basel? Soccernomics exposed the notion that hosting these types of events brings in people, as large numbers of people will stay away so that cancels out. Spreading Euro 2020 across pre-existing facilities that are already world class is reasonable economics that allows many parties to share in the burden. Everywhere but in the cities that are/would be hosting nobody else will even notice the difference.

[alberta white]

^ So by that reckoning, Of which I have no problem with by the way, takes us back to what was the Original competion, which was essntially a knock out cup with a Semi-final / final match up in one. "The 1960 tournament, held in France, had four teams competing in the finals out of 17 that entered the competition"

What it actually shines a light on is that the Ideal of a Nationally based Torney is no longer viable. I actually don't mid this Idea, but seriously, don't dress it up as anything new.

[amacpher]

^ So by that reckoning, Of which I have no problem with by the way, takes us back to what was the Original competion, which was essntially a knock out cup with a Semi-final / final match up in one. "The 1960 tournament, held in France, had four teams competing in the finals out of 17 that entered the competition"

At least in 1960 it was two-legged knockout competition until the semis. In 2020 it will (presumably) only be 1 leg per knockout round which is highly unfair to the away teams. Since home advantage is so important in soccer, this is probably my main problem with this plan.

But of course having 2-legs per round means the final tournament can have at most 8 teams otherwise it would just take too long to finish. And we know UEFA isn't going back to an 8-team final tournament.

[alberta white]

At least in 1960 it was two-legged knockout competition until the semis. In 2020 it will (presumably) only be 1 leg per knockout round which is highly unfair to the away teams. Since home advantage is so important in soccer, this is probably my main problem with this plan. .

Which is actually my main Problem with the MLS, but thats for another thread I venture far from entering.

[RJB]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21203253

So it's to be held in 13 different cities, just one city per country, and the semi-finals and final are to be at the same venue.

I really like how this is turning out. Share the burden!

"Infantino also confirmed that Uefa will take travel distances into account when allocating venues, with a maximum flight time of two hours between host cities, where possible. "