After Olympic snub, mayor says Rome happy to host Euro 2020

Posted September 22, 2016 7:00 am

The Associated Press

ROME (AP) - A day after rejecting Rome's bid for the Summer Olympics in 2024, Mayor Virginia Raggi said the city is "honored" to host matches for the 2020 UEFA European Championship.

Rome's Stadio Olimpico is slated to host three group matches and a quarterfinal for the 2020 tournament, which will be spread across the continent for the first time with 13 cities hosting matches.

"We're honored that Rome will host such an important sports event," Raggi said. "We want sports available to everyone."

Before announcing her opposition to Rome's Olympic bid on Wednesday due to concerns over costs, Raggi didn't show up for a scheduled meeting with Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malago. However, the pair crossed paths at Thursday's Euro 2020 presentation, with Malago kissing the mayor's hand when they met.

"I always do that with people I don't know that well," Malago explained.

The other 2020 hosts are London; Munich, Germany; St. Petersburg, Russia; Dublin; Glasgow; Copenhagen, Denmark; Bucharest, Romania; Amsterdam; Bilbao, Spain; Budapest, Hungary; and Brussels.

The host cities were decided before Raggi entered office in June.

Rome's mayor Virginia Raggi poses for photographers in front of the world-famous Spanish Steps before the start of a press conference to present the reopening of the site at the end of 10 months of restoration works, in Rome, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) The Associated Press

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