UEFA declared the much-anticipated Euro 2020 competition wouldn’t be canceled in the face of the coronavirus pandemic but, instead, postponed for 12 months and played between 11 June and 11 July 2021.
This came as a massive relief to all concerned, not least fans. It means club competitions, including the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League have a better chance of being played to a finish before the scheduled start of next season.
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Football must show responsibility
This is difficult times for sport and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin told members of the sporting press the football community must come together, showing responsibility and unity. Delaying Euro 2020 for 12 months allows the tournament to go ahead and a champion to be crowned but the move will have a knock-on effect.
The Women’s European Championships were to be played next summer, as were Nations League matches and the U21 Championships. A decision on how Euro 2020 will alter these competitions has yet to be made. To further muddy the waters, not all places at Euro 2020 have been confirmed with many of the groups still unclear.
Scotland vs Israel set for June
The recently formed Nations League promised the top finishing teams another crack at qualifying for Euro 2020. If a side failed to secure their place through the usual qualifying route, they would be given a second chance in qualifying playoffs played in spring. This effects Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland who were all scheduled to play in March.
Steve Clarke’s Scotland couldn’t compete with Belgium and Russia during qualifying, finishing third in their pool, but they did secure a playoff against Israel after winning their Nations League set. The game will be played at Hampden Park in Glasgow, but the date remains under review and UEFA will revisit this. It’s possible the agreed June date will be pushed back further, even into next season.
Expect further delays
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell told media channels he believed the match between Scotland and Israel taking place in June was unrealistic. He added that club football would have to be back in full flow before players would be happy to release their best players for international matches.
At present, there’s no set date for competitions like the Scottish Premiership and Europa League to make a comeback. There is an overriding feeling in the Scotland camp, amongst players, coaches, organizers and fans that there’s no need to rush the match against Israel and the qualifying playoff campaign.
Northern Ireland could lose O’Neill
Northern Ireland face Bosnia in the European Championship qualifying, and that date has been penciled in for 4 June. Interestingly, Northern Ireland were expected to play a friendly match against Ukraine on Tuesday 2 June away from home. That match is now likely to be scrapped, regardless of the Bosnia fixture going ahead or not.
In an interesting footnote, the qualifying playoff matches being postponed could force Northern Ireland into a change of manager. Current boss Michael O’Neill took the job at Stoke City last year but promised to see out the playoffs for Northern Ireland, aiming to push them to Euro 2020. The manager himself has said working on both during September, October and November wouldn’t be achievable.
