Euro 2020 playoff between Georgia and North Macedonia to be played in empty stadium
Georgia's head coach Vladimír Weiss has called on services of 29 national team players, from which the squad for the North Macedonia game will be selected shortly before the match. Photo via Georgian Football Federation.
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The decisive UEFA Euro 2020 playoff game between Georgia and North Macedonia next week will be played in an empty stadium, following a decision made by relevant authorities for pandemic safety.
Deputy Prime Minister Maia Tskitishvili announced the decision on Thursday, a week before the crucial fixture that will decide which of the two teams will play in the European Football Championship next year.
In her announcement Tskitishvili said the "current epidemiological situation" in Georgia had compelled authorities to hold the match without fans on stands, and urged supporters to get behind the national team while watching from home.
The November 12 match between the two squads is one of four games involving eight national teams in the play-off finals - the ultimate qualifying stage before the tournament proper, originally scheduled for 2020, starts next June.
Scheduled for kick-off at 9pm Georgian local time at Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi, the outcome of the match will see the Georgian national team qualify for the Euros for the first time, in the event of their win against North Macedonian counterparts.
The Georgian national football team has handed a defeat to Belarus 1 to 0 in the UEFA EURO 2020 play-offs in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. After the victory in play-off semi-finals Georgia will now face North Macedonia or Kosovo in play-off finals on November 12.
The Georgian national football team has defeated Estonia in UEFA Nations League. Georgians handed a defeat to Estonia 1 to 0 at the A Le Coq arena in Tallinn yesterday. On September 8, the Georgian team will host North Macedonia at Boris Paichadze national stadium in Tbilisi.
The Georgian Football Federation will receive €4.3 million from UEFA to overcome the financial impact caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to Georgia UEFA is helping all its 55 member associations. For this reason UEFA has allocated €236.5 million which will be distributed to the national associations to cover running costs and to help develop targeted areas of domestic football.
The Georgian national football team has qualified for the play-off stage of the newly launched UEFA Nations League after winning their fourth match in their group at the tournament.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Levan Shengelia, two players of Georgia's national football team squad, have tested positive for the coronavirus and will miss the team's crucial qualification game against North Macedonia on Thursday.
Social activist Giorgi Kupatadze was injured in clashes between Georgian Football Federation employees and demonstrators earlier today.
Georgia and Romania have been selected to host the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.