EURO 2021

The Polish and Ukrainian national football associations’ presidents, Grzegorz Lato and Hrihoryi Surkis, argued on Friday in Kiev that these two countries would meet the Euro 2012 deadlines. „I am fully convinced that the Ukraine will be on time and that we will be on time” said Lato after a joint press conference with Surkis. The head of the Polish Football Association visited Ukraine as the first country after his election to the position. „I am making my first steps here (as the PFA president) and the visit (to Ukraine) […]

UEFA gives an ultimatum. Stadiums in Warsaw and Kiev have to come into being. Otherwise, we will lose championships. There is no plan “B” for Warsaw and Kiev. If the stadium are not built in these cities on time, the Europe championships will be taken away by Germany or Russia. – UEFA does not imagine the situation in which Euro 2012 would not take place in the capitals of Poland and Ukraine – Warsaw and Kiev’ says Michael Listkiewicz, the chairman of the Polish Football Association. Michel Platini has already […]

Former Poland forward Grzegorz Lato was voted president of the Polish FA (PZPN) on Thursday in an election called to avoid FIFA sanctions and the potential loss of the country’s right to co-host Euro 2012 with Ukraine. Lato, top scorer at the 1974 World Cup, took 57 of 112 votes to win outright in the first round. He beat FA secretary-general Zdzislaw Krecina and government favourite Zbigniew Boniek, another ex-Poland forward, who got 36 and 19 votes respectively. Lato said a successful Euro 2012 was one of his main goals […]

‘We can sleep calmly’ – says Michal Listkiewicz. ‘They will not take away Euro from us” – added Mirosław Drzewiecki, the minister of sport. Both of them were right. Now, during the debates in Bordeaus, The Executive Committee of UEFA confirmed that the Europe championship will be organized in 2012 by Poland and Ukraine. The fact that we have Euro has been confirmed today by the Executive Committee of UEFA in Bordeaux. However, the activists warned that both countries has to accelerate preparatory works.

Not everyone liked the UEFA’s decision of leaving the organization of the European football championships in 2012 for Poland and Ukraine. The Germans had the most grudges, but this shouldn’t came as a surprise to anybody as it’s widely known that our western neighbors wanted to take over the event most. According to the daily “Die Welt”, UEFA president Michel Platini gave Poland and Ukraine “a yellow card and a warning” but he is endangered himself by “a red card” and the European Championships are endangered by a fiasco.

Amid fears the Euro 2012 finals were in jeopardy, UEFA has granted tentative approval for Poland and Ukraine to maintain hosting rights for what is one of world soccer’s most important events. Despite the backing, UEFA warned the joint hosts to speed up their preparations, insisting the hosting deal could still be annulled, sources from European soccer’s governing body said Friday. Poland and Ukraine were given the reprieve after UEFA’s executive committee met in Bordeaux to discuss a progress report on preparations for the tournament.

The demolition of „Trojickyj” Shopping Centre near the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, which will be the main Euro 2012 arena, took only one week. In Monday, according to lack of money, the work stopped – announced the newspaper “Sport-ekspres na Ukrainie” in Tuesday. – If the demolition of the center has been really stopped, this can finally damage all our hopes (connected with organization of Euro 2012 by Ukraine) – said the chairman of the Ukrainian Federation of Football, quoted by the newspaper, Hryhorij Surkis.

The prime minister of Ukraine Julia Tymoszenko announced on Wednesday, that the Shopping Centre „Trojickyj” near the Olympic Stadium in Kiev will be pulled down, and the stadium will be ready to host the final match of Euro 2012. – The building (of the shopping centre) will be pulled down. The Olympic Stadium will be modernized in time in order to organize Euro 2012 there – said Tymoszenko on the press conference. According to the vice-prime minister Iwan Wasiunyk, the modernization of the Olympic Stadium should be finished in 2010. […]

Italian daily paper “La Repubblica” expressed an opinion that nobody will take back Euro 2012. Italian media suggested before that the tournament would take place on the Apenine Peninsula. Such comment was on the margin of the conversation with the president of UEFA Michel Platini who was staying in Italy. Platini, when asked if there is any news concerning Ukraine that is preparing Euro 2012 answered: “no, none”.

The President of Ukrainian Federation Soccer admitted that it’s probable that the majority of Euro 2012 matches including finals, would be played in Poland. The Prime Minister of Ukraine is a bigger optimist. Ukrainians have the biggest problems with the infrastructure, especially with old airports. What’s more, there is also a problem with Olympic Stadium where finals are planned. An object that can accommodate 75.000 spectators is supposed to be entirely rebuilt and extend to about 85.000 seats. A Taiwanese company that won a bidding for the modernization of the […]