EURO 2020: Fans who move across borders get complicated

ROME

Quarantine rules, special visas, negative test results. And a lot of planning ahead.

Fans traveling across borders to compete in European Championship games are faced with a complicated set of eligibility requirements amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But – and the situation is evolving every day – UEFA claims that the eleven host cities spread across the continent accept all visitor fans.

“Neither country has banned foreign fans,” said UEFA spokesman Thomas Giordano. “But there are some countries where you have to be quarantined. So you could still go. But for example in the UK, if you have just come from abroad, you need to quarantine. So you may have to show up up to 10 days before a game.

“And then there are some countries where you only need proof of a PCR test. So it changes again from one country to another. But none of them said: “We will not allow foreign fans.” It’s just that, of course, they have to meet the respective entry requirements. “

UEFA advises traveling fans to check a dedicated page on the tournament website for the latest information and local regulations.

In the 11 host cities, which are separated by four time zones and up to 4,700 kilometers, each ticket holder is also assigned a special 30-minute entry time slot in order to arrive at the stadium. All fans must wear face masks at all times, and quick COVID-19 checks may also be required in certain locations.

To make matters worse, some nations have warned their supporters not to travel to certain countries for games.

For example, the Welsh Football Association has advised fans not to travel to group games in Azerbaijan and Italy – both countries are currently on the UK’s Amber travel list.

While the UK no longer bans travel to countries on the Amber List, the UK government has advised people not to travel to those countries.

Russia, meanwhile, was still in the process of making special arrangements for visitors coming to St. Petersburg – which means Swedish fans may still be able to take a ferry across the Baltic Sea for group matches against Slovakia and Poland.

Still, the simplest solution for fans remains to participate in games in their home country.

Interactive fan zones and public viewing areas with strict COVID-19 regulations will be set up across the continent.

In Rome, for example, one of the public areas is next to the Colosseum, as fewer than 16,000 fans are allowed to participate in the four games in the Stadio Olimpico with 72,000 seats.

World champions France are the biggest team that will play all matches abroad, with one of their group matches in Munich and the other two in Budapest.

Germany currently lists France as a “high risk country†and requires a 10-day quarantine upon entry, although ticket holders traveling to Budapest do not need to be quarantined according to the special procedures set by the Hungarian government.

Wembley Stadium in London will be 25% busy for group matches and possibly more for the finals of the tournament.

“We expect more information about what will happen in early June,” said Giordano. “(UK) plans to lift a number of restrictions on June 21st, which could potentially mean a new increase in capacity for the semifinals and the finals.”

However, the UK government’s plans depend on falling COVID-19 rates, and rates could be adversely affected by the Indian variant.

“It will depend on how the situation develops there. Things can change quickly. But there is potential for an upgrade, â€said Giordano.

Even if capacity is increased, final round fans should still be required to adhere to the UK Eligibility Rules.

“Obviously,” said Giordano, “they won’t know at the beginning of June which teams will make it to the final.”