Russia will continue using its innovative Fan-IDs in preparations for hosting matches of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup in St. Petersburg, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.
Addressing a government’s session, Medvedev said: “We will be discussing draft laws, which will help to host matches of the 2020 Euro Cup in St. Petersburg.”
“We have a very good experience from the organization of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and we want to make the use of this experience during the preparations for the European football championship,” the Russian prime minister stated.
“There are several amendments on the table,” Medvedev continued. “For instance, we plan to employ the same mechanism we used in the past regarding the issuance and operational rules of Fan-IDs.”
Russia came up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with an innovation, which was the so-called Fan-ID and was required for all ticketholders. This innovation was successfully tested during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia and earned high marks from the world’s governing football body of FIFA.
The Fan-ID played an important security role during the major football tournament in Russia as it granted admittance to the stadiums and also served as visa for foreign visitors to enter the country.
A Fan-ID holder was allowed to enter the country without having a Russian visa and stay for the duration of the global football tournament. Fan-IDs were obligatory, in addition to purchased tickets, in order to attend matches of the 2018 World Cup tournament in Russia.
The matches of the 2020 Euro Cup will be held at stadiums in cities of 12 different European countries, namely in London (England), Munich (Germany), Rome (Italy), Baku (Azerbaijan), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Bucharest (Romania), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Dublin (Ireland), Bilbao (Spain), Budapest (Hungary), Glasgow (Scotland) and Copenhagen (Denmark).
Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg was granted the right to host three group stage matches and one of the quarterfinals of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup.
The newly-built football arena in St. Petersburg hosted the opening and final matches of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and also served as one of 12 stadiums across the country hosting matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Anthony Nlebem
