National coach Frank de Boer may include a maximum of 26 players in his final European Championship selection. The Times reports on Tuesday that UEFA will make a final decision on this in the short term. Currently, the limit is still 23 internationals, but the European Football Association wants to increase the number by three for the countries that are preparing for the European Championship this summer.
During the last international period in March, UEFA received a request from various national coaches to revise the rule regarding the maximum number of players for the European Championship. Italian national coach Robert Mancini in particular is a passionate advocate of expanding the European Championship selections, especially in view of the persistent corona problems. “What if someone is tested positive for corona?” Mancini wondered last month in conversation with RAI. “It would be difficult to select another player, because they are all on vacation.” He also immediately suggested a solution: “It would be a good idea to increase the selections to 25, 26 players. If UEFA makes this decision, I would definitely be in favor.”
According to The Times the UEFA committee dealing with the national teams agrees with Mancini’s advice. The corona pandemic is the main reason for giving the participating countries the opportunity to select 26 players for the European Championship. The overcrowded playing calendar is also taken into account by UEFA in the decision-making. Due to the corona crisis, many competitions started later, which means that most players who qualify for the European Championship have to play three matches almost every week. Including this summer’s final round, many players are going through a very tough season. UEFA therefore wants to meet the national coaches of the European Championship countries.
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