MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. So far, Russian organizers see no factors that might indicate a possibililty of review of Russia’s right to host several games of the UEFA Euro-2020, despite the recommendations voiced earlier on Monday by the Compliance Review Committee (CRC) of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
WADA said on Monday that CRC recommended barring Russia from global sports for a four-year term. In practice, it means that Russian athletes will not be allowed to compete under the national flag during the period of four years. On top of that, the CRC suggests that Russia may not host, or bid for or be granted the right to host any major sporting event in the reported period. If the right to host a major event has already been awarded to Russia, the committee recommends re-assigning it to another country, unless it is legally or practically impossible to do so. The WADA Executive Committee will consider those recommendations at a specially convened meeting in Paris on 9 December 2019.
"We have already said that our partner is UEFA," Alexei Sorokin, the head of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Russia-2020, said. "It would be weird for us as organizers to see any kind of discussion about changes, given our degree of preparedness. We hope that WADA recommendations will be treated in an adequate manner."
"It’s hard for me to think of possibility or impossibility [of Russia being deprived of the right to host UEFA Euro-2020 matches]. Our work to prepare the tournament is the only way for us to respond to those developments. What we hear from our [UEFA] colleagues is that they are quite pleased [with Russia’s preparations]," Sorokin added.
He stressed that LOC Russia-2020 cooperates with UEFA, not WADA, on the issue of holding some of the tournament’s games in Russia.
"In any case, the future of Euro-2020 is [determined] in our dialogue with UEFA, not WADA. So far, I see no factors indicating that any decisions may be reviewed," the Russian official said.
The matches of the 2020 Euro Cup will be held at stadiums in 12 different cities across Europe, namely in London (England), Munich (Germany), Rome (Italy), Baku (Azerbaijan), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Bucharest (Romania), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Dublin (Ireland), Bilbao (Spain), Budapest (Hungary), Glasgow (Scotland) and Copenhagen (Denmark) between June 12 and July 12, 2020.
Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg was granted the right to host three group stage matches and one of the quarterfinals of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup. The newly-built football arena in St. Petersburg hosted the opening and final matches of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and also served as one of 12 stadiums across the country hosting matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.