Turkey submits UEFA EURO 2024 bid

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) submitted Thursday its bid to host the UEFA EURO 2024. A TFF delegation, led by its President Yıldırım Demirören, handed over the bid documents to UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.

TFF President Demirören said: “We have prepared our best bid ever, with unprecedented state support. All guarantees are given without any reservations, including some additional and innovative guarantees that will ensure the financial success of the tournament, thereby benefiting all UEFA member associations.

It’s now our time, and we are ready to share together with the whole of Europe.”

Servet Yardımcı, TFF vice-president and UEFA executive committee, said it was “a historic day” for Turkish football.

“Turkey is renowned for its determination and commitment, and it’s now time for Turkey to host it’s first-ever Euro tournament,” he said.

In the upcoming weeks, the UEFA administration will start evaluating the final bid dossiers. During this evaluation phase, bidders may be required by UEFA to elaborate upon and substantiate their bids as described in their bid dossiers. UEFA will then prepare and publish a written evaluation report on each bid by September 2018.

On Sept. 27, 2018, the UEFA Executive Committee will meet in Nyon to vote on who has won the right to host UEFA EURO 2024.

On Oct. 17, 2017, the TFF executive committee selected the following cities and stadiums as possible venues in its bid. They include: Istanbul (Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex – Türk Telekom Stadium), Bursa (Metropolitan Municipality Stadium), Antalya (Antalya Stadium), Eskişehir (Eskişehir New Stadium), Gaziantep (Gaziantep Stadium), Konya (Metropolitan Municipality Stadium), Trabzon (Şenol Güneş Sports Complex), Kocaeli (New Stadium), Ankara (New Stadium).

Germany on Tuesday also submitted its official bid book for Euro 2024, saying the tournament would offer “perfect” organisation and an atmosphere to match as it looks to land its first major football event since the 2006 World Cup. Turkey is the only other country bidding but Germany is seen as the favourite to stage the tournament in six years time. The 2020 European Championship will be staged at venues across Europe to mark UEFA’s 60th anniversary. It is scheduled to be held in 12 cities in 12 different European countries during the summer of 2020 (with the exact date to be announced later). Portugal is the defending champion, having won the 2016 edition.