PARIS – The delayed Euro 2020 tournament will finally get underway on Friday, a year behind schedule, with Covid still set to cast a shadow over the event.
The continent-wide event, first envisaged by then-UEFA president Michel Platini when he announced the tournament would be held across Europe, will be played in front of limited crowds and with strict health restrictions in place.
The action gets under way at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, where Italy take on Turkey in front of 16,000 fans.
Spain’s preparations for the month-long tournament have been hit after two players, Sergio Busquets and Diego Llorente, tested positive for the virus, although Llorente on Thursday returned a negative test.
The team even had to name a “parallel” squad of 17 reserve players, fearing a…
