Better late than never: Euro 2020 kicks off a year after schedule

The European Championship for Football or simply the Euro, looms large on the Sport Summer calendar for 2021. Originally slated for 2020, the Euro was one of the many sport casualties of the Covid-19 pandemic. The organizing body, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), decided to keep the name “UEFA Euro 2020” presumably much to the relief of the merchandise producers.

Unlike previous versions such as the first Euro hosted by France in 1960 as well as the latest championship in 2016, this episode of European Association Football’s biggest prize will be hosted by multiple cities throughout EUFA’s member nations. The Netherlands was a noticeable omission from the 2016 Euro (as well as the 2018 World Cup) but has stormed back into the fray and Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff ArenA will host three of the matches in the preliminary round with all three matches featuring the home Oranje side as a contestant.

While the Netherlands and most other European countries are seeing Covid cases contract and loosening their restrictions, this year’s competition will still be very much seen the ‘Corona Euro’. Strict guidelines for teams, officials and spectators will be in place to ensure that the safety of all is maintained. The extra demands placed on the organizers will be significant, but the Euro will benefit from the large body of knowledge already gathered at previous events held over the past year. Amsterdam will be difficult to come by and those lucky supporters will be subject to testing and rigid regulations at the venue. Restrictions on other public gatherings such as pubs or city squares mean that most of us will have to settle for modest celebrations in our own homes with a few friends or family. That certainly does not mean that we cannot enjoy a good Euro! The grocery stores in this country have pulled out the stops on special offers of fan apparel and game day snacks and drinks to keep us sated and hydrated. If you haven’t already acquired an air fryer, this may the best time in the brief history of this kitchen appliance to make that purchase. With the grocers staging their own pitched battle to entice customers will loss-leading beer prices, the football fan can enjoy plenty of refreshment for modest prices. Feeding your football party was never easier with a creative array of themed snacks and meals on offer but do keep in mind our struggling restaurants and consider ordering in and helping out the beleaguered hospitality industry.

Watching the Euro will be easy and for some better than ever. The Euro is once again in the domain of the national broadcasters meaning that all matches are shown free to air. If you have a cable subscription, you will be reminded that this country is a great place to be for international sporting events with most subscribers enjoying access to at least four national broadcasters. If you are handy with a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and your computer, the coverage you’ll enjoy will be even greater. Let’s be honest, even without speaking a work of Italian, the Tricolore simply sound better broadcast in their native language on RAI. Moreover, ff you happen to be one of the early adopters and have plunked down enough to own a 4k television, you’ll be happy to know that both KPN and Ziggo will be broadcasting in highest of high-definition formats although Ziggo will do so only to top tier customers. Musical entertainment is also a snap if you have a music provider subsription such as Spotify. Plenty of Euro 2020 playlists have popped up so you keep the football party going before and after the match. Even classical music enthusiasts have been thought of - NPO’s Radio 4 has produced a podcast and Spotify playlist of classical music associated with the ‘Beautiful Game’.

For some, the Euro is not exiting enough without some personal participation. Tournament pools and printable schedules are popping up like wildflowers. Online pools give businesses with workers still not on-premise the chance to do a little bonding. Those businesses and workplaces who have good numbers of their employees back on site will doubtless be a useful gathering pace for midweek fixtures. Last but not least, personal participation to some means a flutter on the games or tournament outcome. The bookmakers are more than willing to accommodate and for those who are faithful the Dutch side, the relatively long odds of Oranje winning it all will be tempting. Italy follow in order with the Netherlands tracking at 8th as the tournament entered opening week. The Dutch have a particularly good chance of emerging from their group, facing the sides of the Ukraine, Austria and North Macedonia. From there on, it should be anybody’s guess how Frank de Boer’s men will fare given their mixed results in the matches leading up to the championship. The current Director of Football Development for FIFA, Arséne Wenger has expressed his respect for the Netherlands ahead of Euro 2020. “The Netherlands have a good young generation, and they are usually not scared to dictate the game. They want the ball. They think, “We are strong. You watch us.” They have always a great belief in their national team and the desire to play.” The former Arsenal coach added “I have huge respect for Holland because it’s a small country, but they always produce players and they will be mainly dependent on Depay. He can create, he can score, he can be good on set pieces, he can dribble, he can create a chance from nowhere. And it will be interesting to watch because I’ve seen them beating France in a very convincing way.”

So whether you are backing the Dutch or your own country, this year’s Euro should give us the chance to put a little distance between ourselves and that awful virus that’s overshadowed us for the past year. Get settled in, crack open your beverage of choice and enjoy the footy!