Everton set to host Euro 2028 games at Bramley-Moore Dock following tournament update
The new Everton stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock looks set to be one of the host venues for EURO 2028, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The newspaper reported via its website (4 October) that the tournament looks likely to be played in the UK and Ireland after the only other bidder Turkey withdrew from the race to host, having agreed to merge their Euro 2032 bid with Italy.
Both bids will have to be approved by Uefa when their executive committee is carried out on Tuesday (10 October), but it looks seemingly likely that the Toffees’ new 52,888-capacity ground will be one of 10 stadiums that will host matches during the tournament.
Reporting the news, Chris Beesley wrote: “Everton’s future home would become the third ground in the city to host matches at a major international tournament as Goodison Park staged three group games at the 1966 World Cup.
“Some 30 years later when England staged the European Championships in 1996, Liverpool FC’s Anfield hosted three group games.”
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The Toffees’ selection as one of the ten host venues in the UK and Ireland shows just why they need to sort out the ownership at the top of their club, as they cannot have a ground equipped for one of the biggest tournaments in world football, languishing around the relegation zone or even the Championship.
Financially, the Toffees need new investment to complete the work on the new ground while also covering their running costs. Currently, that has been helped by a loan afforded to Everton from potential new owners 777 Partners [The Athletic, 18 September].
That is a positive start for the Blues but they need greater investment to ensure that they are safe in the Premier League for years to come. However, there are concerns that the American investment firm’s takeover may not be completed after other Premier League owners raised fears over whether 777 would damage the reputation of the league [Daily Mail, 20 September].
On top of that Leeds, Leicester City and Burnley have all signalled their intention to sue the Toffees for a combined £300 million should they be found guilty of breaking the Premier League’s financial fair play rules [Daily Mail, 3 October], throwing the potential takeover into doubt.
While all these factors may represent reasons for 777 Partners to end their interest in taking over the Blues, the decision to have Everton host some huge tournament fixtures shows just why they are an attractive prospect to take over. The Toffees are a sleeping giant of the English game.
In other Everton news, Frank Lampard has revealed that he was naive during his interview at Goodison after one question made him fear the job