Danish fans watched England win a tense extra-time tie against Germany yesterday and given their history with their southern neighbours, it’s a fair bet they’ll be rooting for the Lionesses. However, there is a sting in the story.
The postponement of Euro 2021 to July 2022 has given UEFA a smaller window than usual for the next edition in 2025, for which it will confirm the hosts in December.
And it is believed that the great success of the tournament in England may have a negative effect on the Nordic bid to host the championship.
The women’s game, with the 2023 World Cup following quickly next year, is on the rise and UEFA will want as much exposure as possible for the tournament.
Nordic bid will fight to match the attendance record
Denmark has submitted a joint bid with Norway, Sweden and Finland, which has additional support from the Faroe Islands and Iceland. But concerns are now being raised about the size of the stadiums in light of England’s attendance numbers.
A record 575,000 spectators watched the 31 matches, with the final at Wembley attracting 87,200 – the biggest crowd to watch any European Championship final, men’s or women’s. The previous record, 79,115, watched the men’s final in 1964 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
The Nordic bid – as it currently looks with stadiums in Odense, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tampere, Oslo and Trondheim – would come a long way.
Main rivals France have never hosted before
In addition, the Nordic bid faces stiff competition from France, a country with a proven track record of hosting major football tournaments, from the men’s World Cup in 1998 and Euro 2016 to the last edition of the Women’s World Cup in 2019.
Furthermore, it has never hosted the women’s European Championship before, unlike the Nordic quartet Denmark (1991), Norway and Sweden (jointly in 1997), Finland (2009) and Sweden (2013).
Poland has also submitted a bid, as have Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
– The bar is set very high and this final round will be difficult for the next EC host to surpass, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin told the media ahead of the final.
Source: The Nordic Page