There is about to be a whole lot of football on our TV – a months worth in fact – as Euro 2020 is set to kick-off in June 2021 and fans from all over Europe count down the days until it starts.

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The Euro 2020 fixtures are now out so we can plan ahead to make sure we can watch all the important games – or every game, as is the case for lots of us – but there is one word that will strike fear into the hearts of many a fan: VAR.

The controversial virtual referee system has certainly made a mark on the sport in recent times and there is not likely to be any major team that has not seen a bizarre decision made because of it that has cost them points – but will be it be a part of Euro 2020? Read on for everything you need to know or check out our guide to how to watch Euro 2020 on TV.

Is VAR being used at Euro 2020?

Euro 2016 was a VAR-free zone and, despite it being commonplace now, there were a lot of us hoping it would somehow be omitted from Euro 2020 too.

When VAR was first announced, fans were split, with many happy something was in place to overrule bad decision – Frank Lampard's disallowed goal in 2010 that should have brought them level with Germany being one such moment that was hotly discussed.

But now, the vast majority have turned on it, with the decisions being made causing more frustration than anything else – it is not being used the way many of us had hoped, with even high profile people involved in the game voicing their frustrations.

If you fall into that camp then we have bad news as VAR will indeed be used at Euro 2020 and we suspect all eyes will be on it to see how much of impact it has.

If you want a list of who the non-virtual referees are that have been chosen for the tournament, here they are:

  • Felix Brych (Germany)
  • Cüneyt Çakır (Turkey)
  • Carlos Del Cerro Grande (Spain)
  • Andreas Ekberg (Sweden)
  • Orel Grinfeeld (Israel)
  • Ovidiu Alin Hategan (Romania)
  • Sergei Karasev (Russia)
  • Istvan Kovacs (Romania)
  • Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)
  • Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
  • Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
  • Michael Oliver (England)
  • Daniele Orsato (Italy)
  • Artur Manuel Ribeiro Soares Dias (Portugal)
  • Daniel Siebert (Germany)
  • Anthony Taylor (England)
  • Clément Turpin (France)
  • Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia)

Euro 2020 will start on June 11th and run for a month, with the final taking place on July 11th. The matches will be divided up between BBC and ITV before both air the final in July.

Check out our relaunched Football Times podcast featuring special guests, FPL tips and match previews available on Apple / Spotify / Acast.

For the full breakdown of what games are coming up check out our Euro 2020 fixtures on TV guide.

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If you’re looking for something else to watch check out our TV Guide or visit our Sport hub for all the latest news.

Authors

Joe JuliansEntertainment Journalist

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