UEFA Euro 2028: Why has Old Trafford been excluded as a host venue from the bidding process?

The bids for the 2028 UEFA Euro (European Championship) hosts are being given out. So far, the United Kingdom and Turkey are the only two confirmed bids. As for the former, five countries are making a joint bid to host the 24-team tournament. However, from England’s perspective, its biggest footballing venue, Old Trafford in Manchester, has been excluded as the potential host venue.

While the UK bid initially included 14 potential venues, it has to be trimmed to 10 ahead of the final submission of the bid to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) next week. Old Trafford’s exclusion is due to its outdated facilities, while a potential redevelopment of the venue during that phase would render it ineligible to host the matches.

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Confirming the venue’s unavailability, Old Trafford tennant Manchester United said, “Manchester United were pleased to put Old Trafford forward as a potential host of UEFA Euro 2028 matches and proud of the strong case we made. However, during follow-up discussions with the FA, it became clear that we could not provide the necessary certainty around the availability of Old Trafford due to the potential redevelopment of the stadium. As a result, we have mutually agreed to withdraw from the shortlist of potential hosts.”

“We are committed to maintaining Old Trafford’s status as England’s largest and most iconic club football ground. We look forward to future opportunities to host international matches and major events at ‘The Theatre of Dreams’. Everyone at Manchester United wishes the FA the best of luck with the bid to host the tournament in 2028,” concluded United’s statement.

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In the meantime, the Red Devils are considering its options about its home venue. There have been discussions about a possible expansion, redevelopment or building a new ground lately. While the plans have been put on hold for now, considering that the Glazers have put the club for sale, the decision would only be taken after the takeover situation is clear.

In the meantime, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the only other stadium from London beside Wembley Stadium to make it to the final list. However, the London Stadium could replace Spurs’ ground, provided West Ham United agrees to a naming rights deal with an organisation. UEFA rules mandate that the venues have to be unbranded and neutral.