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Italy's bid to host Euro 2032 backed by government

By: Wanted in Rome

Date:

09 Nov, 2022

Italy's bid to host Euro 2032 gets support of sports minister.

The Italian government’s new sports minister Andrea Abodi has written to European soccer's governing body UEFA in support of Italy’s bid to host the 2032 Euro Championship.

Confirming that the major European football tournament is considered an event of "public interest and national relevance", Abodi said that “sustainable, long-term development of Italian sports venues represents one of the government’s priorities."

Italy's bid for Euro 2032 represents "a fundamental factor in accelerating this development process", Abodi said in a statement released by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Monday.

The letter from Abodi, a former president of Serie B, will be included in a preliminary bid dossier on its way to UEFA which requires a statement of support from the government.

EURO 2032: Abodi firma la lettera d’impegno per l’organizzazione in Italia https://t.co/5OB4HJNRhb pic.twitter.com/Vj6oD4BOco
— FIGC (@FIGC) November 7, 2022

Final bid dossiers are due in March, with the host to be appointed by UEFA in September 2023.

FIGC president Gabriele Gravina said the government's support for the bid was "great news for Italy," describing the hosting of Euro 2032 as "a unique opportunity in terms of involvement and economic impact and will also be an extraordinary catalyst for the renovation of top-level sports facilities."

The FIGC said that hosting Euro 2032 would offer the chance to modernise the nation’s stadiums, some of which have not been updated since the 1990 World Cup, the last major soccer tournament hosted by Italy alone.

Italy won the Euro championship as host nation in 1968 and also organised Euro 1980, won by West Germany, as well as four games of Euro 2020 which the Italians won after defeating England.