U.K. Leaves Door Open to Bank Holiday If England Wins Euro 2020

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. government held out the prospect of an extra bank holiday if England wins soccer’s European Championship on Sunday.

England will play Italy in the final at London’s Wembley stadium. It’s the team’s first major soccer final since it won the World Cup in 1966. Asked on Friday whether there might be a national bank holiday on July 19 as a result of a win, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman, Jamie Davies was at pains not to deny it and he didn’t want to “tempt fate.”

“Let’s see what happens on Sunday,” Davies told reporters. “We will set out any plans in due course if necessary.”

Davies’s remarks suggest the government is keen to tap the feel-good factor that would follow from any victory. The date is hypothetical, but a July 19 holiday would coincide with the government’s plan to reopen the economy on what the ruling Conservatives have dubbed “freedom day.”

Davies also said fans shouldn’t boo the Italian national anthem when it’s played on Sunday, and urged fans to be respectful.

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