Wembley to Raise Capacity to Over 60,000 for Euro 2020 Semi-finals and Final
More than 60,000 fans will get to watch both the semi-finals and final of Euro 2020 from inside Wembley after the UK government announced that it would allow the stadium to operate at 75% capacity for the games. This will be the largest gathering of people in the UK in the last 15 months.
“It is great news that so many fans will be able to watch the final three matches of Euro 2020 at Wembley,” said Aleksander Ceferin, president of UEFA.
The UK government delayed the lifting of all COVID-19 restrictions to July 19. However, the Euro 2020 games, the Wimbledon finals, and The Open were allowed to accommodate larger crowds in accordance with recommendations from the Events Research Programme.
Currently, Wembley’s capacity is at 22,500 for the Euro 2020 group stage. For the first two games of the knockout stage, it’s set to increase to 45,000, which is roughly half its total capacity. The semi-finals are slated for July 6 and July 7, and the final for July 11.
Italy’s Premier Mario Draghi tried to get the final moved from England due to a rise in COVID-19 cases. Additionally, there was talk about moving the semi-finals to Budapest if VIPs weren’t exempt from standing quarantine rules.
But UEFA stated that it didn’t have any plans to change the venue, and the organisation’s president Aleksander Ceferin thanked the British government for its efforts.
“This tournament has been a beacon of hope to reassure people that we are returning to a more normal way of life, and this is a further step along that road. I am grateful to the prime minister and the UK government for their hard work in finalizing these arrangements with us to make the tournament final stages a great success in Wembley,” said Ceferin.
In order to attend these matches at Wembley, fans need to follow strict guidelines. These include proof of vaccination with two doses at least 14 days before the game or a negative COVID-19 test for the unvaccinated.
“As we continue to make progress on our roadmap out of lockdown, keeping the public safe remains our top priority. We have worked extremely closely with UEFA and the Football Association to ensure rigorous and tight public health measures are in place whilst allowing more fans to see the action live,” said Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport.
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