Explainers

EURO 2020 is in full swing following an excruciating wait and tonight it’s England vs Czech Republic.Fans around Europe watching on the box will have noticed varying attendances across the eleven host cities.
Wembley will be one of the main venues for Euro 2020Credit: Reuters
Which cities are hosting Euro 2020?
This summer’s competition will be hosted in 11 different cities, down from the original 12.
The stadiums hosting the competition are as follows:

Wembley Stadium – London, England
Allianz Arena – Munich, Germany
Stadio Olimpico – Rome, Italy
Olympic Stadium – Baku, Azerbaijan
Krestovsky Stadium – Saint Petersburg, Russia
Arena Nationala – Bucharest, Romania
Johan Cruyff Arena – Amsterdam, Holland
Estadio de la Cartuja – Sevilla, Spain
Puskas Arena – Budapest, Hungary
Hampden Park – Glasgow, Scotland
Parken Stadium – Copenhagen, Denmark

How many Euro 2020 games are in England?
Eight. Wembley will host all three England group games, two round of 16 games, two semi-finals and the final.
How many Euro 2020 games are in Scotland?
Four. Hampden Park will have two of Scotland’s games and the Croatia vs Czech Republic group game.
The Glasgow stadium will also host the final round-of-16 game.

Which countries are still hosting Euro 2020 and how many fans will they allow?
The following countries are hosting the competition.
ENGLAND
Wembley Stadium, London (90,000 capacity)
Wembley is set to host the Euro 2020 final
Wembley is set to host all England’s group matches, plus the Euro 2020 semi-final and final and two last 16 games originally scheduled for Dublin.
All England’s group games are being held at a 25 per cent capacity.
However, this will increase to 50 per cent for the last 16 game at the National Stadium.
And in the semi-finals and final, over 60,000 people will fill the arena – a 75 per cent capacity.
Fans must show a negative Covid test or proof of two doses of an approved vaccine to enter.
SCOTLAND
Hampden Park, Glasgow (51,866 capacity)
Scotland has given Hampden Park the go-ahead for Euro 2020 matchesCredit: PA:Press Association
After months of speculation, the Scottish FA confirmed that Scotland would be able to host Euro 2020.
Hampden Park is the venue for two of Scotland’s Euro 2020 group games, plus Croatia’s match against the Czech Republic and one last 16 match.
It will host games at a 25 per cent capacity.
Fans in Scotland will not need a ‘vaccine passport’ to enter games at Hampden, but social distancing will be 1.5 metres compared to one metre in England.
AZERBAIJAN
Olympic Stadium, Baku (68,700 capacity)
Baku will host matches at a 50 per cent capacityCredit: Reuters
Azerbaijan is hosting all three Group A matches not involving Italy, as well as a quarter-final.
All matches will be held at a 50 per cent capacity.
DENMARK
Parken Stadium, Copenhagen (38,065 capacity)
Copenhagen was the first city to announce it would host Euro 2020 games with fansCredit: Getty – Contributor
Copenhagen is hosting all three of Denmark’s group matches, plus one last 16 match.
The Danish capital was the first city to announce in 2021 that it would host Euro 2020 with fans.
Just days before their opening match, the Danish FA announced an increase to a 65 per cent capacity for Copenhagen’s games.
RUSSIA
Krestovsky Stadium, St Petersburg (68,134 capacity)
Russia has been holding matches with fans throughout this seasonCredit: AP:Associated Press
St Petersburg is hosting two of Russia’s three home group games, plus Finland vs Belgium and one quarter-final.
In addition, it has been handed the three group games that were set to be hosted by Dublin.
All matches will be played at a minimum 50 per cent capacity.
Russia has been holding matches at half full stadiums throughout this season, while most of Europe has been playing behind closed doors due to coronavirus.
ROMANIA
Arena Nationala, Bucharest (55,600 capacity)
Romania did not qualify for Euro 2020 but the Arena Nationala will still host gamesCredit: Getty
Romania failed to qualify for Euro 2020 but their national stadium will still host three matches from Group C and one last 16 match.
Games at the Arena Nationala was set to host at a capacity of 25-33 per cent.
However, the Romanian Sports Minister on Thursday, June 10 announced an increase to 50 per cent.
HOLLAND
Johan Cruyff Arena (56,000 capacity)
Amsterdam will be hosting all Holland’s Euro 2020 group gamesCredit: Getty – Contributor
Netherlands was the second country to announce it would host Euro 2020 games, following Denmark.
All Holland’s group games, as well as a last 16 game, are being hosted at the Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam with a 25-33 per cent capacity able to attend.
The country began piloting matches with fans back in March, with the Netherlands’ World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
HUNGARY
Puskas Arena, Budapest (67,215 capacity)
Budapest is expecting to host games at full capacityCredit: Getty
Budapest will host two of Hungary’s three group matches, plus a repeat of the Euro 2016 final between Portugal and France.
It will also host one last 16 match.
The Hungarian capital is the only city to announce that games will be hosted at full capacity, subject to strict entry requirements.
67,000 fans are packing in for the game between Portugal and Hungary.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been keen to showcase his country on the world stage and reports suggest he has pushed to make sure there is a full crowd in the Puskas Arena.
He said last Friday: “Everyone who is registered [to come the match] will definitely have been vaccinated, and with their vaccination card will have the opportunity to take part in this event.”
You may remember that the same stadium was used to host Champions League matches in the latter stages of the tournament.
The Hungarian FA have hailed the countries vaccine rollout and claimed they want to give “lifetime experience to as many Hungarian fans as possible”.
ITALY
Stadio Olimpico, Rome (72,698 capacity)
Rome has given Uefa the assurances it needsCredit: EPA
Italy was given extra time by Uefa to confirm that it could host fans at Euro 2020.
And the Stadio Olimpico in Rome has announced that it will host games at a 25 per cent capacity.
Rome will host all of Italy’s group matches and a quarter-final which could involve England.
GERMANY
Allianz Arena (70,000 capacity)
Munich was the last of the original host cities to agree to host the tournamentCredit: Getty
The last of the original host cities to be announced – Munich was only confirmed on April 23.
The German city has committed to host matches in front of a minimum of 14,500 fans – a 20 per cent capacity – the lowest of all the host cities.
It will show all Germany group games and a quarter-final.
SPAIN
Estadio de la Cartuja, Seville (60,000)
Seville is a last minute addition as a Euro 2020 co-hostCredit: Reuters
A last minute addition, Seville will host the games that would have been held in Bilbao after the Spanish FA deemed the Basque Government’s conditions for hosting matches there “impossible” to meet.
The stadium is well prepared to host games, having been the Spanish FA’s de facto home during the pandemic.
Estadio de la Cartuja has hosted all Spain games, two Copa del Rey finals and the Spanish Super Cup in the past 12 months.
Euro 2020 games there will be played at a 30 per cent capacity.
Which cities have been removed from hosting Euro 2020?
The following countries failed to give Uefa the assurances they need to host Euro 2020.
IRELAND
Aviva Stadium, Dublin (51,700 capacity)
Dublin is the most likely city to miss out on hosting Euro 2020Credit: PA
Dublin will miss out on Euro 2020 after failing to give Uefa guarantees that any fans will be allowed to attend matches.
The Irish capital was set to host three Group E matches and a last 16 game that may well have ended up involving England.
The three group matches it would have hosted have gone to St Petersburg while the last 16 match will be held at Wembley.
SPAIN
San Mames, Bilbao (53,322 capacity)
The Spanish FA have refused to back Bilbao’s submission to UefaCredit: Reuters
Bilbao did commit to meet Uefa’s minimum requirement of a 25 per cent capacity, however the Spanish FA refused to back their submission due to the conditions attached.
The Basque government had stated that it would be able to host games provided 60 per cent of the Basque country and the rest of Spain had been vaccinated and less than two per cent of those in hospital were coronavirus patients.
But the Spanish FA labelled these conditions “impossible” to meet.
As a result, Seville will host the matches that were set for Bilbao.

Will any cities allow fans of other countries to travel?
The following countries are set to allow away fans to travel.
AZERBAIJAN
Azerbaijan has announced that fans of all travelling teams (Wales, Turkey, Switzerland and the two Baku quarter-finalists) will be able to submit a negative PCR test to enter the country instead of quarantining.
This offer only applies to citizens or residents of the participating countries.
RUSSIA
St Petersburg is considering offering exemptions to entry requirements for all foreign residents with match tickets and a negative Covid test.
However, a final decision has not yet been confirmed.
HUNGARY
Foreign ticket holders looking to attend games in Budapest must provide evidence of two negative Covid tests taken in the five days before entering Hungary.
The Hungarian government will also accept a certificate of previous Covid infection in the 6 months before entering the country.
ROMANIA
Romania is allowing foreign fans with two doses of the vaccine to attend matches.
Fans who submit a negative PCR test and restrict their stay in Romania to three days are also allowed to attend.
DENMARK
3000 Finland fans were allowed into the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen for their Euro 2020 opener against Denmark.
ENGLAND*
England will allow Scotland fans to attend the game against the Three Lions at Wembley.
However, this trip does not involve crossing a border and no exemption is set to apply to fans of Croatia and the Czech Republic from overseas.
England vs Scotland will have 22,500 fans attending in total with 3700 from the England supporters club and 2600 from Scotland.
The FA are also reportedly considering allowing fans of the semi-finalists and finalists attend games under a bubble arrangement.
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ONE of the quirks of this year’s already-disrupted European Championship is the addition of a referee from ARGENTINA.The 43-year-old Fernando Rapallini is certainly not card shy – he averaged a whopping 6.81 yellows per game in sixteen fixtures during last season’s Argentinian Primera Division season.
Fernando Rapallini has been a FIFA referee since 2014
Fernando Rapallini showed 111 yellow cards in just sixteen league games last season
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He’s also shown FIVE red cards in those sixteen league games, as well as thirty-eight yellows and TEN reds in just six games in the Copa Libertadores.
An exchange programme between Uefa and the South American Football Federation (Conmebol) sees Rapallini and his team join the European group of referees for Euro 2020.
The referee exchange programme between Uefa and Conmebol also sees Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano and his team head to Argentina and Colombia to officiate in the 2021 Copa America.
Manzano once refereed a game between Barcelona and Girona in La Liga in which Lionel Messi refused to shake his hand after the final whistle.
Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano will officiate in the 2021 Copa America
Which Euro 2020 matches has Fernando Rapallini refereed?
Fernando Rapallini made his Uefa debut by taking charge of Ukraine vs North Macedonia in Bucharest.
And he was a busy man on that day, awarding a penalty for both teams – both of which were missed.

Who are the referees at Euro 2020?

Felix Brych (Germany)
Cüneyt Çakır (Turkey)
Carlos Del Cerro Grande (Spain)
Andreas Ekberg (Sweden)
Orel Grinfeeld (Israel)
Ovidiu Alin Hategan (Romania)
Sergei Karasev (Russia)
Istvan Kovacs (Romania)
Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)
Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
Michael Oliver (England)
Daniele Orsato (Italy)
Artur Manuel Ribeiro Soares Dias (Portugal)
Fernando Rapallini (Argentina)
Daniel Siebert (Germany)
Anthony Taylor (England)
Clément Turpin (France)
Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia)

A select group of Europe’s eighteen finest officials, plus Argentinian Fernando Rapallini, will be the men in the middle when the tournament gets underway on June 11.
All Euro 2020 officials underwent a course in Istanbul from May 10-13 to prepare for this summer’s tournament.
The Turkish city will also be the base for all officials until the semi-finals which will see the remaining officials move to London.

⚽ Follow ALL of the latest news and updates from Euro 2020 with our live blog
Stephanie Frappart has experience in both club and national men’s football this season
Also for the first time ever a female official has been selected for a mens European Championships.
France’s Stéphanie Frappart has been selected as a support match official, and will act as a fourth official and reserve referee in case of an injury.
Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor are the two English referees who have been chosen to officiate during Euro 2020 which kicks off on June 11 with Turkey vs Italy.
Michael Oliver was in charge of the 2021 FA Cup final between Chelsea and Leicester City
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ARTUR SOARES DIAS has been selected as a referee for this summer’s Euro 2020.The Portuguese had served as a VAR official at the 2018 World Cup, so comes into the competition having been at a big one.
Artur Soares Dias refereed England’s match against Brazil in 2017Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
Who is Artur Soares Dias?
Soares Dias has been refereeing since 2010.
The star refereed England’s friendly match against Brazil in November 2017, which ended 0-0.
He kept his cards close to his chest that night and only booked Jake Livermore for a late tackle on Neymar.

The 41-year-old has been used an additional assistant referee for several Champions League games.
He refereed a number of Europa League matches during the 2012/13 season.
In 2017, the Portuguese official and his family received death threats before he was due to officiate the Primeira Liga match between Paco de Ferreira and FC Porto.
He is also very experienced in games between English club sides and not shy to make the big decisions.
In April 2021 he took charge of Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat at Villarreal, sending off a player from both sides and awarding the Gunners a penalty.
What other matches has he refereed at Euro 2020?
Artur Soares Dias has taken charge of one other Euro 2020 game so far – Turkey vs Wales in Baku.
In that fixture he awarded the Welsh a penalty in front of a hostile Turkish crowd, but Gareth Bale squandered the opportunity by blasting it over the bar. More