Russia expresses willingness to host Euro 2032
Russia’s football chief has made a striking declaration about stepping in to host Euro 2032, even though the nation remains excluded from international competitions following its 2022 Ukraine invasion, reports BritPanorama.
Alexander Dyukov, who heads the Russian Football Union, insisted his country stands “always ready” to take over hosting duties should Italy struggle to fulfill its commitments for the tournament.
This bold statement followed Russia’s recent match against Bolivia, with Dyukov conveying Russia’s confidence despite FIFA and UEFA maintaining their ban on Russian participation in official competitions that has been in place since 2022.
Russia’s application for Euro 2032 was submitted back in 2022, though there has been no fresh bid since then. Nevertheless, officials assert that the uncertainty surrounding Italy’s stadiums may make Russia a viable alternative.
Despite its ban from UEFA and FIFA competitions, Russia has continued to play friendlies against nations such as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and participated in the Central Asian Football Association events in 2023.
The comments come amid Italy’s ongoing stadium infrastructure crisis, which has drawn criticism from UEFA’s top brass. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin did not mince his words, describing Italian stadiums as being in a “comatose state” and stating that Italy possesses “by far the worst infrastructure” among Europe’s major footballing nations.
The criticism focuses on Italy’s ageing facilities, where iconic venues like San Siro in Milan and Rome’s Stadio Olimpico require significant modernisation work. Notably, San Siro is expected to be demolished and replaced with a new stadium by 2031, just before the Euros.
Only three stadiums in Italy—those located in Udine, Bergamo, and Turin—escaped Ceferin’s harsh assessment. These worries resonate with Ezio Simonelli, who leads Italy’s league governing body, as he expressed deep concerns about the host nation’s predicament during an interview with Italian state radio.
“I’m really worried about Euro 2032,” Simonelli remarked, questioning the viability of Italy’s candidacy amidst the current infrastructure challenges.
With just six new stadiums opened in Italy over the past 18 years—three serving Serie A clubs—the stark contrast to the rest of Europe, which has inaugurating 226 stadiums during the same timeframe, is evident. The tournament is scheduled to be jointly hosted by Italy and Turkey, with uncertainty persisting regarding the venues selected amid growing scrutiny.
In a world where infrastructure can dictate a nation’s capabilities, it appears the path to Euro 2032 will be anything but straightforward, with whispers of what could have been lingering like a shadow over the tournament preparations.
