RUSSIA are ready to pounce on an opportunity to host Euro 2032 despite not being able to take part in the competition.
The 2018 World Cup holders have signalled their intent to take over from Italy amid fears about the readiness of their stadiums.
Euro 2032 is set to be played across Italy and Turkey but there are concerns over the age of some of the proposed grounds.
San Siro and Stadio Olimpico are just two of the historic arenas in need of modernisation but improvements have been slow going so far.
With Russia still buoyed by their 2018 effort, Moscow Football Federation president Alexander Dyukov has turned the heat up on Italy.
He told Russian outlet Sport.ru: “Italy has a stadium problem. If they lose their stadium organisation, we’re here.”
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Dyukov added: “Russia is ready to host Euro 2032 instead of Italy.”
The Russians have been banned by Uefa and Fifa since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Their bids for Euro 2028 and 2032 were not considered due to the war but the comments made by Dyukov only echo what other high-profile figures have already said.
Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin, admitted that Italy had “by far the worst infrastructure” of the top European nations.
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The president of the Italian league’s governing body, Ezio Simonelli, said: “I’m really worried about Euro 2032.
“Is the candidacy at risk? I hope it’s just my concern, but when the president of Uefa says that our stadiums are in a comatose state and the Euros are in six years’ time, we risk not making a very good impression on an international level.
“It’s a shame, however, that, beyond Udine, Bergamo and Turin, the rest of our stadiums are in a comatose state.
“Ceferin has strongly criticised Italian stadiums and I agree with him.”
He continued: “We are behind all the other countries. In the last 18 years we have only inaugurated six stadiums, of which only three are in Serie A. In the rest of Europe, 226.
“I am very worried. We are pressing the government to streamline the procedure and thus silence the famous ‘no committees,’ which in Italy never get anything done, and the authorities that are supposed to protect cultural heritage.”
