Euro 2020: Finalists will be limited to just 1,000 fans each travelling from their home countries

Overseas football fans travelling to the UK to support their country in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley will be limited to just 1,000 per finalist, as part of plans under discussion between the government and UEFA.

And no overseas supporters are expected to attend the semi-finals, Sportsmail understands.

The government announced this week that the overall capacity for the showpiece on July 11, would be raised to 60,000 supporters and around 2,500 VIPs would be allowed to attend without having to follow usual quarantine rules.

England may have an additional home advantage if the team reaches the final of Euro 2020 because the number of supporters allowed to travel from overseas will be limited

Capacity at Wembley for the two semi finals and final has been increased to 60,000

Capacity at Wembley for the two semi finals and final has been increased to 60,000

The conversation has now turned to fans from the finalists’ countries and how to manage their arrival and departure, given the UK currently requires all overseas visitors to isolate for up to 10 days.

With 60,000 fans in attendance at the match, UEFA would normally allocate tickets for just under 10,000 fans for each participating nation, most of whom would normally fly in for the game.

But Sportsmail understands the government will not entertain anything close to that for travelling supporters. Those numbers are now ‘out of the window’ said one source, stressing that this final in the age of coronavirus is unlike any other.

England progressed to the round of 16 on Tuesday after winning Group D

England progressed to the round of 16 on Tuesday after winning Group D

The Euro 2020 final at Wembley will go ahead with up to 60,000 people in attendance , but only 1,000 will be allowed to travel from participating nations outside the UK

The Euro 2020 final at Wembley will go ahead with up to 60,000 people in attendance , but only 1,000 will be allowed to travel from participating nations outside the UK

Up to 1,000 overseas fans will be considered for each finalist, it is understood. The details are yet to be concluded, but plans are being drawn up to fly supporters into the UK, bus them to the stadium for the game and then take them home again straight afterwards, in similar arrangements to those used at the Champions League final in Portugal.

At that game, 15 charter flights flew Manchester City fans to Porto for the match, which Chelsea won 1-0 on the evening of Saturday May 29, and the planes returned supporters to the UK taking off from Portugal between midnight and 5am on the Sunday morning.

England won Group D on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic. The team will now play a round of 16 game at Wembley against the country that finishes second in Group F at 5pm on Tuesday 29 June.

All four teams in Group F – Germany, France, Portugal and Hungary – could finish runners up, with Germany currently occupying that spot. 

If England progress and keep winning, they may find they have an even greater home advantage in the final, with so few overseas fans expected to attend. 

However, a very limited number of fans travelling to the game from their home country will not necessarily impact on the atmosphere at the final. It is anticipated that the vast majority of the tickets allocated for each finalist will be taken up by their own citizens, who live in the UK.

England fans celebrated a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic on Tuesday at Wembley

England fans celebrated a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic on Tuesday at Wembley

The Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary has already gone ahead with hosting two games at a full capacity of 60,000 people in attendance

The Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary has already gone ahead with hosting two games at a full capacity of 60,000 people in attendance 

Since Britain is home to large ex-pat communities of many of the likely finalists there is confidence that there will a strong home atmosphere for any country that makes the final.

There are around 140,000 German citizens living in the UK, 160,000 French, 30,000 Belgians, 600,000 Italians and 185,000 Spanish.

Negotiations between government and UEFA have followed reports that the football body’s president, Aleksander Ceferin, told ministers last week the UK’s border restrictions were too strict compared with those in the EU and that other cities were willing and able to host matches due to be played at Wembley.

This sparked concerns that UEFA could dramatically move the two semi-finals and final to Budapest, which has hosted two games of the European Championship in front of a full, 60,000 capacity at the Puskas Arena.  

Would controls on overseas fans hand England an advantage if they reached the final?

Would controls on overseas fans hand England an advantage if they reached the final?

Today, the government amended coronavirus legislation to allow UEFA officials and others invited to Euro 2020 to attend without having to quarantine.

VIPs will have to travel straight to their accommodation and will only be allowed to leave to attend official Euro 2020 events . The exemption covers officials from UEFA, FIFA, national FAs, representatives from participating countries and sponsors.

However, there has been some strident criticism of the government’s decision to allow VIPs to enter the country and reside here with out the usual quarantine restrictions. 

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen tweeted yesterday: ‘When lockdown has been extended in the UK it’s a kick in the teeth to read that up to 2500 ‘VIPs’ may be allowed into the UK for the #EURO2020 final without quarantine restrictions. Especially when double vaccinated Brits can’t go on holiday!’ 

Gareth Southgate's England have qualified for the last 16 of Euros by winning Group D

Gareth Southgate’s England have qualified for the last 16 of Euros by winning Group D

And people in the London Borough of Brent, which is home to Wembley, are braced for the influx of fans and VIPs.

‘People will be concerned,’ one local politician, who did not want to be named, told Sportsmail. ‘I think there is a risk. I do have real concerns.’

Some of the concerns are around contact between local people and VIPs at hotels and the stadium.