Rome is set to remain one of the locations for the 2021 European Championship. The Italian Government has given its greenlight to have fans on the stands at the Olimpico Stadium, as demanded by UEFA. The Health Minister Roberto Speranza, who had the final say, sent his written consent to the Italian Football Association president Gabriele Gravina, Ansa reports.
The opening match between the Azzurri and Turkey on June 11th is poised be the first match in front of a large amount of supporters in Italy in over a year. UEFA chairman Aleksander Ceferin had threatened to exclude cities that would not comply to his request by tomorrow. A decision on the whole travelling competition is set to come by April 20th.
It is not known at this stage how many people will be let in. The Federation was hoping for 20k, but it could settle for 10k if necessary. The Olimpico has 70k seats. The technical-scientifical committee will now work on strict health and safety protocols to reduce the risk of COVID infection for the fans. The Italian Capital will host four matches. A dry run in the Coppa Italia Final is unlikely as the event was moved to the smaller Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia.
Gravina commented: “It is an excellent result for the whole country, not just for football, and I thank the Minister. In such a complex moment, Italy clearly confirmed its intention to be part of this great event and trusted the Federation. We will collaborate with the undersecretary Valentina Vezzali that is accompanying us in this journey. We will promptly forward this message to UEFA.”