Football
ESPN staff 10y

Wembley Stadium to host Euro 2020 semifinals and final

Wembley has been confirmed as the venue for the semifinals and final of the 2020 European Championship, which will be staged across Europe rather than in one country to mark the 60th anniversary of the first European Championships.

UEFA's executive committee confirmed that the London stadium was the only venue left in the bidding for the showpiece matches after the German FA (DFB) stood aside reportedly in return for England's support for a bid to host Euro 2024.

England last hosted the Euros in 1996, when Terry Venables led the team to the semifinals before they were knocked out on penalties by Germany -- who would go on to lift the trophy.

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke said: "We are delighted -- it's nice to win one! Wembley is a great stadium and we are delighted to be holding the finals of this tournament.

"Wembley has been completely rebuilt since 1996 and is it a wonderful stadium.''

Dyke also praised UEFA for the idea of hosting the tournament across 13 cities in Europe. He added: "It struck me what a good idea this is -- look at all these capital cities hosting.''

Allianz Arena, Munich (Germany), Stadio Olimpico, Rome (Italy), New Zenit Stadium, Saint Petersburg (Russia) and Olimpiya Stadionu, Baku (Azerbaijan) will each host three group stage games and a quarterfinal.

Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam (Netherlands), San Mames, Bilbao (Spain), a new national stadium in Brussels (Belgium), Arena Nationala, Bucharest (Romania), Uj Puskas Ferenc Stadion, Budapest (Hungary), Parken Stadion, Copenhagen (Denmark), Aviva Stadium, Dublin (Republic of Ireland) and Hampden Park, Glasgow (Scotland) will each host three group stage games and a round-of-16 match.

DFB president Wolfang Niersbach: "We are happy and delighted that we were able to convince UEFA with our bid and that after 32 years there will finally be European Championship games in Germany in 2020"

DFB general secretary Helmut Sandrock added: "We have always said that Wembley is the perfect place for the final games of the pan-European European Championships. We therefore congratulate our colleagues from the English FA and are looking ahead to the three games in Wembley.

"We continue to follow our goal of hosting the 2024 European Championships. I am optimistic that we can reach that goal. But it's not be taken for granted that we will win the bid. We, in cooperation with politicians, the cities and stadiums, have to do a lot of homework until the decision in 2017."

Glasgow just claimed the last place ahead of Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, by 22 votes to 21. Scottish FA chief executive Stewart Regan believes the backing of Sir Alex Ferguson and the success of this summer's Commonwealth Games had been key in their successful bid.

Regan told Press Association Sport: "Everyone saw what Glasgow was capable of with the Commonwealth Games, and that really put Glasgow on the map. It was a huge factor and we used that in our film. Sir Alex Ferguson came in last week with a video in support of our bid and spoke passionately about it, and I am sure that must have helped.

"We knew we had a strong bid. We focused on the fact this is the 60th anniversary and we focused on the history and heritage of football. We knew Michel Platini was a football man and that's what we played strongest on and that's why we used Alex Ferguson.

"It is football that has won the day. This is a tournament about 60 years of European football, we have had some of the most famous matches in European football at Hampden Park and we played heavily on that in our video and in our submission.''

The next European Championship will be in France in 2016.

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