Gaffe-prone Boris Johnson tried to torpedo a UK bid to host Euro 2028 that he backed just hours earlier.
A bid from the UK & Ireland to host the continent’s biggest tournament in six years’ time was expected to be unopposed, only for Russia and Turkey to launch their own applications at the 11th hour. Russia are currently suspended by both FIFA and UEFA, but have still put their name forward to host the competition.
Russia and Turkey have also bid for the subsequent 2032 edition of the tournament, rivalling Italy in that process. The final decision on who will host the two tournaments will now be made in September of 2023, triggering what is set to be a long campaign to win the right to host the European Championship.
Russia successfully hosted the World Cup in 2018, but in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine have been ostracised from international competition, with club teams and the national teams exiled from the sporting community. UEFA have already stripped St Petersburg of hosting duties of this season’s Champions League final, with the game now to be played in Paris.
Sky Sports have reported that the Russian Football Union was able to make the bid due to the fact that whilst their member teams were suspended, the federation had not been. However, it is now expected that the UEFA executive committee is ready to call an extraordinary meeting which would throw out Russia’s bid.
But UK Prime Minister is set to draw the ire of campaign chiefs after he suggested that the games should in fact be handed to Ukraine and not GB & Ireland. Speaking as he arrived for an emergency NATO summit, he blasted Moscow's attempt to host the tournament.
“The idea of Russia holding any kind of football tournament or any cultural event right now is beyond satire,” Johnson told Sky News. “I can’t believe that anyone would even consider their suggestion. I think the best thing possible would be that the entire Russian armed forces retire forthwith from Ukraine and hand the tournament to them, of course.”
That’s despite pledging his support to the home nation bid less than 24 hours, vowing to “bring football home”. On Wednesday he posted on social media: “The UK & Ireland bid for the UEFA Euro 2028 has this government’s full backing. Our world-class stadiums and passionate fans stand ready to host one of the world’s greatest sporting events. Let’s bring football home.”
The teams will now wait to receive UEFA’s technical specifications for bidding for the tournament and are expected to hold talks with the game’s European governing body in regards to potential host cities and stadiums.
