QUEBEC CITY
Europe's highest football governing body, had yet to make a decision on Turkey's application to host the Euro 2020 Football Championship, said president of the International Olympics Committee (IOC).
"This bid is not yet accepted by UEFA, and this bid today does not have the financial guarantees of the government," Jacques Rogge told a press conference Thursday in Quebec City, Canada, following the IOC's annual meetings.
IOC and UEFA demand candidates to host the Olympic Games and the Euro finals to cover loses if the games failed financially.
"There is only one official bid [by Turkey], which is the Olympic bid," Rogge added.
Rogge did not rule out, however, the possibility that Turkey could both host the Olympic Games and Euro 2020 in the same summer, citing an olympic charter regulation that a country cannot stage another major competition only one week before or one week after the Olympic Games.
Rogge stated that the committee members completed their works successfully, adding that they decided on three candidate cities for the olympic event in 2020 and that they will be focusing on 2012 London Olympics and on other main topics from now on such as game-fixing, anti-doping as well as legislation and regulations.
Rogge reminded that Saudi Arabia was one of only three countries never to sent a female athlete to Olympic events as the others, Qatar and Brunei, had already pledged to send female athletes to the upcoming games in London.
"There is absolutely no reason to consider the participation of Saudi women under the IOC flag. It's not been an easy situation, but there is a commitment and we are working to find a solution," said Rogge over Saudi Arabia's insistence not to endorse a female Olympian.
