By DPA,
Nyon : France and Italy will be battling to stage football’s European Championships in 2016, UEFA has confirmed.
Europe’s governing body has also received proposals from Turkey and a joint bid from Sweden and Norway.
UEFA Tuesday said the candidates will have to submit bid dossiers by February 2010. UEFA officials will then visit the bidding countries to evaluate their plans.
Its executive committee will make a final decision May 27, 2010.
It is a second successive attempt by Italy to host the European Championships after losing out to Poland and Ukraine in their successful joint bid for Euro 2012.
Italy were hosts in 1968 and 1980, while France hosted the first championships in 1960 and were again hosts in 1984. Sweden, meanwhile, were the 1992 hosts.
UEFA is expanding the 2016 tournament from 16 to 24 teams.
Monday was the deadline for associations to signal their interest in hosting the tournament.