UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is clearly not keen on repeating the system of the ongoing European Championship and the way it was held.The idea to stage what should have been the EURO 60th anniversary all over Europe is credited to Ceferin’s predecessor Michel Platini, with the decision confirmed in December 2012.Slovenian says he would not back holding the Euros across the continent again.“I would not support it any more. I think it’s too challenging. It’s in a way not correct that some teams have to travel more than 10,000 kilometres and the others 1,000 for example.”It’s not fair to the fans. Some fans had to be in Rome and the next day or in a couple of days they had to be in Baku, a four and a half hour flight.” he told the BBC’s Sports Desk podcast.“So it’s a difficult one, it’s an interesting idea but hard to implement and I don’t think we will do it again.”Owned and haunted by own goalsGermany will host EURO 2024.Ceferin was pressed by the Scottish public as the tournament has been linked with an increase in Covid-19 cases, but UEFA president insisted no one had shown him any definitive proof of that. Glasgow held one part of the tournament, between June 11 and 28, and during that time figures published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) last month showed 1,991 residents who later had a laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 diagnosis.Germany’s interior minister Horst Seehofer also said it was “irresponsible” to allow more than 40,000 fans into Wembley for his country’s last-16 match against England. The semi-final between England and Denmark was attended by well over 60,000 people.“When I see some politicians saying that people were infected at the matches, without any proof for that, it disappoints me a bit although I’m used to many things with politicians these days.” Ceferin said in relation to such statements.The supermarket-owning referee has $16 million and is most certainly not for sale“I didn’t see any proof that there’s a link. For example, some said 2,000 Scottish fans were infected.”“Some Scottish fans went to the match – those were tested, and around 20,000 came to London without tickets and you are not tested when you go to a pub, you are not tested when you go anywhere else, and to simplistically just accuse football or governments of spreading the virus is irresponsible in my opinion.”There was also controversy regarding the Munich’s Allianz Arena and it being lit up in rainbow colours for the Euro match between Germany and Hungary. Ceferin defended UEFA’s decision to decline a request for such action. This specific move was seen as discriminatory towards the LGBTQ+ community in Hungary.“I don’t see any controversy,” the Slovenian said. “My personal opinion on human rights and diversity, and the opinion of UEFA, is clear. Our Equal Game campaign is clear.“There was a request to light the stadium in the rainbow colours as a protest against a government of a country in Europe and against a parliament of a country in Europe.How was that a penalty?! The Danes can’t accept the manner of their semi-final exit at the hands of England”UEFA is an organisation where, by statutes, we cannot engage into politics. We cannot protest against governments – any government. We will not be dragged into any political fight.”“We will not allow, I will not allow, that UEFA will be a tool in the hands of a politician. But our position is clear, and we showed it many times and we will show it in the future even more.”Majority of football fans and viewers so little to no sense in having the competition held all across the continent…and even a bit beyond it (Baku, Azerbaijan). Situation with Covid19 only made it more difficult for the organizers to keep everything in order.Final is at Wembley on Sunday evening where England and Italy will clash and try to win the continental trophy.
