Preparations for EURO 2020 will begin in earnest this Friday when UEFA announces which 13 countries and cities will host the competition to be held across Europe for the first time. The DFB has applied for two packages with Munich and the Allianz Arena: for three group matches and a round-of-16 match or quarter-final, and for the semi-finals and final. In a DFB.de interview with reporter Stephan Brause, DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach discussed the possibilities.
DFB.de: In all honesty, Mr Niersbach, what did you think in December 2012 when the UEFA Executive Committee announced their plans for a ‘EURO for Europe’?
Wolfgang Niersbach: When UEFA President Michel Platini first explained his idea of a pan-European tournament during EURO 2012, I was a little bemused. I needed a little time to take it in and understand the thinking behind it. Since then I have realised that the decision to hold a tournament on an entire continent to mark the 60th anniversary of the European Championship is very appealing, as it gives countries that would never be able to stage an entire competition the opportunity to take on the role of hosts. We in the UEFA Executive Committee also decided that this format would be a one-off and that the tournament would have a single host again in 2024.
DFB.de: After some initial scepticism, the idea has generated significant and widespread interest. More than 30 national football associations applied to host games in the first phase of applications.
Niersbach: That’s right. The evaluation process then whittled this pool down to just 19 associations, and on Friday EURO 2020’s 51 matches will be divided among 13 of them. The UEFA administration has compiled the bids from the 19 cities and countries in one extremely detailed report, meticulously outlining each application in turn. It’s a genuinely excellent piece of work that will form the basis for the Executive Committee’s decision.
DFB.de: German football threw its hat into the ring with Munich and the Allianz Arena. The bid received excellent marks in the evaluation report…
Right now we are still in the running with two promising options. On the one hand, we believe that Munich is extremely well suited to hosting a final package that consists of the final and both semi-finals. Our only remaining rival for these matches is England with London’s Wembley Stadium. Our other option is to be given three group matches together with a round-of-16 match or quarter-final. Of those group games, two would be contested by Germany’s national team in any case – assuming they qualify for the tournament, of course, which I am sure they will.
DFB.de: How do you rate the chances of Germany’s bid?
Niersbach: I’m very confident that Germany will be among the 13 host nations thanks to the excellent conditions and truly first-class bid that the DFB submitted together with Bayern Munich, the city of Munich and political support from Berlin.
DFB.de: There has been much speculation that the DFB would not maintain both its applications and would withdraw its bid to host the final in order to boost its chances of hosting EURO 2024. Is that conceivable?
Niersbach: On Friday the UEFA Executive Committee will be focusing exclusively on EURO 2020, not on other issues and certainly not on our bid for 2024. Nevertheless, it might be an option when it comes to reaching a consensus and to prevent a crucial vote for the final package between London and Munich. We have had an outstanding relationship with England’s governing body the FA for many years now, and there’s no doubt that Wembley would make a fantastic venue for EURO 2020’s final matches.
DFB.de: So neither EURO 2024, nor the DFB’s application to host it, will be on the agenda on Friday nor have any influence on the decisions made?
Niersbach: To reiterate, Friday is exclusively about EURO 2020. The DFB’s Presidential Board announced its intention to submit a bid for EURO 2024 at the DFB Congress in October 2013. The decision was agreed with the Federal Government and was made known to both the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) and of course internationally to the other European football associations. But this application is a completely independent process that will begin at a much later date.
DFB.de: When do you think that will be?
Niersbach: The current expectation is that the host for EURO 2024 will be selected in 2017.
DFB.de: The DFB is not the only organisation aiming to host a major sporting event in Germany in 2024. The DOSB also wants to apply for the Summer Olympics in either Berlin or Hamburg. Can two such significant sporting events possibly be held in the same country within a few weeks of each other?
Niersbach: We have discussed this issue at great length with the DOSB’s president Alfons Hörmann and director general Michael Vesper. Firstly the DOSB need to decide whether and with which city they will apply to host the Summer Olympics in Germany. Any such bid will receive full support from German football. The same thing applied previously…
DFB.de: Yes?
Niersbach: …when we supported Munich’s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. It still pains me to think that this fantastic bid never received sufficient popular support. When it comes to 2024, I don’t see any competition between football and the Olympics, and our cooperation with the DOSB couldn’t be any better. There’s no doubt that we would be able to meet this very special challenge together.
Preparations for EURO 2020 will begin in earnest this Friday when UEFA announces which 13 countries and cities will host the competition to be held across Europe for the first time. The DFB has applied for two packages with Munich and the Allianz Arena: for three group matches and a round-of-16 match or quarter-final, and for the semi-finals and final. In a DFB.de interview with reporter Stephan Brause, DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach discussed the possibilities.
DFB.de: In all honesty, Mr Niersbach, what did you think in December 2012 when the UEFA Executive Committee announced their plans for a ‘EURO for Europe’?
Wolfgang Niersbach: When UEFA President Michel Platini first explained his idea of a pan-European tournament during EURO 2012, I was a little bemused. I needed a little time to take it in and understand the thinking behind it. Since then I have realised that the decision to hold a tournament on an entire continent to mark the 60th anniversary of the European Championship is very appealing, as it gives countries that would never be able to stage an entire competition the opportunity to take on the role of hosts. We in the UEFA Executive Committee also decided that this format would be a one-off and that the tournament would have a single host again in 2024.
DFB.de: After some initial scepticism, the idea has generated significant and widespread interest. More than 30 national football associations applied to host games in the first phase of applications.
Niersbach: That’s right. The evaluation process then whittled this pool down to just 19 associations, and on Friday EURO 2020’s 51 matches will be divided among 13 of them. The UEFA administration has compiled the bids from the 19 cities and countries in one extremely detailed report, meticulously outlining each application in turn. It’s a genuinely excellent piece of work that will form the basis for the Executive Committee’s decision.
DFB.de: German football threw its hat into the ring with Munich and the Allianz Arena. The bid received excellent marks in the evaluation report…
Right now we are still in the running with two promising options. On the one hand, we believe that Munich is extremely well suited to hosting a final package that consists of the final and both semi-finals. Our only remaining rival for these matches is England with London’s Wembley Stadium. Our other option is to be given three group matches together with a round-of-16 match or quarter-final. Of those group games, two would be contested by Germany’s national team in any case – assuming they qualify for the tournament, of course, which I am sure they will.
DFB.de: How do you rate the chances of Germany’s bid?
Niersbach: I’m very confident that Germany will be among the 13 host nations thanks to the excellent conditions and truly first-class bid that the DFB submitted together with Bayern Munich, the city of Munich and political support from Berlin.
DFB.de: There has been much speculation that the DFB would not maintain both its applications and would withdraw its bid to host the final in order to boost its chances of hosting EURO 2024. Is that conceivable?
Niersbach: On Friday the UEFA Executive Committee will be focusing exclusively on EURO 2020, not on other issues and certainly not on our bid for 2024. Nevertheless, it might be an option when it comes to reaching a consensus and to prevent a crucial vote for the final package between London and Munich. We have had an outstanding relationship with England’s governing body the FA for many years now, and there’s no doubt that Wembley would make a fantastic venue for EURO 2020’s final matches.
DFB.de: So neither EURO 2024, nor the DFB’s application to host it, will be on the agenda on Friday nor have any influence on the decisions made?
Niersbach: To reiterate, Friday is exclusively about EURO 2020. The DFB’s Presidential Board announced its intention to submit a bid for EURO 2024 at the DFB Congress in October 2013. The decision was agreed with the Federal Government and was made known to both the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) and of course internationally to the other European football associations. But this application is a completely independent process that will begin at a much later date.
DFB.de: When do you think that will be?
Niersbach: The current expectation is that the host for EURO 2024 will be selected in 2017.
DFB.de: The DFB is not the only organisation aiming to host a major sporting event in Germany in 2024. The DOSB also wants to apply for the Summer Olympics in either Berlin or Hamburg. Can two such significant sporting events possibly be held in the same country within a few weeks of each other?
Niersbach: We have discussed this issue at great length with the DOSB’s president Alfons Hörmann and director general Michael Vesper. Firstly the DOSB need to decide whether and with which city they will apply to host the Summer Olympics in Germany. Any such bid will receive full support from German football. The same thing applied previously…
DFB.de: Yes?
Niersbach: …when we supported Munich’s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. It still pains me to think that this fantastic bid never received sufficient popular support. When it comes to 2024, I don’t see any competition between football and the Olympics, and our cooperation with the DOSB couldn’t be any better. There’s no doubt that we would be able to meet this very special challenge together.
