The UK and Ireland's bid to host Euro 2028 is poised to get the formal seal of
approval on Tuesday.
The five-nation bid, unopposed following Turkey's withdrawal last week, is expected to be approved by the UEFA executive committee. The UK-Ireland's bid submission in April included a total of ten stadiums, with six in England and one each in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
The six in England are Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Etihad Stadium, St James' Park, Villa Park and Everton's new home at Bramley-Moore Dock.
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Ten stadia were included in the UK-Ireland's bid submission in April
The submission includes other stadiums such as a redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast, the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Hampden Park in Glasgow, and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Despite Turkey being in the competition, the five-nation bid was widely favored to be chosen.
Senior UEFA sources have expressed the need for another Euro in a prominent football market. This would come after the upcoming tournament in Germany, as UEFA aims to restore its finances following the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last week, the five nations jointly released a statement, indicating their "compelling" and "innovative" proposal for UEFA's consideration. They emphasized that this proposal would bring long-lasting benefits to both Ireland and the UK as a whole.
The acceptance of the UK-Ireland bid by the ExCo raises concerns regarding several significant matters. Firstly, the Casement Park site is in a neglected state, and the plans of the Gaelic Athletic Association to refurbish it with a capacity of 34,000 have faced controversy and encountered delays.
The Casement project has faced several legal challenges, causing delays in its progress. The absence of a functioning Executive at Stormont further adds to its complications. Moreover, the redevelopment has encountered escalating costs, surpassing the original estimated price tag of £77.5m from nearly a decade ago, and is now believed to exceed £100m.
The project is being partially funded by the GAA, but an agreement with Stormont on how to address a significant monetary deficit has not been reached yet. If everything goes as planned, Wembley will host the final in 2028, putting the 90,000-capacity venue to another major test following the disorder that ensued when it hosted the Euro 2020 final.
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Wembley Stadium has been nominated as a potential venue for hosting the final of Euro 2028, according to Football Association Chair Debbie Hewitt. In June, Debbie Hewitt expressed her confidence in addressing the concerns of UEFA's Exco regarding the security of the stadium, stating that they would be asked how they can guarantee that no unauthorized access will occur through the turnstiles.
"We need to persuade each Exco member that we have not just considered the matter, but that we have meticulously planned for it - demonstrating our understanding of the specific actions, their sequence, as well as the responsible parties."
Gareth Southgate, the manager of the England national team, expressed his excitement over the "amazing opportunity" for the participating nations, emphasizing how much pride they would take in hosting the event. He further highlighted the potential advantage of playing on home turf if the teams managed to secure qualification.
Not all hosts are guaranteed to qualify.
UEFA prefers that all five nations participate in the qualification process, reserving two host-nation spots for those who do not succeed.
However, if more than two do not qualify by right, then only the best two to miss out will be given host-nation places.