Delayed Euro 2020 finally set for kickoff

Paris – Euro 2020 will finally get underway on Friday — a year behind schedule — with COVID-19 set to cast a shadow over the tournament.

The continental event, first envisioned by then-UEFA president Michel Platini when he announced the tournament would be held across Europe, will be played in front of limited crowds and with strict health restrictions in place.

The action kicks off at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, where Italy takes on Turkey in front of 16,000 fans.

Spain’s preparations for the month-long tournament have been hindered after two players, Sergio Busquets and Diego Llorente, tested positive for the virus, although Llorente tested negative on Thursday.

The team even had to name a “parallel” squad of 17 reserve players, due to the possibility of a wider outbreak in the official 26-man squad.

Although Busquets, the captain, still has the virus, Llorente’s test result will allay fears that the first-choice side might have to miss Spain’s opening game against Sweden in Seville on Monday.

Two Swedish players — forward Dejan Kulusevski and midfielder Mattias Svanberg — have also tested positive for the virus. Sweden has six reserve players called up on stand-by.

Despite the ongoing threat, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has been bullish, insisting Euro 2020 will be safe.

“It will be the perfect opportunity to show the world that Europe is adapting,” he said. “Europe is alive and celebrating life. Europe is back.”

The clearest illustration of that is set to come from Budapest, where it is hoped the new Puskas Arena will be packed to capacity.

But the majority of the 11 venues, all in different countries, will only be partially-filled for matches, although Denmark on Thursday announced it would lift rules requiring mask and allow 25,000 fans, instead of 16,000, to attend games in Copenhagen.

Munich aims to host a minimum of 14,500 fans — around 22% of Allianz Arena’s capacity — the lowest of the stadiums being used.

Dublin and Bilbao were dropped from the list of hosts after being unable to provide guarantees they could meet UEFA’s requirement of accommodating limited numbers of spectators, but Seville stepped in for Bilbao while Dublin’s games went to London and Saint-Petersburg.

On the pitch, France will start the tournament as the favorite despite being one of the few traditional powers to not have any games at home. The world champions’ first match is in Munich against Germany on Tuesday.

All eyes will be on 33-year-old forward Karim Benzema, who was recalled after an international exile of 5½ years following a prolific season for Real Madrid.

Defending champion Portugal, with a star-studded squad led by Cristiano Ronaldo, and Hungary complete a tough-looking Group F.

The other likely contenders among the 24 nations include Belgium, which is sweating over the fitness of Kevin De Bruyne after he suffered facial injuries in the recent Champions League final, and the usual suspects Spain and Italy.

In England, there are hopes Gareth Southgate’s young side could take advantage of playing most of their games at Wembley.

England has never reached a European Championship final, but captain Harry Kane believes the team will start its bid in a “better place” than it was in before reaching the 2018 World Cup semifinals.

UEFA has also demanded that Ukraine make changes to its jersey after Russia complained.

European soccer’s governing body said the message “Glory to the Heroes,” a rallying cry during the 2014 anti-Russia protests in Ukraine that is featured inside the shirt, was “clearly political in nature” and must be removed.

However, the Ukrainian soccer association said it was in talks with UEFA to reverse its decision.

The association said that “earlier UEFA had approved the new kit and every element of it, including the slogan.”

The build-up to the tournament has also seen controversy over the anti-racism gesture of taking a knee, which many teams have said they will continue to do before games.

England’s players were booed by some of their own supporters for kneeling in their warm-up matches, while Croatia said on Thursday its players would not be asked to make the gesture and Scotland said its team would stand.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he agreed with supporters booing players for the anti-racism protest.