There are three tournaments in the world of national team football/soccer competitions that make fans go bonkers. While the FIFA World Cup reigns as the supreme king of the sport, Latin America’s Copa América and Europe’s Euro Tournament are the other two most important national team gatherings in the soccer calendar.
While 2020 saw the sporting world come to a screeching halt with both the Copa América and the Euro Tournament coming shockingly close amongst other big sporting events in the world calendar, organizers knew that football fans needed a win in their long lasting battle against coronavirus. With that said and with the hopes of soccer fans around the world hanging by their efforts, Euro Tournament organizers got to work and with much joy are on track to bringing fans to the Euro 2021 Soccer Tournament.
Adjusting The Tournament In A Pandemic Ridden World
The Euro 2021 Tournament will be a different style of tournament in all of its traits. While before there was one or even two countries selected by UEFA as the main host of the tournament, for the 2020, now 2021 edition, the biggest European nations soccer tournament 12 cities expanding all across the continent will see tournament action. From London to Baku, spanning through Bilbao, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen amongst other cities, Euro 2021 organizers are set on having this be a soccer feast for fans across the continent.
One of the interesting changes this new competition alternative brought was that for the first time no country was awarded an automatic spot in the tournament. With 12 different countries all hosting games, all 55 competing members of UEFA had to play for their spot in the event. The Stadio Olimpico in Rome will host the inaugural game of the tournament and the mythical Wembley Stadium in London will host both semifinals and the Championship Game.
Fans or No Fans? That is the Question
The question that arises on the road to the tournament is, what will be of fan attendance in the tournament with the COVID-19 pandemic still in full swing? While there are reports of the general secretary of the world football players’ union FIFPro saying there is no point in hosting the tournament in 12 different countries without fans attending, UEFA authorities are doubling down on their bet to host the 12 city tournament in 2021 no matter what. The 12 country co-hosting format was initially thought of by UEFA as an homage to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the tournament and while there have been talks about a plan B involving bringing the whole competition to one country, as usual, UEFA is keen on the style of event staying the way it is.
While fears of the advances of the coronavirus pandemic or new waves of the virus are present and under scrutiny, with the advances made in the battle to eradicate the pandemic UEFA is looking at the brighter scope of the horizon rather than the darkest. As of right now, each host city is being asked to choose from four options — full stadiums, 50% full, 33% full or empty stadiums.
Euro 2021, A Beacon Of Cultural Exchange
Amsterdam, Baku, Bilbao, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Glasgow, London, Munich, Rome will be the twelve cities that will play host to the Euro 2021 tournament. While the center of attention revolves around the action on the field and the chance for fans to see some of their favorite stars like Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, France’s Kylian Mbappé, and England’s Harry Kane, the Euro tournament will be so much more than that. With the competition expanding through 12 different cities, the opportunities for real valuable cultural exchanges amongst attendees will be an event all in itself.
While traveling through different cities, most with different languages and traditions of their own, the best thing fans can do prior to booking their travels is look for some top of the line translation and interpreting services to make sure that they do not miss a single beat of everything the tournament will have to offer. From something as simple as asking for directions or food in a restaurant to participating in engaging conversations with other attendees from different parts of the world, looking for the easiest way to communicate will be key.