You're reading: Ukraine submits bid to stage Euro 2020 games

The Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU) has submitted a bid to UEFA to host some Euro 2020 games, in which the Olympiysky National Sports Complex bids for hosting the semifinals and final of the tournament and the Donbass Arena group matches and a round of 16 game. 

“Given the regulations of this tournament and the infrastructure required for holding the games, we deemed it necessary to submit two stadiums – Olympiysky Stadium and Donbass Arena. We submitted the Donbass Arena under the so-called ‘standard’ package (stadiums with a capacity of over 50,000 spectators) and the Olympiysky under the package for semifinals and final (stadiums with a capacity of over 70,000 spectators),” FFU President Anatoliy Konkov told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.

“Given that the Olympiysky successfully hosted Euro 2012 matches, including the final, and received high praise from senior UEFA and FIFA officials, and given that Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine, we decided to submit this stadium as a venue for semifinals and final of Euro 2020,” he said.

Konkov noted that the Donbass Arena had also successfully coped with Euro 2012 matches and had been recognized by UEFA representatives and foreign journalists as one of the best stadiums in Europe.

The Euro 2020 European Football Championship will be staged in 13 major cities throughout Europe. Such a decision was taken by the UEFA Executive Committee in Lausanne on December 6, 2012.

The matches will be split into 13 different packages, with 12 ordinary packages including three group matches and one knockout round (round of 16 or quarter-final), and one package for the semifinals and the final.

There will only be a maximum of one venue per country, meaning one stadium for each of the available 13 packages. Both semifinals and the final will be played in one stadium.

Each association will be allowed to present up to two bids, one for the ordinary package and one for the semifinals/final package. Each national association can decide to present the same city for these two bids or two different cities.

Projected stadiums will be admitted in the bidding process, with a deadline of 2016 for the construction of any new stadium to start, failing which the decision on such a host city could be reviewed. The required minimum net stadiums capacities should be 70,000 for semifinals/final, 60,000 for quarter-finals, 50,000 for round of 16 and group matches, and up to two exceptions would be made for stadiums of a net minimum capacity of 30,000 seats, limited to group fixtures and a round of 16 game.

In September 2013, candidates will have to formally confirm their bids. In April-May 2014, candidates will submit their bid dossiers, and the evaluation phase will start. In September 2014, the UEFA Executive Committee will appoint the host cities.