Two years ago, it looked odds-on that the 2020 European Championship would be staged in Turkey.
An impressive campaign for Euro 2016, in which the Turks were edged out by France, many thought unluckily, allied to a vibrant economy and the scale to cope with the tournament’s expansion to 24 teams, left the strong impression that Ankara’s claim to Euro 2020 (pictured below, logo) would be all but irresistible – if they decided that they wanted the competition.
Now, following UEFA boss Michel Platini’s idea, aired over the weekend, that Euro 2020 could be hosted by a succession of cities across a range of European countries, the continent’s footballing elite could be heading just about anywhere.