Football - EURO 2020: Roxana Maracineanu - I hope to bring good luck to French in match versus Switzerland

The French Minister of Sports, Roxana Maracineanu, told a Monday's press conference that she hopes to bring good luck for the French footballers in the match versus Switzerland in the round of 16 at EURO 2020, taking into account that it takes place in Bucharest, the city where she was born.

"I am glad that I am here, in Bucharest, to support the French national football team in the match versus Switzerland. There will also be 1,500 fans who came to encourage our national team. I am glad that this match takes place in Bucharest, in Romania's capital city, where I was born, therefore it is a special place for me. I hope I will bring good luck to the French by the fact that the match takes place in Bucharest. I even encouraged the French players to finish the group in first place to come to play here. We have a lot of valuable players in the team, even if there are some problems with injuries now. I am confident that coach Didier Deschamps will field the best players. Each match is complicated all the more so as EURO 2020 takes place in more countries and the teams have to change their place several times. So it is a pretty difficult competition for everyone, but the French team is ready to adapt to any conditions and I have full confidence that it can reach its ending," said the former swimmer.

The minister explained that France will have only 1,500 fans in the stands during the match with Switzerland due to the restricted number of seats on the National Arena.

The French minister of sports considers that the organization of the European Championship in 11 countries is interesting from a sports point of view, but raises some environmental issues, as fans and players have to use aircraft to move from one venue to another.

During her visit to Bucharest, Maracineanu will also have a meeting with the Minister of Youth and Sports, Eduard Novak: "Today I will have a meeting with the Minister of Youth and Sports of Romania, Eduard Novak. Together we will work on an agreement that already exists between the two countries. We will discuss France's sports priorities during the French Presidency of the EU Council."

The French Minister of Sports, Roxana Maracineanu, will be present on the National Arena in Bucharest at the match that the French national team will play tonight, from 22:00, against the Swiss national team in the round of 16 of EURO 2020.