Michel Platini doubts Wales' bid to host Euro 2020 games

Cardiff is unlikely to be one of the 13 cities chosen to stage matches in the 2020 European Championship, according to Uefa president Michel Platini.

The Football Association of Wales hopes the Millennium Stadium will be used under the competition's new format.

But Platini said Wales' capital city lacks the necessary infrastructure to deal with the tournament's demands.

"It's about the hospitality, the hotel rooms and the problem of the international airport," said Platini.

"Wales have the stadium but you need the airport, the hotel rooms, you need many things and that could be where Wales will have to work if they want to be a host city for Euro 2020."

The FAW has already declared an interest to be involved in Euro 2020. Uefa, European football's governing body will launch the official bidding process in April 2014, and the 13 cities will be chosen the following September.

It is a change from the usual format, where one or two countries hosted the tournament every four years. The next European Championship will be staged by France in 2016 and will feature 24 qualifiers, up from 16 in 2012.

FAW chief executive Ford has made hosting Uefa competitions one of his main priorities since taking charge in 2009.

His predecessor, David Collins, had failed to secure a Champions League final or Uefa Cup final for Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, but Ford has found some success.

The Uefa Super Cup will be held at Cardiff City Stadium in 2014, while the Uefa Women's Under-19 Championship will be staged in Wales this August.

But any bids to stage the Champions League final in future are likely to fail on the same grounds that Platini raised in relation to Euro 2020.

"There is not enough hotel rooms in the city, there is not enough space around for the hospitality," said Platini after officially opening Wales' new national development centre in Newport.

"That creates a problem for the final of the Champions League. We need a lot of space. Good or bad we need that."

A full interview with Michel Platini will be broadcast on BBC Radio Wales' weekly football programme at 18:30 BST on Monday, 22 April.