Tag: Euro 2020

UEFA’s national team’s committee has recommended that squad sizes for teams competing at this summer’s Euro 2020 be increased to 26.

Normally squad sizes for the European Championship would be 23 but the expansion looks set to get the go-ahead due to pressures on players caused by condensed seasons amid the pandemic.

England manager Gareth Southgate has been in attendance at Premier League games, watching players close-up, throughout the season but speaking last month he expressed his opposition to proposals that larger squads would be allowed.

“I know there is some discussion about perhaps an extended number in the squad. I am not certain I’m behind that,” said Southgate.

“Covid could play a part but there is a skill to picking 23 and it means you’ve got to make good decisions and important decisions.

“Some of that can be lost as you get an extended group so let’s see how that develops but I’m not 100 per cent for that, I have to say.”

All of the clubs around Europe had a shortened pre-season while they have had to fit as many games into a shortened amount of time.

The UEFA national team’s competitions committee met on Monday to discuss the squad expansion proposals and their decision still needs to be approved by the governing body’s executive committee.

As well as having a larger squad to choose from, national team bosses will also be permitted to make five substitutions during a match rather than the standard three.

The tournament will begin on 11 June but as was confirmed last week, the four matches due to take place in Dublin have been moved after the Irish government failed to give guarantees over fan attendance numbers.

The matches that were due to take place in Dublin have been moved to St Petersburg and London.

Teams will be able to make five substitutions at Euro 2020 after approval was given by UEFA’s executive committee on Wednesday.

The measures, designed to help balance player workload in a season compressed by the coronavirus pandemic, will also apply for the UEFA Nations League finals and relegation play-offs, UEFA said.

The ruling committee of European football’s governing body has also approved the lifting of the 30 per cent capacity limit on venues hosting UEFA matches.

Capacity limits will now be determined by the relevant local authority, UEFA said.

However, the decision to bar visiting spectators taken in October last year was extended until prior to the UEFA club competition finals in May.

The committee had been expected to approve a new, expanded Champions League format to come into effect in 2024 at Wednesday’s meeting, but said on Tuesday that a “final decision” would instead be taken at the next ExCo meeting on April 19.

UEFA said the new timeframe had been unanimously approved by the committee, which includes members from the European Club Association and European Leagues representative bodies.

UEFA has not commented publicly on the reason for the delay in approving the new format, but the PA news agency understands clubs are seeking greater commercial control of the Champions League.