UEFA sees 'no reason' to postpone Euro 2020 despite coronavirus pandemic (Goal)

UEFA sees “no reason” to postpone or alter the current scheduling of Euro 2020 despite the ever-increasing concerns regarding coronavirus.

As things stand, a tournament due to be staged at various locations across the continent is due to get underway on June 12.

There is, however, a very serious threat that the event will have to be moved or cancelled altogether because the Covid-19 virus has now taken on global pandemic status.

Governments and sporting authorities around the world are having to take drastic action in a bid to contain the spread of the disease.

Serie A and La Liga are among the leading divisions to have brought their domestic schedules to an immediate halt.

Games in various competitions across the globe are also having to be played out behind closed doors.

UEFA is, however, adamant that there is no need for them to make any decisions regarding their flagship international occasion.

A spokesman for European football’s governing body told Goal: “There is no reason to change anything in the time schedule.

“UEFA is in contact with the relevant international and local authorities regarding the coronavirus and its development.”

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has already stated that no calls regarding this summer’s European Championship will be rushed into.

He has said: “We are dealing with it and we are confident we can deal with it.

“You don’t know how many big concerns we have: we have security concerns, political instability and one is also the virus. Let’s try to be optimistic, not think about dark scenarios – there’s time for that later.”

UEFA’s general secretary Theodore Theodoridis added at the association’s annual congress: “We do not want to speculate what will happen in three or four months' time.

“We are addressing the situation already by making contact with the World Health Organisation [WHO] and different governments as well.

“We have acknowledged the situation but we do not want to over-react. We have created a line of contact.”

Euro 2020 is intended to see 24 nations chasing down the ultimate prize, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal the current holders of a continental crown.