Russia's football chief has made a striking declaration about stepping in to host Euro 2032, even though the nation remains excluded from international competitions following its 2022 Ukraine invasion.
Alexander Dyukov, who heads the Russian Football Union, insisted his country stands "always ready" to take over hosting duties should Italy struggle to fulfil its commitments for the tournament.
The bold statement came after Russia's match against Bolivia, with Dyukov telling Sport24 that Russia could swiftly assume responsibility for the championship.
This confidence persists despite FIFA and UEFA maintaining their ban on Russian participation in official competitions since 2022.
Russia's football chief, Alexander Dyukov, has made a striking declaration about stepping in to host Euro 2032, even though the nation remains excluded from international competitions following its 2022 Ukraine invasion
|GETTY
Russia's application for Euro 2032 was actually submitted back in 2022, according to Russian outlet Izvestia, though no fresh bid has been lodged since then.
They remain insistent, however, that the uncertainty surrounding Italy's current set of stadiums could lead them to be the most prepared alternative.
Despite being banned from UEFA and FIFA competitions, Russia has continued playing friendlies against nations like Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and even received an invitation to participate in the Central Asian Football Association in 2023.
Italy and Turkey were announced as the joint-hosts for Euro 2032 back in 2023
|PA
The comments come amid Italy's stadium infrastructure crisis.
They have faced fierce criticism from UEFA's top brass, raising genuine concerns about the country's ability to host the tournament in seven years' time.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin didn't mince his words, describing Italian stadiums as being in a "comatose state" and declaring that Italy possesses "by far the worst infrastructure" amongst Europe's major footballing nations.
The criticism centres on Italy's ageing facilities, with iconic venues like San Siro in Milan and Rome's Stadio Olimpico requiring substantial modernisation work. The former is expected to be torn down in replacement for a new stadium by 2031, just in time for the Euros 12 months later.
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Only three stadiums - in Udine, Bergamo and Turin - escaped Ceferin's harsh assessment of Italy's sporting infrastructure.
These worries have been echoed by Ezio Simonelli, who leads Italy's league governing body and has openly shared his deep anxieties about the hosting situation.
"I'm really worried about Euro 2032," Simonelli confessed during an Italian state radio interview, questioning whether Italy's candidacy might be in jeopardy.
The iconic San Siro is set to be demolished and replaced with a state-of-the-art stadium in time for Euro 2032
|PA
He acknowledged the validity of Ceferin's harsh critique, admitting that Italian stadiums truly are in a dire state.
The statistics paint a bleak picture - Italy has managed to open just six new stadiums over the past 18 years, with merely three of those serving Serie A clubs.
Meanwhile, the rest of Europe has inaugurated 226 stadiums during the same period, highlighting Italy's dramatic infrastructure lag.
The tournament is scheduled to be jointly hosted by Italy and Turkey, with uncertainty still surrounding which venues will be selected.
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