More stories

  • in

    Euro 2020 prize money revealed with England fighting for £24m jackpot after Uefa agree cash cut

    ENGLAND can win a maximum £24.29m in prize money at Euro 2020 – after Uefa and national associations agreed a cash cut.The initial prize money budget for the tournament planned a total pot of £319m.
    England will be playing for a reduced prize pot share of £24m at Euro 2020Credit: EPAEURO 2020 PRIZE MONEY: Full breakdown

    GROUP STAGE
    Planned – £8m
    Actual – £8m
    MATCH BONUS
    Planned – £1.29m for win, £645k for draw
    Actual – £860k for win, £430k draw
    LAST-16
    Planned – £1.72m
    Actual – £1.29m
    QUARTER-FINALS
    Planned – £2.8m
    Actual – £2.15m
    SEMI-FINALS
    Planned – £4.3m
    Actual – £3.44m
    RUNNER-UP
    Planned – £6.02m
    Actual – £4.3m
    WINNER
    Planned – £8.61m
    Actual – £6.88m

    But with the Covid crisis causing a delay and crowds limited as a result of the pandemic, Uefa has now slashed the prize pool to £284.55m.
    England, like the other 23 qualified nations, will get a minimum payment of £8m.
    But the group stage prize money has been reduced from £1.29m per win (half that for a draw), to £860,000 for each victory and half for a draw.
    Qualifying for the last-16 is now worth £1.29m, down from the original £1.72m.
    Quarter-finalists will now receive an additional £2.15m, compared to the planned £2.8m.
    Reaching the semis will net the FA an extra £3.44m, 25 per cent less than the initial figure of £4.3m.
    And the winners and runners up will now receive £6.88m and £4.3m respectively.
    Those figures are way down on the original prizes of £8.61m and £6.02m.
    BETTING SPECIAL – GET ENGLAND TO WIN EURO 2020 AND HARRY KANE TO BE TOP SCORER AT 18/1

    WIN £50,000 with Dream Team EurosDream Team Euros is HERE!
    The best fantasy football game to accompany Euro 2020 has arrived.
    And you can play absolutely FREE for your chance to win the £50,000 jackpot.
    CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FREE!
    Dream Team Euros

    £50,000 jackpot
    The best fantasy football game this summer
    Play in mini-leagues against your mates, colleagues, family members – and some hand-picked celebrities
    FREE to play

    Roy Keane reckons England have a shot of Euro 2020 glory, with Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling looking to ‘explode’ and prove their doubters wrong.
    Keane said: “Sometimes you look at players who have had a quiet spell – quiet because they’ve set such high standards.
    “Rashford and Sterling, for example.
    “But I think that is a good thing. You’re going into the tournament going ‘these lads are ready to explode’.
    “Gareth [Southgate] definitely likes Rashford and Sterling.”
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

    Wayne Rooney to make return at Soccer Aid with England legend to be joined by Usain Bolt, Scholes and Neville at Etihad More

  • in

    Uefa chiefs discuss SCRAPPING away goals rule in Champions League and other competitions from start of next season

    UEFA club supremos will discuss plans to axe the away goals rule tomorrow.SunSport revealed last month that Europe’s Club Competitions Committee was ready to change the much-criticised rule.
    The away goals rule in Uefa competition, which saw Spurs beat Man City in 2019, could be scrapped as early as next seasonCredit: AP:Associated Press
    Andres Iniesta famously knocked Chelsea out of the 2009 Champions League semi-finals on away goalsCredit: AP:Associated Press
    But a proposal for away goals to count extra in the first 90 minutes of the second leg was parked.
    It was felt that stopping the advantage of away goals in extra-time would be too confusing.
    Instead, panel members will debate scrapping the rule, originally introduced in the 1965-66 season.
    Uefa is understood to be ‘neutral’ over the proposal, which must be approved by the ruling executive committee.
    If club chiefs agree, it could end for 2021-22 European competitions.

    FIFA has opened the door for ex-players to be in the VAR room.
    At the moment only current and recently retired referees — in the last three years — are allowed roles in the video booth.
    FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE
    Former stars could be allowed into the VAR room to offer a player’s perspective on decisionsCredit: EPA

    But Fifa president Gianni Infantino suggested the rules could change.
    Infantino said: “The real problem isn’t VAR but how it is applied and used. You can’t blame VAR if it’s not applied properly.
    “It’s only been with us since 2018 and we can improve a few things.
    “We will have to think about not having referees but specific VAR experts who can be responsible.”
    That suggests former stars could be brought into the process to offer a player’s perspective on what should and should not be penalised.
    Fifa has taken control of VAR from the International FA Board and is pushing for ‘semi-automatic’ offside calls using skeletal modelling — with decisions signalled to the ref and his assistants within seconds — for the 2022 World Cup finals.
    And Infantino is also a supporter of the ‘daylight’ offside law proposed by Arsene Wenger.
    He said: “We’re testing a possible new offside rule.
    WIN £50,000 with Dream Team EurosDream Team Euros is HERE!
    The best fantasy football game to accompany Euro 2020 has arrived.
    And you can play absolutely FREE for your chance to win the £50,000 jackpot.
    CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FREE!
    Dream Team Euros

    £50,000 jackpot
    The best fantasy football game this summer
    Play in mini-leagues against your mates, colleagues, family members – and some hand-picked celebrities
    FREE to play

    “VAR has created an unexpected situation.
    “Before VAR, referees were told to give the doubt to the attacker — but with VAR there are no doubts any more.
    “We shouldn’t cancel a goal just because the nose is offside — but that’s the rule. So you have to see if you need to change the rule.”
    Just seven players have managed to score a hat-tricks of CL hat-tricks
    Man City vs Chelsea FREE – Live stream, TV channel and kick-off time for Champions League Final More

  • in

    Uefa open disciplinary proceedings against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus over failed European Super League plot

    UEFA have opened the way to ban Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus from the Champions League after beginning formal disciplinary charges against the rebel trio.Euro chiefs are determined to bring the three Super League ringleaders to heel after the collapse of their breakaway plan.
    Uefa have opened disciplinary proceedings against Super League ringleaders Juventus, Real Madrid and BarcelonaWIN £50,000 with Dream Team EurosDream Team Euros is HERE!

    The best fantasy football game to accompany Euro 2020 has arrived.
    And you can play absolutely FREE for your chance to win the £50,000 jackpot.
    CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FREE!
    Dream Team Euros

    £50,000 jackpot
    The best fantasy football game this summer
    Play in mini-leagues against your mates, colleagues, family members – and some hand-picked celebrities
    FREE to play

    Unlike the Prem Big Six, the two Milan sides and Atletico Madrid, the three clubs have refused to pull the plug on their scheme.
    That has infuriated Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin.
    He is out for revenge and wants to impose two season bans.
    And now that prospect had moved a step closer after Uefa announced its first move.
    In a statement, Nyon officials said: “Following an investigation conducted by UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors in connection with the so-called ‘Super League’ project, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona and Juventus FC for a potential violation of UEFA’s legal framework.
    “Further information will be made available in due course.”
    Uefa has put the screws on all three who now know they face serious sanctions unless they apologise and finally give up the ghost on their concept.
    Despite all six English rebels backing out within 48 hours of the ESL announcement, Real, Barca and Juve have still not backed down.
    FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

    Earlier in May, the trio released a joint statement vowing to go to war with the European chiefs.
    The waffling press release also aimed a dig at the nine clubs who initially formed the ESL but pulled out amid fan fury across the world.
    Days later, the threat of a two-year suspension from European tournaments was thrown down.
    Uefa boss Alexander Ceferin is determined to throw the book at the wantaway rebelsCredit: AFP

    Inter Miami boss Phil Neville hails Man Utd legend brother Gary for standing up to greed of European Super League More

  • in

    England ace Lucy Bronze opens up on fight to stop online abuse as part star-studded campaign

    LUCY BRONZE has hit out at the sexist abuse she has received on social media as she teams up with football stars to tackle online hate.Bronze and top players from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are using this year’s Euros to push tech giants to clamp down on bigoted trolling.
    Lucy Bronze is among the football stars backing a campaign to help people to spot and tackle online hate and abuse
    The Man City and Lionesses star has joined forces with some of the biggest names from across the home nations as part of Hope United.
    The BT campaign, backed by Bronze, Demi Stokes, Man United’s Lauren James and Wales striker Helen Ward, is urging social media firms to encourage their users to be ‘better digital citizens’.
    It comes a month after YouGov research revealed that 1 in 10 people have been on the receiving end of hate speech and abusive comments online.
    Bronze, 29, said: “The crazy thing is that I don’t know anyone I have ever played with who has not been on the receiving end of online abuse.
    “It’s really sad when you think about it. For me, there has always been the whole ‘get back in the kitchen’ comment.
    “It’s the ‘go to’ of the unoriginal sexist comments I get online.
    “It’s kind of embarrassing for someone who sends that kind of message that they’ve resorted to that. 

    “But the really bad comments, I think, you try so hard to just block out. I think that’s the thing as well.
    “People ask, ‘does it affect you’ and you brush it off and say you’re fine. 
    “But I don’t think anyone is really fine with it. I think everyone is affected in some sort of way, whether it’s a small slice of abuse or it is daily, or hourly.
    “It’s not okay to normalise online abuse, whether it’s for us as footballers or people in society, work and school it’s not okay.
    “We want to use our platform to make change and make a difference.”
    Bronze says all the footballers she has played with have received abusive messages onlineCredit: Getty

    Bronze, who won Fifa’s Best Women’s Player award in 2020, says she is “100 per cent” behind efforts to push tech firms to educate users on how to recognise and counter hate online.
    A squad of players – led by Rio Ferdinand, Karen Carney, Eni Aluko and Robbie Savage – have been drawing on their distressing experiences to raise awareness of the effect of social media abuse.
    A day before the campaign’s launch Man United legend Ferdinand was on the receiving end of monkey chants from a Wolves fan at Molineux.
    The former England star also received an abusive post featuring banana emojis in response to his reflections on the incident which he shared on Twitter.
    [embedded content]
    Jordan Henderson, Gareth Bale and Marcus Rashford are among the other figures involved in Hope United campaign along with para footballers Rebecca Sellar and Charlie Fogarty.
    There are people from different backgrounds, both men and women, from different teams who have all suffered online abuse or witnessed online abuseLucy Bronze
    The sports stars are featured in video guides offering people pointers on how to protect themselves from abuse on digital platforms.  
    Rio Ferdinand received a racially abusive tweet one day of ahead of the launch of Hope United
    Bronze added: “I have a huge platform in women’s football to get this message out and to be part of this team.
    “The whole point of being a part of this team is that we’re all together, it’s not just Lucy Bronze and Demi Stokes of women’s football.
    “It’s not just men’s football, it’s all of us coming together.
    “There are people from different backgrounds, both men and women, from different teams who have all suffered online abuse or witnessed online abuse.
    “We’ve come together and said enough is enough. This is a message we’ve said all year, whether it’s been about racism, homophobia.
    “As players we’ve said with online abuse, we know that there is something that can be done about it. 
    “Platforms can be held accountable to make changes.
    “People putting out abuse should be held accountable for the actions that they’re taking because online hate is a hate crime. 
    “We know that these platforms can make a difference and change can be made
    “And we want change now because we’re not accepting this anymore.”
    Hope United is rallying the UK to tackle online abuse as part of BT’s commitment to boost the nation’s digital skills. To find out more visit bt.com/hopeunited
    Helen Ward is among the Wales internationals backing BT’s campaign against online abuse during the Euros
    Rio Ferdinand, Jens Lehmann and Robin van Persie star in BT Sports new women’s football series Ultimate Goal More

  • in

    What is the Europa Conference League, and who will qualify from Premier League on final day?

    THERE’s a new Uefa competition on the block from next season – the Europa Conference League. Here’s all you need to know about the tournament, which will see one English team take part.

    FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

    Tottenham are one of the teams who could end up in the Europa Conference LeagueCredit: Getty
    What is the Europa Conference League?
    The Europa Conference League is Uefa’s new third tier European competition.
    The idea is to give more clubs from more countries the chance to play European football.
    Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said: “The new UEFA club competition makes UEFA’s club competitions more inclusive than ever before.
    “There will be more matches for more clubs, with more associations represented in the group stages.”
    Like the Champions League and Europa League, the competition will consist of a group and knockout stage.

    Which English teams qualify for the Europa Conference League?
    England has been granted one Europa Conference League place.
    Originally, the slot was to be allocated to the side winning the Carabao Cup – provided they finished outside of the Premier League top-six.
    But after Manchester City won the trophy, the Conference League spot will instead go to the team that finishes seventh in the Premier League.
    All other Premier League European spots are unchanged, with the top 4 entering the Champions League and fifth and sixth being granted Europa League spots.
    Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin says the Europa Conference League will give more clubs than ever before the chance to play in EuropeCredit: EPA
    Which other teams qualify for the Europa Conference League?
    The 2021-22 European season will involve a slimmed down Europa League with more teams entering the Conference League.
    Just 57 teams will compete in the Europa League compared to 184 in the Europa Conference League.
    While the champions of every country will get the chance to qualify for the Champions League, all other teams from countries ranked below 15th in the Uefa Coefficients will enter the Europa Conference League rather than the Europa League.
    Teams eliminated from the Champions League preliminary round and first qualifying rounds will also go to the Conference League, as well as those eliminated from the Europa League third qualifying round, play-off round and third place finishers in the group stage.

    How will the Europa League change?
    The Europa League group stage will be reduced to 32 teams from the current 48.
    Group winners will now advance to the last 16 of the tournament while runners-up will have to play a preliminary knockout stage against the third placed Champions League teams.
    Does the winner of the Europa Conference League qualify for any other tournaments?
    The Europa Conference League winner will qualify for the following season’s Europa League. More

  • in

    UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin slams idea of staging World Cup every two years

    UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin has slammed the idea of staging a World Cup every two years as “completely irrational”.Fifa Congress gave the go-ahead on Friday for a feasibility study to be conducted into holding the tournament more often than the current four-year cycle.
    Aleksander Ceferin has slammed the idea of staging a World Cup every two years
    But in an exclusive interview with SunSport, Uefa president Ceferin said: “FIFA can do a feasibility study about that but it’s impossible that the World Cup would happen every two years.
    “This would, from one point of view, cause a complete disruption of the calendar.
    “From the other point of view players would be exposed to injuries if they played a month-long tournament every second summer and will not have time to recover from the long season.
    “The idea to have the World Cup every two years is completely irrational.”
    The proposal to conduct a feasibility study into a biennial World Cup was made by the Saudi Arabia FA, close allies of Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
    The Saudis have already given financial and moral support to Infantino’s plans to expand Fifa’s Club World Cup.
    The Fifa chief has also been accused by La Liga boss Javier Tebas and others of secretly backing and encouraging the failed European Super League.

    Documents suggest the ESL plotters believed they had Fifa backing for their plans and at least one senior Fifa official attended a meeting about it.
    Something doesn’t add up and Ceferin said: “He [Infantino] guaranteed to me that neither he nor any of his people was present at any meetings with the Super League, that he didn’t know anything about it.
    “Any Fifa president who supported a project like that, he or she could not be Fifa president anymore.
    “I got a promise from his side.“We spoke over the phone. He said, ‘Ah, interesting, I haven’t heard about this project for quite a while’.
    “I have to believe Fifa, that they are not behind it.
    “A crazy project like that will never happen again.”
    France lifted the World Cup trophy for the second time in 20 years in 2018
    Florentino Perez (left) and Aleksander Ceferin (right) were at war over the ESL
    To a lot of people, holding the World Cup every two years looks like another crazy project.
    But it’s all part of the ongoing power struggle between Fifa and Uefa, and Infantino and Ceferin.
    For now the Uefa president’s priority is successfully staging the delayed Euro 2020 tournament.
    Ceferin remains hopeful Wembley will welcome at least 22,500 fans to matches during Euro 2020, despite concerns about the spread of the Indian variant.
    It remains to be seen whether Wembley will be able to welcome even more fans for the semi finals and final.
    Ceferin, who will hold a phone conference with Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and government officials in early June, said: “If we’ve learned anything from this Covid situation, it is that things can change daily.
    Let’s see how things go, but I’m optimistic.
    “We are talking about July [for the semi finals and final].
    “We hope by then the majority of people will be vaccinated. We have to be careful of course.
    “We will discuss it with them, we will see what they say. The decision about it is not up to the governing bodies but the governments and local authorities.
    “I think we will have spectators as planned and hopefully even more.”
    Ceferin also defended Uefa’s decision to stage the rescheduled tournament in 11 different venues during a pandemic.
    He said: “I have to rely on my team from Uefa Events.
    “They said that it was simply impossible to change it because we invested so much into these countries.
    It would be financially impossible to do it, and logistically as well, probably.
    “Our health protocols are really strict.
    We have played 1,300 Uefa international matches since the pandemic started and 98.5 per cent without any problems.
    “I think we have to bring hope with football. We have to start, slowly, living a normal life.“We cannot just say we don’t do anything.”
    UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin attacks Big Six English clubs for wanting to join European Super League More

  • in

    Uefa chief Ceferin rejects Gary Neville call for regulator and says losing League Cup wouldn’t kill English football

    GARY NEVILLE and Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin agree on the basics.But their visions of how to stop future Super League projects and give football a more sustainable future are very different.
    Aleksander Ceferin does not back Gary Neville’s plan
    Player-turned-pundit Neville and more than 100,000 fans who signed a parliamentary petition reckon English football needs an independent regulator to defend its traditions and values.
    But Ceferin believes the game can and should be left to govern itself – and English football must play its part in devising Europe-wide solutions to long-running problems.
    Ceferin, a lawyer by profession, is catching his breath after “a crazy three weeks”.
    No sooner had Uefa seen off the ESL than it had to move the Champions League Final from Istanbul for the second year in a row, in order to allow Chelsea and Manchester City fans to attend.
    But while he is willing to see both sides of most arguments, Ceferin has strong views on outside regulation being forced on football, in England or anywhere else.
    He said: “I don’t think there’s a need to change the way football is run. Especially I don’t think that governments should interfere.
    “When there are ideas of an independent body governing football, it’s just a matter of time before the level of independence of those bodies will be questioned. 
    “The most important thing is that we strengthen the pyramid, that we create the regulations we didn’t have so that projects like that cannot happen again.”Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is NOT taking his hat off to Uefa’s plans to expand the Champions League
    Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is NOT taking his hat off to Uefa’s plans to expand the Champions LeagueCredit: AFP

    Neville was not alone in calling for severe punishments, including points deductions and competition bans, for England’s Big Six.
    Instead, the Premier League clubs, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Inter have escaped with modest financial penalties and threats of massive fines if they try it again.
    Ceferin said: “I don’t think it’s right to say who, but I spoke with two or three of the owners of the six English clubs.
    “They said they completely misjudged the situation, they know it was a big mistake and they know there has to be a sanction because of that.
    “I’m sure they will not do it again. They learned their lesson. That’s enough for me. I’m not on a crusade to punish them forever.”
    But it will be strange next Saturday to watch Chelsea and Manchester City trying to win a trophy they were prepared to ditch just weeks ago.
    Especially after City were only able to reach the final after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a two-year ban for breaking FFP rules.
    Ceferin said: “I disagree with their decision and was for sure disappointed.
    “But I’ve learned as a trial lawyer in Slovenia that some cases you win that you were sure you would lose, and some you lose that you thought you would win.” 
    So much for the past, what about the future?
    Managers like Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, players like City’s Ilkay Gundogan and fans of all clubs are also united in opposition to Uefa’s plans to revamp the Champions League from 2024.
    Earlier this month, supporters told Ceferin at a virtual meeting they did not want any more CL games, let alone the 100 extra proposed, because of the impact on the English calendar and competitions like the League Cup..
    Ceferin said: “You like traditions very much, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have to modernise from time to time.
    “I don’t want to get into how. But I don’t think that all the spirit of English football would be gone if you had one cup less.”
    Plans to award CL places on the basis of past European competition performance are also unpopular.
    Ceferin says Uefa must explain better why the Swiss-style league format and the new qualification criteria will create a better and fairer Champions League.
    He is willing to tweak the proposals, but football authorities in England and elsewhere must also be willing to compromise.
    Angry fans protest outside Stamford Bridge over the European Super LeagueCredit: Getty
    A Chelsea fan famously protested against the ESL with a placard reading: “We want our cold nights in Stoke.”
    Which club’s ground in Ceferin’s native Slovenia would be the equivalent of the Bet365 Stadium on a Tuesday night in February?
    Ceferin laughed: “Maybe FK Aluminij. They have a small stand that’s not covered. It’s cold up there.”
    But Aluminij, like all the clubs in Slovenia’s top flight, receive about £85,000 per year in TV rights revenue, compared to £100m for each Premier League club.
    And that’s why, Ceferin says, initiatives like the new third-tier Europa Conference League, regarded as a booby prize by some Premier League managers, are important.
    Ceferin said: “It is a serious competition.
    “Clubs like Tottenham or Roma could be in it. Top teams will play in the semi finals and final.
    “If English clubs play well in the Conference League, they will earn points that could help them play in the Champions League in the future.
    “If we want to work on saving the pyramid of football – and football is not about England only – clubs in smaller countries need more international matches.
    “They will improve, they will get more sponsors, more money from broadcasting rights, because they can play against a team from the Premier League or La Liga.”
    Neville wants an independent regulator to help to re-set the balance between rich and poor in English football.
    But Ceferin says everyone must work together for the benefit of the whole European game in the post-pandemic, post-ESL era.
    The Uefa president said: “The good that Covid has done is that we are all discussing all the topics.
    “You have to work on the whole ecosystem of European football. If we do something, but the Premier League, La Liga and the others don’t, then we don’t achieve much.
    “We should calm down now and put things in place for the future which ensure that football becomes even more sustainable.”
    Gary Neville gives impassioned rant about greedy Big 6 and The European Super League More

  • in

    FA bosses hope fans smash attendance records at Women’s 2022 Euros in England

    FOOTBALL chiefs want fans to break the European record for the highest crowd numbers at the opening and closing games of a women’s Euros tournament. The targets were revealed as part of FA and UEFA plans to flog more than 700,000 tickets for Women 2022 Euros games taking place in England. 
    Wembley is set to host the final of the 2022 Women’s EurosCredit: Getty
    Football bosses hope to sell more than 700,000 tickets to Women’s 2022 Euros games in EnglandCredit: Reuters
    It is hoped spectators will pack out Old Trafford for the tournament’s opener surpassing a milestone of 41,301 set in 2013. 
    Authorities also aim to smash the European attendance number for a final at the contest’s finale at Wembley. 
    They hope to see spectator numbers for that clash surpass the figure of the 80,203 who watched the USA defeat Japan in the women’s football final of the London 2012 Olympic games. 
    Tickets for next year’s Women’s Euros will be priced from £5 to £50 with over half a million available for £25 or less.
    However, the FA say England group stage matches and quarter-finals and semis fixtures will be priced differently but were tight-lipped as to what the pricing for these games will be. 
    Chris Bryant, the FA’s tournament delivery head said: “This is all about setting out our ticket ambitions for the tournament. 
    “We want to deliver a record breaking showcase that unites football and communities to amplify the women’s game.
    “Our ambition really is centred around for stadia, fantastic atmospheres. And we really need a ticketing strategy that embodies that”
    Fixtures for the Women’s 2022 Euros games are due to take place in 10 venues in nine host cities in England. 
    Games will be held in Brighton, London, Milton Keynes, Rotherham, Sheffield, Southampton, Trafford and Wigan and Leigh.
    Tournament organisers hope the sport’s followers will flock to buy tickets for games involving 16 teams including host nation England.  
     Fans are being invited to pre-register for tickets on Uefa’s web site July 13.
    Northern Ireland are among 16 nations taking part in the tournamentCredit: PA

    Officials say there are plans to use the Euros to create a legacy project to encourage 120,000 girls to take up football in the tournament’s host cities.  
    And the FA hopes the to produce 350 newly-trained coaches and 350 new referees through the scheme.  
    FA women’s football director Baroness Sue Campbell said: “It has been a challenging year in so many ways, with mental and physical wellbeing hugely affected by the Covid pandemic. 
    “The tournament and the city legacy programmes are a real opportunity to positively change the impact restrictions have had on our activity levels and to bring us together through football.
    The FA hopes to encourage more than 80,000 fans to attend the final of the Women’s 2022 EurosCredit: Getty
    “The long-term legacy ambitions will unlock the game for more women and girls across host cities and beyond with equal access for all girls to play football in school and clubs. 
    “Our vision will ensure an inclusive, safe and welcoming environments for every woman and girl to play competitive or recreational grassroots football – irrespective of ability, age or ambition.”
    With Covid having hit fan presence at football stadiums with up to 10,000 currently allowed into grounds, the FA says it will have a contingency plan place if the pandemic causes attendance problems next year. 
    Bryant added: “We’ve already got an ambitious ticketing target and we want to make sure that we give ourselves every opportunity to hit those milestones if we can,
    “We need to be able to work back from the in the event that the pandemic is still around and it does require us to adapt. 
    “We are considering all the contingency plans that are available to us.”
    Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
    Tickets for Women’s Euros will be priced from £5 to £50 with up to half a million available for £25 or lessCredit: Alamy Live News
    Lionesses in training More