ENGLAND, SCOTLAND BOOST: EURO 2024 TEAMS CAN TAKE 26 PLAYERS AS PREM REFS DISCOVER ROLES

Scotland and England will be able to select 26 players in their squad for this summer’s European Championships in Germany.

The PA news agency understands the national teams competitions committee voted to increase squad size from 23 to 26.

UEFA allowed teams to name 26 players each for the first time at Euro 2020, to help them cope with Covid-19 infections and to manage player welfare after the pandemic led to a condensed 2020-21 season.

UEFA’s ruling executive committee could rubberstamp the proposal this week, PA understands.

Keeping squads at 26 players received the backing of national team coaches at a pre-tournament workshop earlier this month.

At the end of that workshop UEFA released a statement which read: “The positive discussions highlighted different points of view among coaches, with some expressing a desire to increase the squad size, with more choice available, the threat of injuries and the intense physical demands placed upon players.

“Others stated their preference to cap the squad size at 23, pointing out the difficulty in training with additional players, group management and the increased financial burdens placed upon national associations.

“UEFA has taken note of the various opinions and points of view shared, with a final decision to be made in the coming weeks.”

Euro 2024 gets under way on June 14 when hosts Germany face Steve Clarke’s Scotland in Munich.

Meanwhile, Luton Town supporter Stuart Attwell will be one of the VARs at this summer’s tournament, with Anthony Taylor among the on-field referees.

The news comes two days on from the pair being on duty for Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 loss at Everton, after which the officiating was attacked in a social media post from the visitors that referenced Attwell being “a Luton fan”.

The post said there had been “three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept”, adding: “We warned the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game, but they didn’t change him.”

On Monday, Forest said they had submitted a formal request to PGMOL for audio of discussions between Attwell and Taylor in relation to the three incidents to be made public.

They also called on PGMOL to change its rules on officials’ allegiances “to account for contextual rivalries in the league table’, not just local rivalries”.

Three Forest members of staff – boss Nuno Espirito Santo, referee analyst Mark Clattenburg and full-back Neco Williams – have been asked by the Football Association for their observations following comments they made after the match at Goodison Park, while the Premier League is examining the club’s social media post.

As well as Taylor, with assistants Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn, Michael Oliver will be the other English on-field referee at the Euros, assisted by Stuart Burt and Dan Cook, UEFA said on Tuesday. The other English VAR alongside Attwell will be David Coote.

2024-04-23T12:33:16Z dg43tfdfdgfd