By Andrew Warshaw
February 28 – With the corona virus crippling sports events across the globe, UEFA’s executive committee seem certain to discuss the potential effect on Euro 2020 when they meet in Amsterdam on Monday ahead of their full 55-nation Congress 24 hours later.
Although the virus is not on the agenda, it is understood UEFA’s top brass will use the occasion to share their views in what is an evolving situation across Europe.
With millions of tickets sold for the tournament, there is no indication at this stage that UEFA intends to take any drastic action, especially since there are over two months to go before kick-off.
But the fact that the showpiece opening game is being staged in Rome, in the very country most affected by the virus in Europe, will not be lost on exco members. Nor will the fact that the event is uniquely being staged in 12 cities across the Continent, with all the potential travel and policing complications that could throw up.
The concept of a pan-European competition was devised and trumpeted by former UEFA president Michel Platini to mark the tournament’s 60thanniversary. But his successor Aleksander Ceferin has long cast doubt on the wisdom, logistically, to hand the tournament to large swathes of Europe.
Having to consider the possible spread of what could become a pandemic will not have made Ceferin’s mood any better and he seems likely to be asked about how the tournament might be affected at a press conference following the UEFA congress on Tuesday.
The other intriguing issue ahead of what is likely to be a relatively low-key Congress lasting no more than two hours is whether Paris St Germain chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi will turn up for either that or the exco session the day before.
Last week the Swiss Attorney General issued an indictment against Al-Khelaifi who is one of the European Clubs Association’s two nominated UEFA exco members.
Whether Al-Khelaifi can continue to take up his seat has not yet been clarified by UEFA but it could arguably be viewed as a conflict of interest given the Swiss indictment against the Qatari which covers the award of media rights to various World Cup and FIFA Confederations Cup tournaments to BeIN, and also involves former FIFA secretary general Jerôme Valcke – charged with “aggravated criminal mismanagement” – and sports rights broker Dinos Deris from Greece.
Only recently UEFA was placed in an awkward situation by losing John Delaney who was forced to resign as an exco member after being embroiled in a financial scandal in his native Ireland. Al-Khelaifi insists he has done nothing wrong but drawing attention to himself may not be the wisest move with a healthy media presence due in Amsterdam.
Insideworldfootball got nowhere when trying to discover if he would be there, with UEFA and the ECA both indicating it was up to the other to say or not.
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