Bookmakers are sure that England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland will be announced as hosts of UEFA Euro 2028 in April 2023. However, it turns out that there might be an unexpected twist. Tottenham Hotspur turns out to be the guilty party in all of this.

In November 2022, the constituent countries of the United Kingdom, together with the Republic of Ireland, submitted their accession related to the hosting of Euro 2028. Their only rival bidder for the rights to host this tournament is Turkey. Given the political situation in the country, as well as the lower r level of infrastructure development, the UK and Ireland seemed to be the strong favourites to host Euro 2028 in their respective arenas. British media are reporting that due to some legal obstacles, however, UEFA may decide to choose Turkey.

It is hard to imagine Tottenham Hotspur Stadium being removed from the British-Irish bid. However, one of England's most modern venues could be a source of gigantic trouble. All thanks to the fact that a corporation could find itself acquiring the rights to its name. The rules put in place by the European federation are tough and do not allow the use of sponsor-imposed names at major tournaments. Much more freedom is given to the best online casino australia for real money, which you can visit without any restrictions.

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The management of the north London-based club are unwilling to give UEFA a guarantee that once the name of their arena is sold, it can be changed in time for Euro 2028. It is already known that European football bosses will not make an exception in this case. There are claims that Tottenham, which has already negotiated the sale of the venue's name with Google and several other companies, could sink the entire candidature of the UK countries and the Republic of Ireland. All because of the bidding process to select the host of the tournament in spring 2023.

Other clubs in the same position did not have this problem. Manchester City have agreed that Etihad Stadium will be called City of Manchester Stadium for the duration of the tournament. So has Aviva Stadium, which will be known as Dublin Stadium for a few weeks. The only problem remains with the venue, owned by Tottenham, which is very frustrating for UEFA. The matter can be sorted out quickly, but the Spurs authorities must ensure that they do not sign a sponsorship deal that closes off the use of a “clean” name during the competition.

Media reports indicate that the British-Irish bid has several other problems. The list of stadiums prepared for Euro 2028 includes Casement Park in Belfast. Northern Ireland's largest arena is outdated and in need of a major upgrade. It is scheduled to begin in 2023, but UEFA has yet to receive detailed plans for the work or a proper guarantee confirming that the necessary renovation will begin within the next few months.

© Gareth Cochrun