体坛英语新闻：Turkey says Istanbul favorite to host Euro 2020 final

ANKARA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish Football Federation said Wednesday that Istanbul is "top of the list" to host the 2020 European Championship final, local media reported.

The federation's general secretary, Emre Alkin, told reporters that UEFA President Michel Platini "promised Turkey" in January that Istanbul would "surely" stage the final and semifinals if the city lost the 2020 Olympics hosting race.

UEFA should announce on Friday the applicants to host Euro 2020, which will be played in 13 countries.

Alkin expected "three or four" of UEFA's 54 member countries to compete for the final package.

He said Spain and Hungary were possible candidates, with UEFA choosing the winner next September.