Italy’s hopes of hosting the European Championship in 2032 have risen following UEFA’s decision to suspend Russia’s application.
The Russian Football Association applied to host either Euro 2028 or Euro 2032 earlier this year, but their chances looked fairly slim following the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine. UEFA already suspended Russian clubs from their competitions following the invasion and the application seemed hopeful at best.
Italy are now hopeful that their Euro 2032 bid will take pole position, although they’re still competing with Turkey, who are also keen. The Turkish football federation have also expressed their desire to host Euro 2028, but they’re facing competition from the United Kingdom’s joint bid with Ireland.
Italy have hosted the European Championships twice before. They held the third ever running of the competition in 1968, where they beat Yugoslavia in the final, and 12 years later Italy held the tournament again in 198, where they finished fourth.