What if Euro 2020, postponed to this summer (June 11-July 11), became the symbol of a return to a more normal life?
In any case, this is the message that two of the host cities of the continental competition, Bilbao and Amsterdam, wanted to convey on Wednesday.
Thus, the Spanish city confirmed to UEFA that it could accommodate up to 13,000 spectators at the San Mamés stadium if the sanitary conditions are met, reports the local press on Wednesday.
According to the Spanish press, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) will send a document during the day of Wednesday to UEFA, which summarizes the reception conditions of the public up to 25% of the reception capacity. total of the San Mamés stadium, which corresponds to about 13,000 people.
"These 13,000 spectators will be able to enter the stadium as long as perfect sanitary conditions are reached, circumstances which, today, are not met", specifies, however, Marca, the best-selling newspaper in Spain.
The health conditions required would be in particular an incidence rate over 14 days of less than 40 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, an immunity of the population of the Basque Country and Spain which exceeds 60%, an occupancy rate of intensive care beds. less than 2% in the autonomous region of the Basque Country, and traceability of Covid-19 cases in the Basque Country greater than 90%.
In other words, there is still a long way to go.
The San Mamés stadium (53,289 seats) is to host four matches: the group stage matches of the Spanish national team against Sweden (June 14), Poland (June 19) and Slovakia (June 23), as well as 'a round of 16 (June 27).
Hope, but no guarantee that it will be possible
At the same time, the Dutch Football Association has let it be known that Amsterdam, another host city of the Euro, hopes to welcome "at least 12,000 spectators" in the four matches scheduled at the Arena Johan Cruyff - the group matches of the Netherlands team against Ukraine (June 13), Austria (June 17) and North Macedonia (June 21) as well as a round of 16 on June 26 - or even more "depending of the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic. "
In a statement, the KNVB hopes to "welcome more spectators", but this will be decided "according to the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic."
The twelve host cities of the tournament had until Wednesday, April 7 to submit their plan to welcome supporters to UEFA.
The scenario submitted by the KNVB to UEFA is based on the “realistic” assumption that at least 25% of the capacity of the 55,000-seat stadium can be used.
All spectators who wish to attend the matches will have to comply with the security protocols in place next June and present a negative Covid test result, the KNVB said.
"There is no guarantee yet," said Gijs de Jong, director of the tournament in Amsterdam, adding that he had received the green light from the Ministry of the Interior and the Amsterdam city hall to implement this scenario providing for 12,000 Available seats.
On March 27, as part of the qualifications for the 2022 World Cup, the Netherlands hosted Latvia (2-0) in Amsterdam in front of 5,000 spectators.
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