Organizers of UEFA Euro Cup matches in Russia’s St. Petersburg approve plans for

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. The Supervisory Council of the Russian Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the UEFA Euro Cup matches in St. Petersburg approved on Tuesday a plan of actions for the year of 2021.

“The Council, chaired by Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin, has approved the organizing committee’s results in the outgoing year of 2020 and the plan of actions for the year of 2021,” the LOC press office said in a statement.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced on March 17 a decision to postpone the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup for exactly one year as a preventive measure against the ongoing global spread of the novel coronavirus.

The championship was rescheduled to be held between June 11 and July 11, 2021. Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg is among 12 cities in Europe to host the European championship’s matches.

“This plan envisages in particular the work on the organization of Fan Zones on Palace Square and Konyushennaya Square; public areas to watch matches in cities, which are not hosting the tournament; the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final, all events aimed at promoting the Euro Cup, matches of the [UEFA] Euro Cup in St. Petersburg and Moscow; the program of volunteers, as well as the development of infrastructure in the spheres of security, transportation, communications and information technologies,” the statement reads.

Commenting on the Local Organizing Committee’s performance in the outgoing year, Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said: “This year was complicated, but under all circumstances the team of the Organizing Committee managed to swiftly adjust without losing its tempo to greatly contribute to the organization of the [UEFA] Euro Cup matches.”

“The Russian Government and the Russian Sports Ministry are always ready to extend the required support for the Local Organizing Committee,” Matytsin added.

Alexei Sorokin, the head of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Russia-2020, said in turn: “The Local Organizing Committee managed to preserve its high-alert readiness and positive attitude despite difficulties of this year.”

Anniversary UEFA Euro Cup

A decision to hold the 2020 Euro Cup, which celebrated its 60th anniversary this year, in various European countries instead of in one or two hosting countries was made at the UEFA Executive Committee’s meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on December 6, 2012.

The matches of the 2020 Euro Cup were initially scheduled to be held at stadiums in 12 different cities across Europe, namely in London (England), Munich (Germany), Rome (Italy), Baku (Azerbaijan), St. Petersburg (Russia), Bucharest (Romania), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Dublin (Ireland), Bilbao (Spain), Budapest (Hungary), Glasgow (Scotland) and Copenhagen (Denmark).

St. Petersburg was granted the right to host three group stage matches and one of the quarterfinals of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup. The newly built football arena in St. Petersburg hosted the opening and final matches…