UEFA is desperate: what does one of the stadiums where matches will be played at Euro 2028 look like

UEFA is desperate: what does one of the stadiums where matches will be played at Euro 2028 look like

Great Britain and Ireland won the right to host the 2028 European Championship after Turkey withdrew from the race. The matches will be played in ten stadiums: six in England and one each in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. If most of the arenas are spotless, the one in Belfast is in a disastrous state and UEFA fears that it will not be able to be rebuilt in time.

Belfast Stadium is a ruin. Another one must be erected in its place for Euro 2028. Photo Info

Casement Park was closed in 2013 and the hosts promised to demolish it and build a 34,000-seater stadium, but the start of work has been delayed several times. At the beginning of the year, some demolition work was done, but then everything was stopped, because of the costs increased drastically, reaching 308 million pounds today. The work has not been resumed because there is no money needed to renovate it, informs the BBC.

The Northern Irish ask for patience

However, Northern Ireland’s new secretary of state, Hilary Benn, says the stadium will be ready by the time the next continental tournament kicks off. “There are two problems: the first is the cost and the fact that there is a certain amount available, but it is not enough. The other problem is that we have gone into overtime trying to build it in time for Euro 2028. Casement Park will be built, and when I am put in a position to make a decision, I will make it. You have to be patient”said Hilary Benn, according to the BBC, quoted by gsp.ro.

Casement Park, Belfast

Casement Park should have been demolished by now. Info photo

Casement Park was inaugurated in 1953 and was renovated once in 2000. It is one of the 10 ten stadiums that will host the final tournament in 2028: Wembley (London), Villa Park (Birmingham), Etihad Stadium (Manchester), Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London), St. James Park (Newcastle), Hampden Park (Glasgow), The Principality (Cardiff), Aviva Stadium (Dublin), Bramley Moore Dock (Everton’s stadium in Liverpool is being built from scratch) and Casement Park (Belfast), which gives big hassle for UEFA officials.

Adrian Stoica

Adrian Stoica

Adrian is the founder and the visionary behind Cluj Napoca, a media platform committed to capturing and sharing the vibrant stories of Cluj-Napoca and Romania with an international audience. A graduate in international journalism from the University of Bucharest and holder of a Master’s in Cultural Studies from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Adrian has a robust educational background that equips him to understand and analyze the complexities of his native region's culture and history.