The UK and Republic of Ireland have joined forces to muster up a bid to host the Euro 2028 championships, but Liverpool’s iconic Anfield has been left out.
Forget the atmosphere, the size, the history. Anfield has become a notable absence in the final stadium submission.
The collaborative bid will be rivalled primarily by Turkey after several other bids fell through before the hard UEFA deadline.
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Portugal and Spain shared their intention of producing a joint bid, while six Scandinavian countries also announced their preparation for a joint bid.
The initial list included four additional stadiums, but the shortlist was cut with the likes of Old Trafford, the London Stadium, the Stadium of Light and Croke Park all dismissed.
Why Anfield has been banned from hosting Euro 2028 games
Regulations set out by UEFA state that for a pitch to host tournament games, the dimensions must be 105 metres by 68 metres – and, unfortunately, Anfield falls short by 4 metres.
It’s the proximity of the stands that prevent Liverpool from extending the pitch to suit the football organisation’s parameters.
This is, however, not breaking news and has become a regular occurrence for the Merseyside club.
Neither the Champions League nor the Europa League are able to host their respective finals at Anfield for the same reason and it also explains why the England national team has not stepped foot on the iconic grass since 2006.
Anfield’s capacity is set for an increase up to 61,000 once its well-documented expansion work is complete, which will make it the fifth-largest stadium in the country.
Liverpool fans will find it a shame they won’t be able to show off their pride and joy in all its glory if the bid is a success.
Rules are rules.
What are the 10 Euro 2028 stadiums in UK & Ireland bid?
A total of ten stadiums have been named as those that will host Euro 2028 matches if the five-nation British Isles bid is successful.
The stadiums in the finalised list are: Wembley, the Principality Stadium, the Etihad, St James’ Park, Villa Park, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Hampden Park, the Aviva Stadium, and Casement Park.
The final inclusion is Everton’s new £500m stadium on Bramley-Moore deck, which is set to become their new home at the beginning of the 2024/25 season.
And so, if Everton’s dream home is not built in time, the football-mad city of Liverpool will have no presence at the established competition.
A few stadiums have been put on the back burner in the unfortunate case that renovations aren’t completed in the sufficient time frame.
England will home the main bulk of the listed stadiums, but Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and Northern Ireland all have one included each.