Italy and Turkey have requested UEFA to co-host the 2032 European Championship, for which they are the only contenders. The two football federations have been competing in the bidding competition, which will be decided by members of UEFA’s executive committee on October 10.
By teaming up, UEFA could reduce the risk of committing to a solo host for a 51-game, 24-team tournament 9 years in advance.
Italy has to build and repair its ageing stadium inventory. Construction projects in Italy, such as replacing Milan’s historical San Siro stadium, can be notoriously bureaucratic and slow.
After two decades of President Recep Tayyip Erdoan’s political rule, Turkey has nearly finished a massive national construction project that included building stadiums and infrastructure.
Co-hosting without a competitive vote would be a pragmatic solution for Turkey after many unsuccessful bids over the past two decades and new concerns about its hosting ability after Manchester City fans s faced logistical challenges at the Champions League final last month in Istanbul.
UEFA stated it will now work with the two federations to make sure their joint bid fulfils all of the tournament’s requirements.
Turkey is also bidding to host the 2028 edition, which has long been expected to go to a joint bid by the four federations of the United Kingdom and Ireland.