By Andrew Warshaw
February 15 – Two weeks before the deadline for initial expressions of interest, Turkey has announced it is bidding for Euro 2024, hoping to be fourth time lucky.
Last week UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said he hoped Germany, who announced its 2024 candidacy some weeks ago, would not be the only contender and the Turks – who failed with bids for 2008 (jointly with Greece), 2012 and 2016 – have now come forward to take them on.
Turkey’s hopes are based on the fact that they withdrew a bid to stage games at Euro 2020 – which uniquely will be held across Europe – in favour of focusing on a one-country bid for 2024. The bid was announced at the headquarters of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) in Istanbul by Sports Minister Akif Cagatay Kilic and TFF chief Yildirim Demiroren.
Demiroren said the bid would be formally presented to UEFA on March 2, 24 hours before the deadline for national associations to confirm their interest. A week later, Uefa will announce the names with April 2018 being the deadline for bid dossier submissions and the hosts appointed five months later.
Rumours are rife that Scandinavian nations will also submit a joint bid but so far that has not been forthcoming.
“I hope the outcome will bring something beautiful for our country,” said Kilic. “In the last years, Turkey has made a great step forward in terms of stadiums.”
Beaten by Tokyo in the race to host the 2020 Olympics, Turkey were bitterly disappointed at earlier losing out to France by a single vote to host 2016. Although the country is probably due a major footballing tournament, its bid could be seriously jeopardised by security concerns following a series of terror attacks.
Additionally, Turkey may no longer have the support of the UEFA president. When Michel Platini was in charge, he made it clear he sympathised with a future Turkish bid after his native France narrowly won the right to host Euro 2016. Following regime change, it is by no means certain that Platini’s successor Aleksander Ceferin shares the same sentiments.
On the other hand, with Germany hosting three group matches and a quarter-final at 2020, the Turks’ case could be strengthened.
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