• Euro 2020

Turkey strong for Euro 2020 - England

ESPN staff
September 24, 2013
London could yet host a game at Euro 2020 © PA Photos
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The FA believes Turkey are the "front-runners" to host the Euro 2020 semi-finals and final.

Last week, Turkey's Football Federation general secretary, Emre Alkin, said the nation was confident Istanbul will be awarded the right to host the competition's showpiece, after it lost out to Tokyo in its bid to host the 2020 Olympics.

And English FA general secretary Alex Horne feels Istanbul is in pole position to be selected by UEFA, who announced that the 2020 edition of the European Championship will take place in 13 different countries across Europe for the first and last time.

"We've taken some soundings. There's a sympathy for Turkey and it does feel like they are the front-runners," Horne is quoted by the BBC.

"We get the politics around Istanbul, having not got the Olympics."

Horne, though, has not given up hope of London being chosen by UEFA for at least one of the group stage matches, despite rival bids from the likes of Istanbul, Lyon and Munich.

He said: "The impact on the stadium and London of hosting either group stages and semi-final and final will be significant. It's something we want to be part of. So we've bid for both."

"The prize of group games and a quarter-final, or certainly a knock-out game, here at Wembley, is significant. You get two games with England at home which has got to be an advantage."

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