UEFA says no change yet in timetable of EURO 2020

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ANKARA (AA) - Currently, there is no need to change anything in the planned timetable of the EURO 2020 competition, said UEFA, European football's governing body, as the deadly coronavirus continues to spread across Europe.

"EURO 2020 will kick off on 12th June 2020 in Rome. For the moment, there is no need to change anything in the planned timetable. The issue will be kept under constant scrutiny," the organization said to Anadolu Agency in an e-mail response.

"UEFA takes the situation linked to the coronavirus very seriously and we are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with the World Health Organisation and national authorities regarding the Coronavirus and its development," UEFA said to Anadolu Agency in an e-mail.

The EURO 2020 finals will take place between June 12 and July 12 in 12 different countries across Europe and Azerbaijan for the first time in the tournament's history.

The opening match of EURO 2020 will be held between Turkey and Italy at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.

Italy has become the worst-hit country in Europe by the coronavirus outbreak, with the death toll in the country rose to 194 and there are a total of 7,375 confirmed cases.

The Italian football federation has recently decided that the first division, Serie A, matches will be played without fans until April 3.

UEFA previously announced that two matches in UEFA organizations, Valencia vs. Atalanta (the Champions League Round of 16's second leg match) and Inter vs. Getafe (the Europa League Round of 16 first leg match), will take place behind closed doors due to the threat of the coronavirus outbreak.

The novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, infected more than 110,000 people across the world, according to a data-collecting website “Worldometer”.

The death toll has risen to 3,831 across the world, including 3,120 in China, where the virus outbreak first emerged from the city of Wuhan in last December.

Outside of China, the virus has killed many others, including 366 in Italy, 194 in Iran, 53 in South Korea and 22 in the U.S.