London and Wembley under Covid check, the Italian Prime Minister Draghi offers himself
ROME. The final of the European Championships from Wembley to Rome. From the football temple of a Great Britain worried about the Delta variant to the capital of an Italy where Covid has been in constant decline for weeks. Mario Draghi, in the Cesarini area of the joint press conference with Angela Merkel, raises a topic that will cause discussion not only for UEFA – which for the moment excludes the hypothesis – but also the European chancelleries.
Because that of the European final is not just a question for epidemiologists. It is a political issue that could see the EU and the UK opposed in a post Brexit that has not exhausted its aftermath.
To a direct question from a German journalist on the hypothesis of moving the final from Wembley to the Olimpico and with Merkel at his side, Draghi – visiting Berlin for a dinner with the Chancellor – answers quite clearly: “Yes, I I will do my best so that the European final is not held in countries where contagion is growing », are his words. Merkel does not contradict him. Indeed, for the entire press conference he jokes about the football divisions between Italy and Germany. The only ones, he stresses, are relevant between the two governments. “Italy plays well but we cheer for our national team,” explains the chancellor. In short, it is possible that the axis between Rome and Berlin extends from the Recovery, migrants and Libya dossiers to that of Europeans, although in theory Munich is also among the possible alternatives to London. Other venues that could take over from Wembley are not in sight. Certainly not Budapest, where the stadium is at maximum capacity since the beginning of the tournament: moving the match there would be doing Viktor Orban a favor, not at all appreciated by the parts of Brussels.
The hypothesis of the final in Rome could – potentially – have a push from the government itself, with the doubling of the current capacity allowed at the Olimpico, stopping at 25% of the total. The European football government, however, for the moment denies there are plans B: «UEFA, the Federation and the English authorities are working closely together successfully to organize the semi-finals and the final of the Euro at Wembley and there are no plans for change the venue of those matches.
.