After hosting matches at the 2006 World Cup and staging the 2012 Champions League final, the Allianz Arena could again provide the focus for the global footballing world in 2020, as the German FA (DFB) announced on Friday it is to propose Bayern's home ground as a venue for the European championship in seven years’ time.
“We’re delighted to win the nomination, and we're thankful for the trust placed in us," commented Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Germany's biggest club joined forces with Munich city authorities and the state of Bavaria to bid for EURO 2020 hosting rights and has successfully beaten off the challenge of the second bidder, Berlin Olympic Stadium. “At the 2006 World Cup and the Champions League final in 2012, we demonstrated that the combination of the Allianz Arena and Bavarian hospitality satisfies the highest requirements," continued Rummenigge, “we can again guarantee that football fans and UEFA will feel more than merely at home in Munich in 2020."
EURO 2020 will be the first European championship not hosted by a single country or two joint hosts. Instead, the tournament will be staged across the continent in 13 cities from 13 countries. The Allianz Arena could host either three group matches and one Round of 16 or quarter-final tie, or could stage the so-called Final Week, featuring both semi-finals and the final. The Arena has been put forward for both options. The final hosting decisions will be announced by UEFA in September 2014.
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