UEFA’s Executive Committee, who held a video conference meeting today, has announced that the women’s European Championship, which was scheduled for 2021, will now take place in England from 6 to 31 July 2022. The host cities and stadiums will remain the same.

Postponing the tournament for a year was necessary to guarantee the maximum possible visibility and stop it from coinciding with the men’s European Championship and the Olympics in the summer of 2021. “When we made the urgent decision to postpone UEFA EURO 2020, we always had the impact it’d have on the UEFA Women’s EURO 2021 in mind,” said UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin. “We carefully evaluated all the options, with our commitment to the growth of women’s football the foremost thought behind our actions. By pushing the European Championship back one year, we’re ensuring that this prestigious tournament will be the only major football event of the summer and will thus get the attention it deserves.”

“It’s the best solution and a victory for common sense,” said Head Coach Milena Bertolini. “It’s a decision that has been taken for the good of women’s football and to encourage its growth: the tournament will receive maximum visibility.”