Munich candidate for Euro 2020
August 30, 2013
Friday's announcement came from the German Football Association (DFB) headquarters in Frankfurt.
"It wasn't an easy decision for us because we had two strong candidates in Munich and Berlin that have already proved they can handle big events," said DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach. "We're sure that we have a good chance for a part of the Euro 2020 with Munich as a host city."
Normally, European Championships are held in multiple cities in one or a pair of host countries (such as Poland and Ukraine in 2012, Austria and Switzerland in 2008, or Portugal in 2004).
To mark what will be the 60th anniversary of the European Championship tournament in 2020, the governing body of European football (UEFA) decided to hold Euro 2020 across the entire continent, with matches in 13 cities in 13 different European countries.
The final selection of the 13 cities will take place in September 2014. In Munich, games would take place at Allianz Arena, the home of Bundesliga club Bayern Munich.
In 2012, Allianz Arena hosted the final of the Champions League. One semi-final of the 2006 World Cup was also held there. Some matches of the Euro 1988 and the final of the 1974 World Cup (won by West Germany) were also held in Munich, but at the city's Olympic Stadium. Allianz Arena was completed in 2005.
If Munich is selected to take part in the Euro 2020, it can bid for two packages. The first would involve three group stage matches and one match from the quarter-finals or the round of 16. The other option would be to host the semi-finals and the final. The second contingent is seen to be dependent on whether Istanbul receives its bid for the 2020 Olympics. Observers believe UEFA would give the Turkish city the final and semi-finals if Istanbul misses out on the Olympics.
mz/hc (dpa, sid)