32 nations interested in hosting Euro 2020 games

A total of 32 countries have expressed an interest in hosting matches during the 2020 European football championships, which is to be spread over 13 different venues, UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino said on Friday. The candidate associations will have until April 25 to formally submit their presentations, with the UEFA executive committee then deciding by September of the same year which cities have been successful. One city will be nominated to host the semi-finals and final while four others will be given the opportunity to host a quarter-final and three group matches and eight others a last 16 round game and three group matches. The 2016 tournament to be hosted by France will be the first to feature 24 teams while the 2012 edition in Ukraine and Poland was the last to include 16 teams. Countries have the option of submitting two cities, one for a package that features three group matches and either a second round tie or quarter-final while a second city can bid to host the semi-finals and final. There is also the possibility of one city applying for both packages. "We are extremely proud to see the huge interest in the bidding process, with more than half of our member associations willing to host matches at UEFA Euro 2020," said UEFA President Michel Platini. "The finals will be a great celebration of football across the European continent, and the 60th anniversary edition will be truly special, by really coming to the doorstep of all football fans." Among the cities listed by UEFA as being potential game hosts are: London, Glasgow, Dublin and Cardiff, Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao and Valencia, Munich, Rome, Amsterdam, Lyon, Brussels, Istanbul and Jerusalem. Here are the cities who have offered bids to host matches for Euro 2020 when the tournament will be spread across 13 countries and 13 cities. A maximum of two cities per country can be successful. UEFA will announce the 13 host cities on September 25, 2014 Armenia (Yerevan), Azerbaijan (Baku), Belarus (Minsk), Belgium (Brussels), Bulgaria (Sofia), Croatia (Zagreb), Czech Republic (Prague), Denmark (Copenhagen), England (London), Finland (Helsinki), France (Lyon), Macedonia (Skopje), Germany (Munich), Greece (Athens), Hungary (Budapest), Israel (Jerusalem), Italy (Rome, Milan), Kazakhstan (Astana), Netherlands (Amsterdam), Poland (Warsaw, Chorzow), Portugal (Lisbon, Porto), Republic of Ireland (Dublin), Romania (Bucharest), Russia (St Petersburg), Scotland (Glasgow), Serbia (Belgrade), Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia), Sweden (Solna), Switzerland (Basel), Turkey (Istanbul), Ukraine (Kiev, Donetsk), Wales (Cardiff). Source: AFP