Explained: Why Anfield was snubbed for Euro 2028 matches despite significant expansion | OneFootball

Liverpool will be one of the host cities for Euro 2028, but Anfield won’t be among the stadia used for the tournament.

On Wednesday, UEFA unveiled the official branding for the event and also revealed the match schedule for the finals in just over two-and-a-half years’ time.

Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium will stage five matches in the competition, consisting of four group games and a round of 16 fixture, which could conceivably be England v Wales if they both qualify and finish second in their respective groups.

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Anfield misses out due to UEFA rulebook

As explained by Mail Sport, Anfield would’ve been precluded from the venue selection process right from the start.

That’s because UEFA regulations require pitches at stadia hosting European Championship fixtures to have the ‘standard dimensions’ of 105 metres in length and 68 metres in width. The playing surface at Liverpool’s stadium is four metres short of meeting the former requirement.

Anfield snubbed despite major expansion since 2016

Similar to the tournament itself, Anfield has had a significant expansion since it staged four matches at Euro ’96, one of which saw Federico Chiesa’s father Enrico score for Italy, and another which included a goal for future Red Vladimir Smicer in a thrilling 3-3 draw between Russia and Czech Republic.

Image credit: Ben Radford/Getty Images

Back then the stadium’s capacity was just over 42,000 and the finals had 16 teams; Liverpool’s home can now host 61,276 paying supporters, while the competition consists of 24 nations.

Even with the redevelopment of the Main Stand and Anfield Road Stand over the past decade significantly modernising the venue and increasing its capacity, UEFA’s regulatory red tape over the pitch dimensions means that it misses out on Euro 2028.

The annoyance for Reds fans will be magnified by Everton’s new ground enjoying the international exposure instead, although that certainly isn’t something Anfield lacks given LFC’s annual presence in European competition.

Even if Italy qualify for the next Euros, our current number 14 won’t have the chance to emulate his dad by scoring for his country in L4. We won’t be complaining if he continues to do that for his club, though!

You can watch Slot’s full post-Man City press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube: