Baku to bid for Euro 2020 among 32 countries

BAKU - UEFA said Friday that Azerbaijan is among 32 member countries aiming to be part of the 13-nation Euro 2020 hosting project, Azerbaijan's sports official said on Friday.

Elkhan Mammadov, secretary general of the Azerbaijan Football Association, said that a successful Euro 2020 bid could build momentum for a shot at a chance to host the Olympics.

UEFA will choose 13 host cities next September. One will host the final and semifinals, and the other 12 will each stage three group matches and one knockout match at the 24-team tournament.

The success of Azerbaijan's Euro 2020 bid could depend on having a nearby partner country to co-host one of the six groups. Neighboring Turkey is bidding only for the final match package.

The Azerbaijan official said he expected fans to come to Baku from neighboring UEFA countries Russia, Georgia, Turkey and Kazakhstan, plus Iran and Turkmenistan from Asia.