The UK and Ireland are hoping to host Euro 2028, but according to a report from The Times, Tottenham Hotspur could potentially derail the campaign if they do not adhere to a key UEFA rule regarding their stadium.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is rightly regarded as one of the best sporting venues not just in the UK, but across the world. Its state-of-the-art facilities, versatility to cater to different events, and prime location in London make it a highly desirable venue.
(Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
With a capacity of 62,850 (TottenhamHotspur.com), the stadium is adequately equipped to host even the biggest games in football. Indeed, Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be interested in hosting the Champions League final after 2026 (Football Insider).
With the home nations aiming to play host for the European Football Championship in 2028, it makes sense that the Tottenham Hotspur stadium has made the shortlist of venues that would form the basis of this bid (The Times).
However, the fact that Tottenham Hotspur are in negotiations for the naming rights of their stadium could prove to be a stumbling block for the bid.
It is believed that Spurs have been in discussions with Google over a deal (The Athletic), while The Times reported links to other companies such as Amazon, Uber, and FedEx.
The problem is, UEFA rules insist all stadiums hosting in major international tournaments are “clean” of any branding. With this in mind, The Etihad is planning to revert back to the Manchester City Stadium, while the Aviva Stadium in Dublin will be known as the Dublin Stadium.
So, if Spurs are to sign a deal with any big brand like Amazon or Google, they would be unable to participate in the Euro 2028 bid, or risk losing the home nations their hosting privileges altogether.
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The naming rights issue really needs to be cleared up as soon as possible anyway and this should be a motivation to get a deal done quickly so that we can then look into ways to make the stadium available for Euro 2028 without breaching any rules. We could perhaps feasibly have the ‘Google Arena’ for the next few years, for example, and then change back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when needed.
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