Mirror: Anfield is not eligible to host the 2028 European Cup because the length of the stadium does not meet the requirements

On November 13, the "Mirror" published an article explaining why Anfield Stadium will not be able to host the 2028 European Cup.

As early as October 2023, Britain and Ireland confirmed their successful bid to host the 2028 European Cup. Now more details have been announced. The tournament is scheduled to kick off in Cardiff on June 9, and the final is scheduled to be held at Wembley on July 9 a month later.

There are nine venues in total, including Wembley, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Dublin's Aviva Stadium, Glasgow's Hampden Park and Cardiff's Principality Stadium. Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, Villa's Villa Park, Newcastle's St James' Park and Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium are also included.

Unlike 1966, when England hosted the World Cup and 1996, when the Three Lions hosted the European Cup, all of the Three Lions' home games were played at Wembley. This time, England may end up playing games in Manchester and Newcastle, or potentially the Hill Dickinson Stadium, depending on their promotion status.

But as full details of the event are released, one iconic English stadium remains noticeably absent: Liverpool's Anfield.

Although Liverpool will be a host city, Liverpool FC's iconic stadium is not included in the list of stadiums submitted by the Football Association to UEFA. This is somewhat surprising considering Anfield has undergone significant redevelopment in recent years, with capacity increased to over 61,000.

But its loss was not purely by choice, nor was it ineligible because Hill Dickinson Stadium, with a capacity of 52,769, was selected. Instead, it was excluded for the same issue that previously prevented it from hosting a Champions League or Europa League final: the size of the playing field.

UEFA clearly stipulates that the competition venue must have a standard size of 105 meters by 68 meters. The length of Anfield's pitch is only 101 meters, which makes it ineligible for venue qualifications.

The last time Anfield was used for a major tournament was when England hosted the European Cup in 1996, hosting Group C matches involving Italy, Russia and the Czech Republic, as well as the quarter-finals between France and the Netherlands. But when Euro 2028 arrives, it will just sit on the sidelines.