Euro 2020 postponed to 2021: Portugal to remain European champions for at least one more year

Euro 2020 has been postponed until the summer of 2021 amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, UEFA confirms.

The tournament was scheduled to kick off on the 12th June this year, with the final scheduled for a month later, but with European football ground to a halt with the growing concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, the expected decision to delay the continental competition has now been taken.

Confirmation of the change in start date comes after Europe was confirmed as the current epicentre of the outbreak, and with international tournament set to be hosted across 12 nations, the staging of the competition in the current climate was impossible to legislate.

The year-long postponement comes after an emergency meeting between member associations and UEFA, and should gives Europe’s domestic leagues, in addition to the Champions League and Europa League, plenty of time to finish their respective seasons before starting the new campaign.

There are still issues with delaying Euro 2020 to 2021; the Women’s European Championship is set to take place in the same summer, in addition to the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League finals. UEFA will not want these competition to collide, and may well decide to cancel the 2020-21 Nations League altogether as a result.

The decision means Portugal will remain European champions for at least one more year, but their chances of defending their title may be diminshed, with talisman Cristiano Ronaldo being 36 by the start of the competition.