Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president, critically slams Michel Platini’s decision to stage the Euro 2020 in several cities throughout Europe and demands to change name of the tournament.
The unprecedented decision of holding the tournament across the continent was given by the European football’s governing body UEFA in January this year. The semi-finals and final, however, were announced to be held on the regular venue.
Blatter revealed during the interview that a similar proposal had also been given to him for the 2010 World Cup but he discarded it as “unthinkable.” He believes holding one host state is the ideal way to deliver the event.
“A tournament belongs in one country,” Blatter said. “That way, you create identity and euphoria. Like, for example, the ‘summer fairytale’ in Germany [the 2006 World Cup].
The FIFA president finds such immature verdict taken by the UEFA nothing but wastage of the tournament and he believes that the Championship will surely lack a “heart and soul.”
“The 2020 tournament has been wasted; it’s no longer a European Championships. It has got to be referred to as something else, only I don’t know what. A European Championships like this lacks a heart and soul,” stated Blatter.
