Euro 2020 Delayed Until 2021: Who could lose out?

As surely every football fan knows by now, Euro 2020 has been postponed until 2021, due to the global coronavirus outbreak. The 24-team championship tournament, which was to mark the UEFA’s 60th anniversary, will now happen from June 11 to July 11 next year. Although everyone agrees the cancellation was the right step to take, it does mean various individuals and organisations could lose out.

Players Who Are Getting Old

Some of the greatest footballers in the world are approaching the age where retirement is on the horizon. So, will these star players still be in prime condition for the Euro tournament now that it’s been postponed for a year? 36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo springs to mind. Even though he keeps himself in excellent condition, his performance next year may not be quite up to his stunning goalscoring record with Juventus this season. Luka Modric is another player who could be past his prime by next year. He was integral in taking Croatia to the final of the last World Cup. But at only seven months younger than Ronaldo, Modric’s legs might not be up to the challenge.

If you can’t wait until next year for the Euro action to start, you can always enjoy the thrill of the tournament by playing the UEFA European Football Championship series of video games. There are plenty of other great football games you can play too, such as the FIFA and Football Manager series. You can even find footie slot games like Football: Champions Cup in which you can lead your team to victory against other countries in the Euro 2016 play-offs. Casumo has a great selection of games to play, including Football: Champions Cup.

Belgium’s Golden Generation

Age could also affect players from the Belgium team. Euro 2020 was looking like the country’s last hope for its so-called golden generation of players to win a trophy. Maybe it’s not the end of the world that Euro 2020 has been delayed by a year. But various Belgian players may struggle to maintain their top performances one-year-on. Eden Hazard will be 30 by the time the tournament happens, and both Axel Witsel and Toby Alderweireld will be 32. As for Jan Vertonghen, he will have reached the grand old age of 34. Even younger stars like Thorgan Hazard and Romelu Lukaku will be 28 by the time the rescheduled competition takes place. It will be interesting to see just how different next year’s squads look to this season, for all competing teams.

Åge Hareide

The current manager of Denmark Åge Hareide is a respected name in the game of football. As a footballer, he played for Manchester City, Norwich City, and the Norwegian teams Molde and Hødd. Hareide was capped 50 times playing for his home country of Norway. As a coach, he won league titles for every Scandinavian country. He was also the manager of Norway’s national team from 2003 to 2008. The veteran was due to bow out from the game gracefully this year at Euro 2020. But he will now be retiring without that one last championship fight. It is unfortunate that such a great man’s career should end that way. But Åge Hareide is still making a dignified exit from the game.

The Football Association of Ireland

The Football Association of Ireland has experienced various financial problems over the last year and has even been subject to an official inquiry. So, the postponement of significant games at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium has come at exactly the wrong time for the FAI. Furthermore, the debt-ridden organisation has to wait now to find out whether Mick McCarthy’s team can earn a windfall via qualifying through play-offs. Though, the play-offs could yet be cancelled.

Women’s European Championship 2022?

The Women’s European Championship is due to take place in 2021. But with Euro 2020 now becoming Euro 2021, it is likely that the women’s tournament will also be postponed for a year. It remains possible that the Women’s European Championship could go ahead back-to-back or concurrent with the men’s tournament. But it would be logistically challenging for many reasons. It would make much more sense for the competition to be delayed until 2022.