UEFA is committed to its plan of hosting Euro 2020 across 12 host cities, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Euro 2020 was due to take place last year, with 12 nations having been selected to host matches in celebration of the competition's 60th anniversary.
However, the COVID-19 crisis resulted in UEFA taking the decision last March to push the tournament back to 2021.
Although Europe is still struggling to deal with the pandemic, with many nations under lockdown rules and travel severely restricted in a bid to limit the spread of the virus, UEFA has reaffirmed its intention for the competition to take place later this year.
In a statement released on Wednesday, UEFA also said it is retaining hope that the 12 venues will be able to accommodate some fans, despite club competitions continuing behind closed doors.
The statement read: "UEFA repeated its commitment to holding the Euro across the 12 cities according to the timetable that has already been published.
"All parties recognise the need for flexibility around decisions to be made on the arrangements for the tournament, in order to reflect the different challenges and circumstances that cities find themselves in.
"As a result of that and the fast-changing nature of the situation around the pandemic, the deadline for the submission of plans to accommodate fans inside the stadiums has been moved to early April."
In limited numbers, spectators had been allowed into venues in certain European nations – including Germany, England and France – in 2020, though those schemes were ended as infection rates increased again.
"UEFA is committed to holding Euro 2020 in the 12 cities originally planned," UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said.
"The Euro is the flagship competition for national team football in Europe and is a vital source of funding for grassroots and wider football development.
"I am optimistic that things are highly likely to be very different with regard to the virus as we move closer to the tournament and it is important that we give the host cities and governments as much time as we can to formulate an accurate picture of what will be possible come June and July.
"Fans are such a big part of what makes football special and that is true of the Euro as much as it is of any game. We must allow ourselves the maximum space to allow their return to the stadiums."
London, Rome, Glasgow, Bilbao, Dublin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Baku, Budapest, Bucharest, Saint Petersburg and Munich are the designated host cities for the finals.
Each city will host three group games, and one match in either the round of 16 or quarter-finals, with the semi-finals and final to be played at Wembley Stadium.
Tough going: Ja's Frazsiers Whip mauled 7-1 by Mexico's Tigres UANL in Women's Champions Cup
Jamaica’s Frazsiers Whip suffered a third-consecutive loss in the Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup as they were hammered 7-1 by Mexican counterparts Tigres UANL Femenil in another lopsided Group A affair at the National Stadium on Wednesday.
Ana Dias (sixth), Ana Seica (14th), Thembi Kgatlana (23rd), Alison Gonzalez (60th), Belen Cruz (62nd), and a brace from Stephany Mayor (81st and 90+8) completed the rout for Tigres UANL.
Davia Richards (55th) got Frazsiers Whip’s first goal of the tournament which served as a consolation for the St Catherine outfit.
The win propelled Tigres UANL to the top of the group on six points, while Frazsiers Whip remain rooted at the foot of the five-team table without a point. NY/NJ Gotham (three points), Alajuelense (three points) and CF Monterrey (three points) are the other teams in the group.
It was always expected to be another tough encounter for Frazsiers Whip and they found themselves behind when Dias fired home a firm right-footer from dead centre of the box.
Seica doubled the lead for the six-time Liga MX Femenil Champions when she rose above defenders to head past Italya Robinson in goal for Frazsiers Whip from a corner kick.
Davia Richards celebrates her team's first goal of the tournament.
Before the Frazsiers Whip could catch their breath, they found themselves further behind, as Kgatlana found space inside the 18-yard box to drive home a right-footed effort to put Tigres UANL 3-0 up at the break.
Needing a goal to lift their spirits, Frazsiers Whip got just that from Richards, who fired home, from an angle, 10 minutes into the resumption to give the Jamaican fans something to celebrate.
However, it was back to regular proceedings for Tigres UANL five minutes later when Gonzalez converted from the penalty spot after being felled inside the red zone.
Cruz then added a fifth two minutes past the hour mark as she slotted home from a weighted Dias cross.
It was then time for the Stephany Mayor show as the former Mexican captain got in on the act with a well-taken effort on the volley that gave Robinson no chance at a save.
Mayor then completed her brace and her team’s win with another tidy right-footed finish in time added.
Tigres UANL will next host Costa Rican champions LD Alajuelense on October 2 in Mexico, while Frazsiers Whip will welcome NWSL champions NJ/NY Gotham on the same day, at the National Stadium.
CONCACAF confirms October schedule for 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League Group Stage matches
CONCACAF has confirmed the schedule, venues, and kickoff times for the 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League (CNL) Group Stage matches that will take place during the October 2024 FIFA Match Window.
The fourth edition of the CNL kicked off in September with thrilling matches across all three Leagues (A, B, and C). Some of the highlights included Elijah Seymour of the Cayman Islands scoring the competition’s 1,000th goal, Guadeloupe getting its first win in League A (1-0 vs Suriname), Bermuda defeating Antigua and Barbuda in an official match for the first time since 1992, and a closely contested draw between Costa Rica and Guatemala.
A total of 37 CNL matches will be played next month (October 9-15), concluding Group Stage play for Leagues A and C, while League B will play through November.
League A
In League A, the 12 matches that will be played in October will determine the four teams (group winners and runners-up) that will join Concacaf's four top-ranked teams - Canada, Mexico, Panama, and the United States (listed alphabetically) - in the Quarterfinals, as well as the third and fourth-place finishers and fifth and sixth-place finishers that will progress to the 2025 Gold Cup Prelims and CNL Play-In, respectively.
The CNL Quarterfinals will be played in a home-and-away format in November 2024, with the aggregate score winner in each matchup advancing to the 2025 Concacaf Nations League Finals and qualifying for the 2025 Gold Cup. The Quarterfinal losers will advance to the 2025 Gold Cup Prelims.
CNL Quarterfinal pairings will be determined based on the Concacaf Rankings as of October 2024 (after the FIFA Window) and the Group Stage results, as follows:
QF1: Fourth-ranked seeded team vs Best first place (1A/1B)
QF2: Third-ranked seeded team vs Next first place (1A/1B)
QF3: Second-ranked seeded team vs Best second place (2A/2B)
QF4: Best-ranked seeded team vs Next second place (2A/2B)
The CNL Play-In will take place in November 2024, and the Gold Cup Prelims will be in March 2025. Further details on the Play-In are available below.
League B
League B will continue Group Stage play in October and November, as 16 nations battle for Gold Cup Qualification and promotion for the competition’s next edition. The confirmed host venues for October’s League B matches are as follows:
Group A: Arnos Vale Sporting Complex, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Group B: Darren Sammy Ground, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia
Group C: Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion, Oranjestad, Aruba
Group D: Bermuda National Sports Centre, Devonshire, Bermuda
League C
October will also conclude Group Stage play for League C. After the League’s last match on Tuesday, October 15, the three group winners and the best second-place finisher will advance to the CNL Play-In.
The confirmed host venues for the October matches are as follows:
Group A: Wildey Turf, Wildey, Barbados
Group B: FFB Stadium, Belmopan, Belize
Group C: Warner Park Football Stadium, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
2024/25 Concacaf Nations League Play-In
The CNL Play-In will take place during the FIFA Match Window of November. It will consist of a single direct elimination round and eight teams: the fifth and sixth-place finishers from the League A Groups and the group winners and the best second-place finisher from League C.
The eight teams will be split into four pairings based on their Group Stage performance, as follows:
PI1: Best 5th Place (League A) vs Best 2nd Place (League C)
PI2: Next 5th Place (League A) vs Best 3rd Group Winner (League C)
PI3: Best 6th Place (League A) vs Best 2nd Group Winner (League C)
PI4: Next 6th Place (League A) vs Best 1st Group Winner (League C)
After home-and-away play, the aggregate score winner in each matchup will advance to the 2025 Gold Cup Prelims.
2024/25 Concacaf Nations League Schedule – October Matches
*Matches listed by League and in ET | local time
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
(C) 15:30 | 15:30 British Virgin Islands vs St. Kitts and Nevis - Warner Park Football Stadium, Basseterre, SKN
(C) 20:00 | 20:00 US Virgin Islands vs Barbados - Wildey Turf, Wildey, BAR
(C) 22:00 | 20:00 Anguilla vs Belize - FFB Stadium, Belmopan, BLZ
Thursday, October 10, 2024
(A) 15:30 | 16:30 French Guiana vs Honduras - Stade Municipal Dr Edmard Lama, Remire Montjoly, GUF
(A) 16:00 | 16:00 Cuba vs Trinidad and Tobago - Estadio Antonio Maceo, Santiago, CUB
(B) 16:00 | 16:00 Bonaire vs Montserrat - Arnos Vale Sporting Complex, Kingstown, VIN
(B) 21:00 | 21:00 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines vs El Salvador - Arnos Vale Sporting Complex, Kingstown, VIN
(A) 22:00 | 20:00 Nicaragua vs Jamaica - Estadio Nacional, Managua, NCA
Friday, October 11, 2024
(B) 16:00 | 16:00 Sint Maarten vs Puerto Rico - Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion, Oranjestad, ARU
(A) 16:00 | 16:00 Guadeloupe vs Martinique - Stade Roger Zami, Le Gosier, GLP
(B) 17:00 | 17:00 Grenada vs Curacao - Darren Sammy Ground, Gros Islet, LCA
(A) 18:00 | 19:00 Suriname vs Costa Rica - Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium, Paramaribo, SUR
(B) 19:00 | 19:00 Aruba vs Haiti - Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion, Oranjestad, ARU
(B) 20:00 | 20:00 Saint Martin vs St. Lucia - Darren Sammy Ground, Gros Islet, LCA
(A) 21:00 | 21:00 Guyana vs Guatemala - National Track & Field Centre, Leonora, GUY
Saturday, October 12, 2024
(B) 13:30 | 14:30 Antigua and Barbuda vs Dominican Republic - Bermuda National Sports Centre, Devonshire, BER
(C) 15:30 | 15:30 Cayman Islands vs British Virgin Islands - Warner Park Football Stadium r, Basseterre, SKN
(B) 18:30 | 19:30 Dominica vs Bermuda - Bermuda National Sports Centre, Devonshire, BER
(C) 20:00 | 20:00 Bahamas vs US Virgin Islands - Wildey Turf, Wildey, BAR
(C) 22:00 | 20:00 Turks and Caicos Islands vs Anguilla - FFB Stadium, Belmopan, BLZ
Sunday, October 13, 2024
(B) 15:00 | 15:00 Montserrat vs Bonaire - Arnos Vale Sporting Complex, Kingstown, VIN
(B) 20:00 | 20:00 El Salvador vs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Arnos Vale Sporting Complex, Kingstown, VIN
Monday, October 14, 2024
(B) 16:00 |16:00 Puerto Rico vs Sint Maarten - Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion, Oranjestad, ARU
(B) 16:00 | 16:00 Curacao vs Grenada - Darren Sammy Ground, Gros Islet, LCA
(B) 19:00 | 19:00 St. Lucia vs Saint Martin - Darren Sammy Ground, Gros Islet, LCA
(B) 19:00 | 19:00 Haiti vs Aruba - Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion, Oranjestad, ARU
(A) 21:00 | 20:00 Jamaica vs Honduras - National Stadium, Kingston, JAM
(A) 21:00 | 21:00 Trinidad and Tobago vs Cuba - Dwight Yorke Stadium, Tobago, TRI
(A) 21:00 | 19:00 Nicaragua vs French Guiana - Estadio Nacional, Managua, NCA
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
(B) 13:30 |14:30 Dominican Republic vs Antigua and Barbuda - Bermuda National Sports Centre, Devonshire, BER
(C) 15:30 | 15:30 St. Kitts and Nevis vs Cayman Islands - Warner Park Football Stadium, Basseterre, SKN
(B) 18:30 | 19:30 Bermuda vs Dominica - Bermuda National Sports Centre, Devonshire, BER
(A) 20:00 | 18:00 Costa Rica vs Guatemala - Estadio Nacional, San Jose, CRC
(A) 20:00 | 20:00 Martinique vs Guadeloupe - Stade Pierre Aliker, Fort de France, MTQ
(A) 20:00 | 21:00 Suriname vs Guyana - Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium, Paramaribo, SUR
(C) 20:00 | 20:00 Barbados vs Bahamas - Wildey Turf, Wildey, BAR
(C) 22:00 | 20:00 Belize vs Turks and Caicos Islands - FFB Stadium, Belmopan, BLZ
Taylor: Man City know 'exactly what we have to do' to win WSL title
Gareth Taylor insists Manchester City know "exactly what we have to do" to win the Women's Super League, as he urged his players to "really push on" after last season's disappointment.
City came agonisingly close to landing their second WSL title last term, losing out to Emma Hayes' Chelsea on goal difference.
Taylor's side were in the driving seat with a three-point cushion heading into the final two games. However, a 2-1 defeat by Arsenal in their penultimate match proved costly, with the Blues going on to claim their seventh crown in eight seasons.
That marked a seventh second-place WSL finish since 2015 for City, who begin their quest to go the extra step against the Gunners on Sunday, when they will come face to face with former forward Vivianne Miedema.
While Taylor is adamant his side's inability to get over the line should not be regarded as a failure, the head coach reinstated his burning desire to bring the WSL crown back to Manchester this term.
"Sometimes, you work tremendously hard like we did last season, and things don't quite go your way," said Taylor.
"That's not to say that we're not incredibly proud of what we did. The one thing we can take, is we know exactly what we have to do now to win the title.
"We have to use that as fuel, whether it be in the Champions League, or in the WSL, to really use all of those experiences, use all of that knowledge and really push on.
"People can look at trophies as being the be-all and end-all. Don't get me wrong, I'm here to win. Of course, we want to be there.
"But the fact we are going deep in pretty much in all competitions is what we're about and, of course, there can only be one team that wins."
He continued: "People tend to forget that there's four or five teams that are really close to winning at the beginning of the season and there's only one team that can ever win. That doesn’t make the other four [teams] a failure.
"It's really tough, but the objective is absolutely to win. I'm not going to hide away from that.
"I've never hidden away that it's the title that I really want to bring to the club. You've seen how fine the margins are and I don't see that changing this season."
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