UEFA ends cap on fan limits in stadiums and approves five substitutes rule for Euro 2020
UEFA Executive Committee met on Wednesday via videoconference and unanimously decided a few changes for UEFA Euro 2020 and at the 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals.
In a statement, European football’s governing body said the decision to allow five subs at the delayed tournament had been taken as “the rule is already in place for the World Cup qualification matches that will run from March 2021 to March 2022.”
“The reasons for the five-substitutions rule remain valid against the background of national and international football calendars affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” the statement continued.
UEFA added that the rule would also be in place for the Nations League finals in October and its relegation “play-outs” in March next year.
The move to increase the number of substitutes from three to five has already been implemented in the Champions League and Europa League, as well as domestic competitions around the continent.
Aiming to have more fans at this year’s European Championship games, UEFA on Wednesday ended its own limit on stadium capacity for matches it organizes during the coronavirus pandemic.
UEFA said the cap on stadiums being 30% full, which was imposed in October, was no longer needed. Local officials have the ultimate authority.
“(T)he number of permitted spectators should fall under the exclusive responsibility of the relevant competent local/national authorities,” UEFA said in a statement.
A season-long ban on ticket sales for traveling fans was also extended up to mid-May, ending before the Champions League final on May 29 in Istanbul.
Fans have not been able to attend most UEFA-organized games this season in the Champions League and Europa League. National team games have been affected in qualifying for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, plus last year’s Nations League.
Euro 2020 kicks off after a one-year postponement on June 11 in Rome — one of 12 host cities around Europe. UEFA wants to finalize plans with each host city in April for how many fans they expect to allow safely in their stadiums.
