FRANZ BECKENBAUER

The announcement is expected at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, at 1300 GMT (18.30 IST) on Thursday. Germany plans to enter their first Euro as a whole country where West Germany has hosted the event in 1988. On the other hand, Turkey, the only other bidding nation in the field, hopes to be awarded their first major football tournament after missing out on France with a vote for the right to host Euro 2016.

Germany has a clear advantage over stadiums and transport. Their official bid shows 10 existing stages ready to host the 2024 finals, while Turkey will rebuild and renovate two of their proposed stadiums. While 2.29 million fans could see Euro 2024 games in Turkey, based on maximum capacity, the German bid can offer seats to 2.78 million followers. This means more revenue from ticket sales, and the Germans also steal a march with regard to transport. Germany offers a reliable road, rail and air network that is ready to whip visitors, fans between host cities. However, as the UEFA reports note, “travel is dependent on air transport, and the amount of work to be performed in the given time frame poses a risk.”

Human rights issues constitute the biggest gap between rivals. UEFA is unequivocal to say clearly that Turkey’s lack of an action plan for human rights is a matter of concern under their President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. There are no such concerns in Angela Merkel, Germany, but allegations of “racism and disrespect” by Mesut Ozil in July, DFB’s (German football federation) damaged the image of harmonious integration. Arsenal star Ozil, born in Germany to Turkish parents, specifically aimed at DFB President Reinhard Grindel, as he retired from international customs after Germany’s catastrophic World Cup performance.

There are also reports of corruption, especially after the German magazine Der Spiegel revealed 10 million Swiss francs (6.7 million Euros of the time) had been used to buy votes from FIFA officials to host the 2006 World Cup. Some FIFA delegations suddenly changed their vote, which allowed Germany to beat the South African bid by 12 votes to 11 when the decision was made in 2000.

Tags: Angela Merkel, Mesut Ozil, Recep Tayyip Erdogan

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