SportsMin Stroe to conduct thorough assessment of Romania getting ready to host EURO 2020 matches

Minister of Youth and Sport Ionut Stroe told a news conference on Monday that he will conduct a thorough assessment of the latest developments in Romania getting ready to host fixtures in Bucharest of the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship. "On January 31, I convened the inter-ministerial committee and we will conduct a thorough assessment of the preparedness of each ministry on this committee to accomplishes its goal. I will be the first to put pressure on those who are working on these objectives now so that we may accomplish them by then. I am optimistic and I know what I am saying. In my latest conversations with the transport minister, he assured me that work on the railway linking the airport to the North Railway Station is in progress and that there are discussions to settle that dispute. As far as the stadiums are concerned, we will get there. So far we are at an optimal stage when considering the delay in starting the things," said Stroe. "We are trying to monitor all the works that are being done, especially those in the infrastructure area. We are trying to propose a quickened pace to all those who are working on achieving these goals. And I can assure you, at the level of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, that we will have the money for all these obligations and commitments that Romania has taken to host four matches of the European Football Championship," he added. Romania has won a bid to host four matches of the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship at the National Arena in Bucharest City. EURO 2020, an anniversary edition that celebrates 60 years since the first European football championship, will take place June 12 - July 12 in 12 cities: Bucharest (Romania), Baku (Azerbaijan), Copenhagen (Denmark), London (UK), Munich (Germany), Budapest (Hungary), Rome (Italy), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Dublin (Ireland), St. Petersburg (Russia), Glasgow (Scotland), and Bilbao (Spain). Bucharest will host three Group C and one round of 16 matches. The matches are scheduled for June 14, 18, 22 and 29, 2020. If qualified, Romania will play at least two matches in Bucharest. UEFA has called on the 12 host countries to provide four more stadiums living up to international standards for official training of the national sides. The four arenas that Romania has chosen to modernise are the Arcul de Triumf, Steaua, Rapid and Dinamo, but works only started on the first three. For legal reasons, the works on the Dinamo stadium are delayed to start, as the new arena will be built on another site, most likely to replace a velodrome there. AGERPRES (RO - author: Marius Tone, editor: Mircea Lazaroniu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)