The tournament was due to take place in several cities across Europe this summer but the decision was made to postpone the competition by 12 months due to the developing coronavirus crisis, which has largely cancelled or postponed the sporting landscape across the globe. 

UEFA Euro 2020 POSTPONED to 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic

It was formally announced by UEFA on Tuesday that the tournament would be delayed until 2021, but another statement issued Friday by European football's governing body has outlined that they intend to retain the title of Euro 2020, prompting an outcry of confusion from football fans across the continent.

The European Championships are just one of numerous upcoming tournaments or sporting seasons to have been curtailed by the outbreak of COVID-19 which, as of Friday afternoon, has nearly 260,000 confirmed cases and 10,544 deaths. 

Most major European leagues have closed their doors indefinitely and with the European Championships now no longer taking place in the summer, it leaves a window available for domestic leagues to potentially fulfil their seasonal fixtures - so long as the virus has been brought under control.

Nonetheless, the 12-month delay in holding the tournament - and the decision to still call it Euro 2020 - has led to some speculation as to the reasoning for this particular call.