Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin expects Euro 2020 to go ahead next year

Matt Davies21 May 2020

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin is expecting the postponed 2020 European Championships to take place as scheduled next year.

The championships - which were due to be held between June and July across 12 cities - were postponed in March with the coronavirus pandemic shutting down the sporting calendar almost in its entirety.

While the longevity of prevalent lockdown measures and travel restrictions remain unclear, Ceferin last week revealed there were issues with three of the 12 host cities - but insisted the tournament would still be going ahead.

And following the Bundesliga's restart last weekend - the first major league to do so since the pandemic's outbreak - Ceferin's outlook has not changed.

Asked whether the championships will go ahead as planned, Ceferin told Spanish newspaper El Mundo: "Yes I would bet on it. I don't see why it shouldn't happen. I don't think the virus will last forever.

"The situation is serious but it is improving and we are more careful now. We know more about the virus and for now I'm optimistic."

While the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A remain determined to follow the Bundesliga in restarting their respective seasons, there will be no fans present for the foreseeable future, with some believing it will take a vaccine to return to normality.

Ceferin, however, does not agree with such a sentiment.

He added: "I don't like apocalyptic visions that say we should expect a second wave, a third or a fifth. People we know will die one day, but do we need to be worried now? Should we be fearful now? I don't think so.

"We are ready [to hold the Euros] and we're going to follow the recommendations of the health authorities. I'm absolutely sure that the good and old football with supporters will be back soon."

Additional reporting by Reuters.

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