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Poland and Ukraine can host Euro 2012 for now, say UEFA
BORDEAUX: UEFA ruled on Friday that Poland and Ukraine will keep the hosting
rights to the 2012 European Championship, but warned they could still
lose the tournament if preparations fall behind schedule.
'The executive committee reconfirmed UEFA's commitment to organise the
2012 European Championship in Poland and in the Ukraine,' UEFA president
Michel Platini said.
'At the same time, the executive committee stressed a number of conditions
that must be met in order to bring forward the whole project.'
UEFA's executive committee reviewed a report looking at whether both countries
had made enough progress after concerns were raised over their preparations.
Platini visited both countries in early July to inspect the state of readiness.
'I am confident that we approach 2012 in full readiness,' said Ukrainian
Soccer Federation president Hryihoriy Surkis. 'We aren't talking, we are
acting.'
UEFA said progress has been achieved in the past six months, but that
it was 'neither uniform nor constant'.
'Both host countries must continue to make the necessary efforts as any
slackening could put in doubt the organisation of this tournament in these
countries,' UEFA said.
Platini elaborated on the concerns at a news conference. 'We were promised
new airports and we will not have new airports. We were promised new roads
and we are still waiting,' he said. 'Warsaw and Kiev are the key issues.
We cannot organise a European competition without the capital city.'
Platini said the co-hosts 'promised' that stadiums in Kiev and Warsaw
will be ready in time.
'If we don't have the stadium in Kiev, that's a problem. Ukraine can't
afford to send everyone to a country where there is no capital city (ready),'
Platini said. 'They are working very hard and we have confidence in them.
The president and the prime minister tell me it will be ready. What am
I supposed to say? That I don't believe them?'
However, Platini warned that the host countries could expect problems
if they failed to meet the new expectations.
'If neither stadium is ready in Kiev or Warsaw, we would certainly do
something different,' Platini said.
Marcin Herra, the president of the Polish organising committee, said he
was '100 per cent certain' that the new 55,000-seat National Stadium to
be built in Warsaw would be finished by the summer of 2011.
UEFA general secretary David Taylor said the two host countries would
face 'continuous monitoring'. 'The only circumstances under which we would
review (the hosting rights) is the essential condition that both capital
cities are involved as host cities: Kiev and Warsaw,' he said.
thestar.com.my,
September 28, 2008
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