The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) submitted its application to European football's governing body on Monday (September 9) after its bid to host the 2020 Games was thwarted by Tokyo, who romped to victory by 24 votes in the final round of voting on Saturday (September 7).

Hosting the European Championship final matches and the Olympics and Paralympics in the same year would breach International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules, which led to the delay in the bid from the TFF, but the path now looks clear for Istanbul to host the final matches at Euro 2020.

Michel Platini is alleged to have "promised" the 2020 European Championship to Turkey after it lost out on hosting the 2016 edition to his home nation, France

It was reported in Turkish media last January that UEFA President Michel Platini had "promised" the 2020 continental event to Turkey after it lost out to France by just one vote in the bidding to Euro 2016 - although this was before the plans for a first pan-European Championship was announced.

These suggestions were promptly quashed by UEFA, but Turkish media outlets have claimed this week that one of its potential main rivals in the race to host the showpiece final matches, the German Football Association (DFB), has withdrawn its bid to host these matches because of the alleged promise made by Platini to the TFF.

"There is a promise with Michel Platini and we have said that we will not seek a direct duel with Turkey," DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach is quoted as previously saying on the subject.

A bid from the FA to host the final matches at Wembley Stadium in London had also been long mooted, but it has confirmed that it has no intention of bidding for these matches following Istanbul's failure to secure the 2020 Games, although it is confident that Europe's second-largest stadium will be selected to host group stage matches.

"We would expect Wembley to host a number of games, possibly England's group games," said FA chairman Greg Dyke.

The FA has ruled Wembley out of contention to host the final matches at Euro 2020, but there is confidence that it will be selected to host group stage games


Platini announced in December last year that the 2020 European Championship would be the first in history to take place in 13 cities across the continent as opposed to the standard hosting protocol of one or two countries taking on responsibility, in celebration of the "birthday" of Europe's premier competition.

With the deadline for bids to be formally confirmed by their respective football associations set for tomorrow (September 12), there are now seven associations that have officially thrown their hats into the ring.

Bids already confirmed include the German bid, which will propose the Allianz Arena in Munich as a host venue, while Switzerland has submitted a bid for matches to be held at FC Basel's St Jakob-Park and the Netherlands has confirmed a bid for the Amsterdam Arena.

Michel Platini was in Budapest, where the Hungarian Football Association declared its candidature to host matches at Euro 2020


It was also confirmed that Hungary has put forward the proposed New Puskás Ferenc Stadium in capital city Budapest to UEFA, while Serbia has also submitted a bid to UEFA for matches to be held at the Red Star Stadium in Belgrade, or a proposed new national stadium.

The Turkish bid - which is seen as the early favourite to host the final matches - will propose Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium, which hosted the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final where Liverpool completed a miraculous comeback to defeat AC Milan on penalties, as a possible venue.

The Belgian FA has today become the seventh national association to confirm a bid to host matches at Euro 2020, putting forward the proposed new national stadium in Brussels. 

The deadline for confirmed bids is tomorrow (September 12), and the UEFA Executive Committee will announce the candidate cities next Friday (September 20).

Bid dossiers must then be submitted to UEFA by late April next year, before the host cities are announced in September 2014.

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