Sepp Blatter, president of soccer's world governing body FIFA, has criticized the proposed format set to be used at Euro 2020 and says the scattering of the tournament over 13 countries will not make it a true European championship, the 77-year-old Swiss said.

"A tournament belongs to a country, across which is created an identity and state of euphoria. The 2020 tournament has been dispersed and it is no longer a true European championship," AFP quoted him as saying.

Blatter also pointed out that the idea was not a new one and was in fact initially proposed by slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for the organization of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"Colonel Gaddafi told me that a match should be held in each of the 53 African countries," Blatter said. "I told him, it was unthinkable."