Miscellaneous from Euro 2020 that (Probably) Missed
The 2020 European Cup will open on June 11. The opening ceremony at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome, followed by the first match of the finals between Turkey vs Italy. This match kicks off on Saturday (12/6/2021) at 02.00 WIB.
This is the 16th edition of the European Cup tournament. To enhance the 60 years of the tournament's existence, UEFA held this edition in a special way. The format of the competition and the number of participants (24) is still the same, but what is different is how the tournament will be held. If previously the European Cup was held in one or two countries, the 2020 edition will be made a pan-European tournament.
Previously, 12 countries had the status of hosting the 2020 European Cup. However, the Republic of Ireland was later dropped and the number of hosts shrunk to 11. Unlike previous editions, each host had to fight through qualifications to compete in the finals.
In addition to being unique in terms of the venue, the 2020 European Cup also introduces other numbers. Among these are regulatory adjustments due to the pandemic and a new play-off qualification system.
Remembering France 1960 at Euro 2020
The unique format of the 2020 European Cup as an opportunity to repeat the 60th anniversary of the four-year event. In 1960, the first edition of the European Cup was hosted by France.
The idea of a pan-European tournament was sparked by former UEFA president Michel Platini in 2012. The set was agreed at the end of the year.
“It might be a funny idea, but it's a good one. I offered this idea and the associations discussed it separately, then 52 out of 53 [associations] said 'yes'. I don't decide this, the associations decide," Platini said in 2012.
Another reason that helped the idea materialize was the situation of Turkey, a strong candidate to host the 2020 European Cup. Turkey was the favorite to host. However, the country plans to hold the Olympics in the same year. UEFA also doubted the host's readiness if they had to hold the Olympics and European Cup in the same year.
19 countries volunteered to host in 2014. UEFA then approved the proposal of 13 countries. Six countries were crossed out, namely Belarus, Bulgaria, Israel, North Macedonia, Sweden, and Wales. Belgium had qualified but was dropped in 2017 because UEFA doubted their readiness.
UEFA has designated 12 arenas for hosting the European Cup. That number dwindled again after the Republic was dropped because it could not ensure the experience of the presence of supporters to the stadium in the specified minimum number. The three Group E matches originally played in Dublin were moved to St. Petersburg (Russia).
The 2020 European Cup also leaves 11 hosts, namely Azerbaijan, the Netherlands, Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Russia, Scotland, and Spain. Because all teams must go through qualification, some hosts did not qualify for the finals, namely Azerbaijan and Romania. Ireland, before being dropped from the host list, also failed to qualify for the finals.
“Light at the End of the Tunnel”
The 2020 European Cup will be held in 2021 due to the corona pandemic, which stopped football activity last year. In March 2020, UEFA decided to postpone the tournament for a year. The football calendar is also adjusted to the domestic competitions which are also kept.
Now, the European Cup can begin and fans can gradually come to the stadium. Ahead of the opening ceremony, one of the hosts, Italy expressed relief over the holding of the four-year tournament.
"It's not just about the opening in the stadium, but a symbolic moment. This is the light at the end. We hope that June 11 can be the culmination of the process of revival of all sporting activity," said Italian Deputy Minister for Sport, Valentina Vezzali.
UEFA guarantees fans can come to stadiums for the European Cup. Italy, which hosts the opening party, may allow 25-45% of the capacity of the Stadio Olimpico. Nine other cities seek 22-50% stadium capacity can be filled. Meanwhile, Budapest (Hungary) targets 100% of the capacity to be filled.
The pandemic has also forced organizers to adjust regulations. At Euro 2020, the substitution rule of up to five people will be maintained. The details are the same as in domestic competitions, which is a maximum of five players in three substitutions. If the match goes to extra time, each team may make one more substitution.
UEFA also allowed teams to bring in 26 players to deal with problems caused by the spread of COVID-19. However, only 23 players can play one game.
On May 4, 2021, UEFA also released four new rules to anticipate the impact of the pandemic. The rules read as follows:
If a group of players has to be arranged due to the COVID-19 infection, matches will continue as long as each team has a minimum of 13 players, including at least one goalkeeper.
If a team cannot meet the minimum number of players, the match will be rescheduled no later than 48 hours after the original schedule. Matches can also be moved to another stadium if deemed necessary.
If a match cannot be rescheduled, the UEFA Disciplinary, Ethics, and Control Board will decide the matter. The team that caused the match to fail is considered sidelined and loses 3-0.
If any member of the referee team has to be replaced due to COVID-19 positive, UEFA may appoint an official who has the same nationality as the team playing and/or appoint a non-FIFA referee (not included in the FIFA International Referees List).
New Qualification Model with UEFA Nations League
Although the format of the qualifiers and finals remained unchanged, UEFA introduced a new system in the qualifying play-offs. Previously, the play-off contestants were drawn from the third place of each qualifying group. However, starting at Euro 2020, UEFA will integrate the tournament with the UEFA Nations League.
For the Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs, four participants were drawn from each division of the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League. League A to League D contestants is separated into four lanes. Thus, each league is confirmed to send representatives to the European Cup finals.
The play-off contestants are drawn from the group winners from each league (division). If the group winners have confirmed qualification via qualification, a play-off ticket is awarded to the team with the best ranking from the same league that has not yet qualified. If a league does not meet the quota of four teams, because most of the teams have already qualified, then a new play-off ticket is given to another league.
In the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League, only Icelandic League A representatives failed to qualify. Therefore, the three play-off tickets for League A were transferred to League C. This is because League B has four teams, according to the play-off quota, that failed to qualify for the European Cup. The three teams must accompany Iceland to complete the play-off path of League A.
16 teams also have to compete in four playoff paths. The first lane was won by Hungary, the representatives of League C who beat representatives of League A, Iceland in the final. The second line (League B) was won by Slovakia. While the representatives of League C and League D who qualified were Scotland and North Macedonia.
This year is North Macedonia's debut in the European Cup. Besides Goran Pandev and his friends, the 2020 European Cup also witnessed another debutant, namely Finland. These two countries will play their first participation in a major tournament.
So, Euro 2020 will not only be a stage for big teams with big ambitions, but also a party for small teams that are playing for the first time.
