The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced on Tuesday that teams will be allowed to select a 26-player squad instead of the usual 23 for Euros 2020 in the summer. The decision taken by UEFA’s national team’s committee in April was approved by Uefa’s executive committee on Tuesday.
The change has been implemented to lessen the load on players after a hectic club season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The domestic leagues are set to conclude by the third week of May, few days before the tournament kicks off. This change will also help managers adapt if there is an outbreak of COVID in the squad during the tournament.Â
After initially scheduled in June 2020, Euros 2020 will now begin on June 11, 2021. The deadline for submitting squads is June 1. This is a big relief for managers as they can add three extra players to the squad.
Gareth Southgate, England manager, is expected to announce his squad for the Euros during the week commencing May 24. Steve Clarke, the Scotland manager, had been expected to name a provisional squad in mid-May, but may now miss that step out before making his final selection at the end of the month. Robert Page will have the job of picking the Wales squad, after confirmation that he will take charge of the team for the tournament.
Euros 2020 is set to be held in 12 cities across 12 UEFA countries. The tournament was originally scheduled to take place from 12 June to 12 July 2020, but due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the tournament was rescheduled to 2021. Earlier in April, UEFA announced few changes to the changes in venues. It remains to be seen whether fans will return for international games. Few domestic leagues have already started welcoming fans back in the stadium. The opening match is going to be played at Stadio Olimpico in Rome between hosts Italy and Turkey.