Turkey evaded cost of Euro 2024: Turkish president

Hande Fırat

Turkey was able to evade the cost of hosting the 2024 European Football Championships as the UEFA voted Germany would host Euro 2024 after beating Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said.

“I will speak openly. I did not care about it,” Erdoğan told a group of journalists on his way from Germany to Turkey.

“It always happens this way. You give two world cups and take one world cup. You do it in the same country,” he said.

“Turkey’s facilities are as good as the ones in Germany. Turkey even has newer and very modern ones,” the president said.

“Good luck with it. As a result we evaded the expense,” Erdoğan said.

The UEFA Executive Committee met in Nyon, Switzerland on Sept. 27 to pick the Euro 2024 host with Germany and Turkey bidding to host the tournament.

Germany hosted the World Cup in 2006, but has never staged the Euro as a unified country: West Germany hosted in 1988.

The bid sees matches spread over 10 stadiums with capacity for a total of 2.78 million spectators—290,000 more than Turkey—giving Germany a financial edge from potential ticket revenue.

Two weeks ago, the UEFA issued an evaluation of Turkey and Germany’s Euro 2024 bids.

The report included feedback on the state of stadiums, as well as the political, social and environmental aspects, along with issues related to security, mobility, accommodation and training facilities.

Turkey’s Euro 2024 pitch featured 10 stadiums in nine cities that include the Atatürk Olympic Stadium and Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex Türk Telekom Stadium in Istanbul, Metropolitan Municipality Stadium in the western province of Bursa, Antalya Stadium in the southern province of Antalya, Eskişehir New Stadium in the western province of Eskişehir, Gaziantep Stadium in the southeastern province of Gaziantep, Metropolitan Municipality Stadium in the Central Anatolian province of Konya, Şenol Güneş SportsComplex in the northern province of Trabzon, İzmit Stadium in the Marmara province of Kocaeli and Ankara Stadium.