Report: UEFA wants £275M from clubs, leagues for Euro 2020 postponement
UEFA has calculated the costs to postpone Euro 2020 by a year and wants its clubs and leagues to foot the bill.
European football's administrative body will demand £275 million from its members to move the tournament in response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein. UEFA's demand will be revealed to stakeholders during video conferences on Tuesday.
The priority for clubs and leagues in Europe is to conclude their current seasons rather than cancel them, but time is running out to play the remaining fixtures before Euro 2020's scheduled kickoff on June 12. The international competition's final is set to be held at London's Wembley Stadium on July 12.
The widespread hope is for the club seasons to be finished in May and June, but that plan would require the European Championship to move. It also optimistically presumes the rampant spread of the coronavirus will be under some control by then.
The 2020-21 season would then begin soon after the potential late conclusions of the 2019-20 club terms, with the first preliminary round of Champions League qualifiers currently scheduled for June 23. The first Saturday of the 2020-21 Premier League campaign is set for Aug. 8.
But even if the start of the 2020-21 season is delayed, there are issues with clubs playing 2019-20 matches past June 30 because many footballers' contracts expire on that date. The possibility of setting up playoff systems to determine teams' fates is being explored, with BBC Sport's Simon Stone reporting that UEFA is considering a mini-tournament format to determine winners of the current Champions League and Europa League campaigns.
The first of Tuesday's meetings will involve representatives from UEFA, the European Club Association (ECA), European Leagues (EL), and the players' union, FIFPro. The second conference call will be held between UEFA and its 55 member associations, including governing bodies from England, Germany, Spain, Italy, and France.
UEFA, the ECA, and EL will then establish a task force to analyze proposals and produce schedules.
How moving Euro 2020 could impact the Women's European Championship, which is set to be held in England in July and August 2021, will also be up for discussion on Tuesday.