Two of the biggest tournaments in international football, the European Championships (Euro 2020) and the Copa America, have been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak and will now take place in the summer of 2021.
Both tournaments were scheduled for 12 June to 12 July 2020 but the pandemic has forced European football’s governing body Uefa and the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) to take drastic action.
Euro 2020 will be held in 12 cities across the continent while the Copa America’s host countries are Argentina and Colombia.
Proposed dates for both tournaments are now 11 June to 11 July 2021.
Statements from the organisers
Uefa
“The health of all those involved in the game is the priority, as well as to avoid placing any unnecessary pressure on national public services involved in staging matches. The move will help all domestic competitions, currently on hold due to the COVID-19 emergency, to be completed.
“All Uefa competitions and matches [including friendlies] for clubs and national teams for both men and women have been put on hold until further notice. The Uefa Euro 2020 play-off matches and international friendlies, scheduled for the end of March, will now be played in the international window at the start of June, subject to a review of the situation.”
Aleksander Čeferin, Uefa president
“We are at the helm of a sport that vast numbers of people live and breathe that has been laid low by this invisible and fast-moving opponent. It is at times like these that the football community needs to show responsibility, unity, solidarity and altruism.
“The health of fans, staff and players has to be our number one priority and, in that spirit, Uefa tabled a range of options so that competitions can finish this season safely and I am proud of the response of my colleagues across European football. There was a real spirit of cooperation, with everyone recognising that they had to sacrifice something in order to achieve the best result.
“The thought of celebrating a pan-European festival of football in empty stadia, with deserted fan zones while the continent sits at home in isolation, is a joyless one and one we could not accept to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the competition.”
Alejandro Domínguez, president of CONMEBOL
“It is an extraordinary measure for an unexpected situation, and therefore responds to the fundamental need to avoid an exponential evolution of the virus; already present in all the countries of the Member Associations of the Confederation.
“CONMEBOL has not been easy to make this decision, but we must safeguard at all times the health of our athletes and of all the agents who are part of the great family of South American football.
“Have no doubt that the oldest team tournament in the world will return with renewed strength in 2021, ready to make the continent and the whole world vibrate again with the passion that always characterises us.”