Russia has declared its willingness to host Euro 2032, despite remaining banned from international competitions following its 2022 armed conflict in Ukraine, reported “BritPanorama.”
President of the Russian Football Union, Alexander Dyukov, said his country is “always ready” to take over hosting duties if Italy struggles to meet tournament requirements. His remarks came after Russia’s recent friendly against Bolivia.
Russia submitted its application for Euro 2032 in 2022, though no updated bid has followed. Officials argue that Italy’s stadium uncertainties could make Russia a viable alternative.
UEFA and FIFA have maintained Russia’s ban from official competitions since 2022, but the nation continues to play friendlies against teams such as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and participated in Central Asian Football Association tournaments in 2023.
Italy is experiencing mounting criticism over its stadium infrastructure. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin called Italian stadiums “comatose” and said Italy has “by far the worst infrastructure” among Europe’s major footballing nations.
Iconic venues, including Milan’s San Siro and Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, require major upgrades, with San Siro scheduled for demolition and replacement by 2031, one year before the Euros.
Only three Italian stadiums, in Udine, Bergamo, and Turin, escaped Ceferin’s critique. Ezio Simonelli, head of Italy’s league governing body, expressed concerns on Italian state radio, saying, “I’m really worried about Euro 2032,” questioning the viability of Italy’s bid.
The numbers highlight the scale of Italy’s challenge. In the past 18 years, Italy has opened only six new stadiums, three serving Serie A clubs. Across Europe, 226 stadiums have opened in the same period.
The tournament is scheduled to be jointly hosted by Italy and Türkiye, but venue uncertainty is under growing scrutiny.
