EURO 2021

Where even soccer is politics, infrastructure improvements have fallen behind. KIEV — In Ukraine, soccer is simply politics pursued through other means. The vicious and sometimes petty power struggle at the highest reaches of the country’s government has spilled over to its sports fields. Two years ago, UEFA, Europe’s governing soccer body, awarded Ukraine and its Slavic neighbor Poland the prestigious designation as co-hosts of the European soccer championships in 2012. The European championship, held every four years, is the largest international soccer tournament after the World Cup and one […]

Polish Minister of Sports and Tourism Mirosław Drzewiecki and Andrzej Bogucki, Board Member of PL 2012 have met with a visiting trade mission from Saudi Arabia. The visit of potential investors is the result of Minster Drzewiecki’s, Treasury Minister’s Aleksander Grad’s and Prime Minister’s Donald Tusk’s visit to Saudi Arabia last March. The main subject of the talks were possible investments ahead of the UEFA EURO 2012 Football Championship which will begin in Poland and Ukraine in 1045 days. Andrzej Bogucki of PL 2012, the coordinator of preparatory undertakings for […]

The construction of the stadium is delayed and the money for it stolen – announced a select committee appointed by the Ukrainian parliament to investigate the uncertainties concerning rebuilding of the final arena of Euro 2012. The head of the select committee, Rawil Safiullin has no illusions. – Everything points to the fact that the money is stolen – said Rawil in the Ukrainian newspaper “Today”. According to him, millions of ‘hrywien’ which flow from the country’s budget spreads “somewhere” on its way. Last year, the main contractor promised to […]

According to the requirements UEFA, the residential centers for teams are supposed to be ready in a year already, but actually will not be. – We will ask for more time – announces Olkowicz Adam, vice-president of the Polish Football Association. Up to 44 Polish towns would like to host 16 final groups of the European Championships, but for the time being any center meets UEFA requirements. Representations have to have available at least a four-star hotel with 60 rooms, football field for thousand of spectators and three training places. […]

Kyiv authority are planning to settle poor foreigners – the guests of Euro-2012 – in hoses on water near the Park Druzhby Narodov, near the Moscow bridge. A few hundreds of hoses are planned to place on pontoon bridges and be moored, Delovaya stolitsa newspaper reports with reference to director of commercial enterprise Khozkomobsluzhyvanie Alexander Diachenko. Every house will consist of 1 room for 4 people with bathroom unit, hot and cold water supply, TV set. The enterprise is going to make power line or equip wind energy device. The […]

Ukraine’s preparations to co-host the European Football Championship in 2012 have fallen badly behind schedule. Uefa, Europe’s football governing body, has given the country until 30 November to show significant improvement, or face losing most of the matches to the co-hosts, Poland. In the eastern city of Donetsk, people are riding high on a tide of football fever. In May their team, Shakhtar, won the Uefa cup. Thousands came out onto the streets to celebrate and welcome the players home. The crowd seemed oblivious to the brooding presence of a […]

After a stuttering start, Poland has, unlike Ukraine, finally gained the confidence of UEFA, the governing body of European football, which recently confirmed that four Polish cities will host matches during the Euro 2012 football championships. Following early delays, Poland is likely to have acceptable stadiums in six cities, and the airport and hotel infrastructure looks to be in good shape as well. The problem, as ever in Poland, is with building a modern system of highways and expressways that would allow fans to move easily from venue to venue. […]

There are no large problems in Poland – said Michel Platini, who came with 2 days long business trip to Poland. – Poland and Ukraine have to continue their efforts. Six to eight cities, that will organise championship, are going to be chosen on 13 May- he said. One of factors deciding which city is chosen are contracts with hotels for so called UEFA family, that means campaigners, referees, sponsors, etc. rooms. Along with UEFA delegation in Poland, there appeared a lot of speculation about particular cities chances in race […]

The experts from special UEFA committee finished their three-day visit to Wroclaw which was devoted to the issues of air transport during the European Football Championships in 2012. The UEFA delegation discussed this issue with airport and city-host representatives. – The progress in currently run works was discussed. The experts asked for detailed information concerning among others the capacity of the airports” said the office manager dedicated to Euro 2012 in the Municipal Council of Wroclaw – Hanna Domagala. The following meeting concerning the air transport is planned for the […]

The experts from a special UEFA committee finished on Tuesday their two-day visit to Wroclaw which was devoted to the hotels and accommodation during European Football Championships in 2012. The experts visited all four and five star hotels in Wroclaw. They visited 10 working objects and construction sites of four following investments.