The Italian Federation of American Football, FIDAF, will host the first semifinal in the IFAF 2020 European Championship Final Four.
The Italians were awarded the bid despite having a lower ranking (#4) in the Top 22 list of European nations.
The last time these two teams faced each other was in an international friendly in 2016 when France defeated the Italians 23-15 in a game played in Castel Giorgio, Italy.
The game is scheduled for August 2 and will likely be played at Breda Stadium in S. San Giovanni (a suburb of Milan). The venue was the site of the 2019 Italian Bowl and the 2018 EFL Bowl between the Milano Seamen and Potsdam Royals.
Fabio Tortosa, the head of international relations for the Federal Council, is very pleased with the news:
“The federation continues to work hard to enhance the value of the entire movement, also in the eyes of international football. By organizing the U19 European Championship in Bologna, Italy raised the bar, showing everyone how it should be done; the recent partnership with the Canadian Football League has broadened our horizons even further and now we can proudly say that we are the benchmark for the entire movement outside of the United States. Being able to play a European semifinal at home is a dream that will come true on August 2 and, despite this not being the best of dates as it clashes with many of the events at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, we hope we’ll succeed in filling the stands in the Breda Stadium with thousands of fans.”
Pierre Trochet, Head of Business Operations for the French Federation of American Football :
“We are thrilled that the FIDAF is hosting this great event; it’s a major opportunity to promote top-flight European football. We will do everything possible to enable our fans to support us at the Breda Stadium in Sesto San Giovanni. The FIDAF and the FFFA share a long history together in European competitions.”
The site of the second semifinal between Sweden and Finland has yet to be determined.