The fans of the German national soccer team can look forward to European home games in Munich in 2021.
On Wednesday, the Munich city council approved a proposal by the sports department to maintain the four matches in the Allianz Arena, even after the EURO was relocated by twelve months.
The DFB selection is to play their group games against world champion France, defending champion Portugal and a play-off winner in the Bavarian capital at the tournament (June 11 to July 11, 2021). A quarter-finals will also be played in Munich. All tickets remain valid. Fans who want to return their tickets can do so.
Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) welcomed the decision. “The European Championship brings with it a lot of positive impulses for our city and the urban society. Right now we need a view of such events,” he said.
Koch: “Certainly not an easy decision”
“It was certainly not an easy decision,” said DFB Vice President Rainer Koch, “so it was important and right to take the time it takes to get a well-founded vote.” The Bavarian Football Association, which Koch presides over, is “very grateful to Munich that she will also be part of the EURO 2021. Munich is a cosmopolitan city and has repeatedly proven to be the perfect host.”
The European Football Championship 2020 – that was once. Last Tuesday, UEFA confirmed the postponement to the summer of 2021 due to the corona pandemic across the continent
Many players who could not have taken part in the EURO 2020 due to an injury probably took the decision with goodwill, others didn’t like it at all
SPORT1 shows the winners and losers of the EM postponement
WINNERS – GERMANY: Young star LEROY SANÉ from Manchster City contracted a cruciate ligament in August 2019. After a seven-month mandatory break, he made his comeback with the second team of Citizens in February. The shift means he has more time to fully recover from the serious injury and get fit
This also applies to NIKLAS SÜLE. The Bayern central defender suffered a cruciate ligament rupture last October. His goal was to be able to help the DFB team in top form at the EURO 2020. By 2021, he should now be able to do that without a doubt
FRANCE: ANTOINE GRIEZMANN was mostly in the long shadow of Lionel Messi in his first season at FC Barcelona, he never seemed really happy. An unsatisfied superstar with little self-confidence, the Équipe Tricolore would have been bad
The world champion would have had to do without important players or fear. OUSMANE DEMBÉlÉ (picture) would certainly have failed, Bayern Munich’s KINGSLEY COMAN had a season with numerous injuries. The shift will certainly suit you
SWEDEN: EMIL FORSBERG mostly played only the reservist role at RB Leipzig and would have gone into the EM 2020 with little practice
The season went all the better for ALEXANDER ISAK. The former Dortmund flourished in San Sebastian and scored 14 goals across all competitions. The EM could have been his final breakthrough. But he is still very young at 20 and will have even more experience in 2021
TURKEY: For MERIH DEMIRAL (picture) and CENK TOSUN, the EM 2020 would not have been an issue because of the severe knee injuries suffered this year. National coach Senol Günes should have missed two of his best players
ITALY: AS Rom’s 20 year old NICOLO ZANIOLO is considered the new Francesco Totti. A torn cruciate ligament made EM participation almost impossible. Now, one year late, he can look forward to his first major international tournament
Goalkeeper GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA (photo / 21 years) and SANDRO TONALI (19) are also part of the team of national coach Roberto Mancini to the very young guard. A year of experience will surely do you good to help you realize the dream of Italy’s first European Championship title since 1968
SWITZERLAND: XHERDAN SHAQIRI had hardly any opportunities to gain practical experience this season. The former FC Bayern player made ten appearances at Liverpool FC. By changing the club, he could again recommend himself to the national team
SPAIN: KEPA ARRIZABALAGA had a season to forget at Chelsea FC. Coach Frank Lampard even put the most expensive goalkeeper in history on the bench. Not a good omen for a regular place in the national team. The shift can only help him get better in shape and become number one again
ALVARO MORATA from Atletico Madrid was also in a form crisis for a long time. The same applies to him: New season – new happiness. He also has the chance to recommend himself to the national team with good performances
BELGIUM: EDEN HAZARD broke his right fibula at the end of February. The 100 millionth man serving Real Madrid would almost certainly have missed the European Championship finals
NETHERLANDS: MATHIJS DE LIGT had a tough season after moving from Ajax Amsterdam to Juventus Turin, often just sitting on the bench. With another season at the top Italian club he can stabilize again – which will also help the “Elftal” at the European Championship 2021
MEMPHIS DEPAY was one of the best Oranje players in the European Championship qualification. The final round itself would have ended without the star of Olympique Lyon after a cruciate ligament tear. The 26-year-old outside player therefore sees the shift more with a laughing eye
For the youngsters in the team of the Netherlands such as FRENKIE DE JONG (picture / 22), DONNY VAN DE BEEK (22) and DONYELL MALEN, the postponement is not a breakthrough. The trio will be all the more experienced in the coming year
ENGLAND: MARCUS RASHFORD (right) and HARRY KANE would have jumped on the EM train after long injuries. But in what physical condition? Next year, hopes for fit strings are naturally higher
LOSER – GERMANY: TIMO WERNER (picture) and SERGE GNABRY were in top form not only in the Bundesliga but also in the national team. Gnabry scored seven goals in qualifying. You would have driven to the EM with a lot of confidence now – what will it be like in 2021?
MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN will also be number two behind Manuel Neuer at the European Championship 2021. Before a major event, national coach Löw will not make any changes to the goalkeeper’s important position. For ter Stegen you have to wait another year
With KAI HAVERTZ (picture), SUAT SERDAR and NADIEM AMIRI, three young players had good chances in Joachim Löw’s European Championship squad. Of course, they could even take the next step by 2021, but by then Serdar or Amiri in particular could have missed the opportunity
National coach Löw recently gave MATS HUMMELS and THOMAS MÜLLER due to their strong performance in the club chances for a DFB comeback to EM 2020. This will not happen now. With more time for the change, they should hardly be an option in 2021
ITALY: He hits and hits and hits! CIRO IMMOBILE scored 27 goals in 26 games for Lazio in Serie A. In the Squadra Azzura, the ex-Dortmund is set in a storm. However, like everyone else, he will have to prove himself before the EM 2021
Italy without LEONARDO BONUCCI (l.) And GIORGIO CHIELLINI? At the EM 2021, a very conceivable scenario. Bonucci would then be 33 years old, Chiellini 36. It is quite possible that national coach Mancini will give the youth a chance
SWITZERLAND: STEPHAN LICHTSTEINER from FC Augsburg has 108 international matches. The EM 2020 would have been a worthy farewell to the “Nati” for him. Last but not least, Lichtsteiner did not count among Vladimir Petkovic’s permanent staff. In 2021, the then 37-year-old will probably not count among his squad
ENGLAND: At just 19 years old, JADON SANCHO has already made eleven caps – also because of his strong games in the shirt of BVB. At the European Championship 2020, his first big tournament, there would have been a place in the starting XI. That can change, of course, by 2021 – especially in the English team lined with many young players
CROATIA: IVAN RAKITIC (left) and LUKA MODRIC impressively shaped the game of the past few years at the Vice World Champion. That should also be the case in 2020. But the ravages of time are also gnawing at the two stars. 2021 would be Rakitic 33, Modric 35. Is that still enough for top performance? IVAN PERISIC will have to answer this question from FC Bayern next year, who will then be 32 years old
POLAND: ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI plays the best season of his life at the age of 31. For FC Bayern, he scored 39 goals in 33 games. With this top form, he could have been one of the big stars at the EM 2020
To collect practice before the European Championship, KRZYSTOF PIATEK switched from AC Milan to Hertha BSC at the end of January. Who knows if Piatek would have switched to the Bundesliga at all? For this reason at least, the change has not paid off for the Pole
SWEDEN: ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC announced that his national team career was over in 2016, but with a charismatic player like him you never know if he will change his mind again before a big tournament. In 2021, at the age of 40, he will be too old to make a comeback
SPAIN: Record national players, world champions 2010 and European champions 2008 and 2012 – SERGIO RAMOS has already achieved everything with the national team. The European Championship 2020 could have been the last big tournament for the star of Real Madrid. It is questionable whether he will start again next year at the age of 35
JUAN BERNAT has returned to the national team after strong performances at Paris Saint-Germain. The wages for this, the EM 2020, are now missing. He has to make a new attempt next year
FRANCE: OLIVIER GIROUD has played 97 caps so far. Can he fill the 100? He would have been there for the EURO 2020. At the European Championship 2021 he would be almost 35 – too old for national coach Didier Deschamps?
35/35 SLIDES
It is by no means certain that the EM will also take place in the same twelve cities in 2021 as planned for this year. “Now all cities have to renew their promise that they want to continue playing. Otherwise, something would have to be changed,” said German EM Ambassador Philipp Lahm recently: “The stadium operators must also continue to be there.” That is the case in Munich.
The European Football Union (UEFA) had announced that it wanted to hold on to London in all twelve cities for the final venue. The semi-finals of the tournament postponed due to the corona crisis are also planned in the British metropolis. Despite the transfer, which according to President Aleksander Ceferin costs UEFA “hundreds of millions of euros”, the final tournament will continue to operate under “EURO 2020” in 2021.
