Skip to content

Euro 2020: FA chairman happy after Wembley awarded tournament finale

Image: Greg Dyke: Delighted to host Euro 2020 final at Wembley

FA chairman Greg Dyke says it will be a 'great honour' for Wembley to host the semi-finals and final of the 2020 European Championships.

UEFA awarded the prestigious matches to the London venue, which last hosted the final of the tournament in 1996.

Speaking in Geneva after the announcement, Dyke said: "It will be a great honour to be part of what will surely be a superb celebration of 60 years of the UEFA European Championship.

"This bidding process was open to more than 50 UEFA countries so for Wembley to be ultimately recognised in this way is testament to a lot of hard work behind the scenes.

"It's nice to win one. Wembley is a great stadium and we are delighted to be hosting the finals of this tournament. Wembley has been completely rebuilt since 1996 and it's now a beautiful stadium.    

I would like to say what a good idea this is when you sit and watch all these capital cities across Europe, what a good idea to play a tournament across all those, so congratulations to UEFA.
Greg Dyke

"I would also like to say what a good idea this is when you sit and watch all these capital cities across Europe, what a good idea to play a tournament across all those, so congratulations to UEFA."

Wembley won the rights to the three fixtures after its only other challenger – Munich’s Allianz Arena – was withdrawn by the German FA at the 11th hour.

UEFA president Michel Platini, who made the announcement on Friday, said:  "I know the party side of London, the way the English welcome people. Wembley will doubtless live up to the responsibility."

The Scottish Football Association also had a successful morning in Switzerland, winning the right to host one Round of 16 tie and three group games by just one vote at the expense of Wales' Millennium Stadium.

Chief executive Stewart Regan believes the backing of Sir Alex Ferguson and the success of the Commonwealth Games were key ingredients in their bid.

He said: "Everyone saw what Glasgow was capable of with the Commonwealth Games, and that really put Glasgow on the map. It was a huge factor and we used that in our film.

"Sir Alex Ferguson came in last week with a video in support of our bid and spoke passionately about it, and I am sure that must have helped.

"We knew we had a strong bid. We focused on the fact this is the 60th anniversary and we focused on the history and heritage of football.

“We knew Michel Platini was a football man and that's what we played strongest on and that's why we used Alex Ferguson.

"It was football that has won the day. This is a tournament about 60 years of European football, we have had some of the most famous matches in European football at Hampden Park and we played heavily on that in our video and in our submission."

And FAI counterpart John Delaney was equally delighted after Dublin's Aviva Stadium was awarded the same package as Hampden.

Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ he said: "This is one of the proudest moments, as an Irishman, that you could have.

"We're a small country and to be given the honour to host three group games and one in the round of 16 in the European Championships is something that we are very, very proud of. 

"It was a national bid, supported by all the different agencies including Dublin City Council. It's not just the Football Association that achieved this, it's been done through a collective effort of a range of teams and it's a really, really wonderful day."

Chief executive of the Welsh FA (FAW) Jonathan Ford told Sky Sports News HQ: "We're obviously disappointed. Technically our bid was fantastic. But unfortunately we weren't selected on the day. But Welsh football is going extremely well and we have some major things to look forward to."

Around Sky