What are the expected effects of EURO 2020 games for the economy and society in Azerbaijan?

Abstract

This study focuses on the expected impacts of EURO 2020 for both society and the economy of Azerbaijan. Analyzing different sources about the effects of mega sports events and interviewing experts from the Local Organizing Committee are key factors in obtaining outcomes. There is a rich literature which analyzes and focuses on the impacts of mega sports events in general or for specific countries. Unfortunately, there is no research particularly about Azerbaijan since it is one of the countries that organizes mega sports events regularly for the last couple of years. Methods of analysis include expert interviews and analyzing secondary data about the topic in the case of other host nations. This paper compares Azerbaijan with other host nations of EURO 2020. One finding is that with the infrastructure in place, and proper organization, mega sport events can have a positive economic impact for the host country or city.