Euro 2008 - Platini demands progress report

Eurosport - Thu, 03 Jul 20:18:00 2008

Ukraine has three months to prove its preparations for hosting the 2012 European championship with Poland are on track, UEFA president Michel Platini said on Thursday.

FOOTBALL 2008 Euro 2008 Platini UEFA - 0

Platini has previously said Poland and Ukraine risked losing the right to host the tournament if stadiums in their capitals were not ready.

He said UEFA would make a decision on that at a meeting in Bordeaux in late September.

Arriving in Ukraine after a visit to Poland, Platini met with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and President Viktor Yushchenko - whose personal backing for the joint bid to host Euro 2012 helped convince UEFA officials.

"You have three months to work together to give Poland and Ukraine a way of hosting a fantastic Euro," Platini said at a meeting with Yushchenko.

"I am confident. But I need just a little guarantee."

Platini warned Ukraine about slow preparations in January, saying that the next few months were crucial. On Thursday, the had of European soccer's ruling body said those comments were meant to "wake up" Ukraine.

"We had some questions to ask you because not everything was exactly clear concerning many things in Ukraine - the stadiums, the airports, etc," he said, addressing Yushchenko.

"You have answered straight away, and madame prime minister has also answered."

Both Yushchenko and Tymoshenko pledged to step up efforts.

"We will do everything, even the impossible, so that there will be a fantastic celebration for the entire world,"

Tymoshenko said at her meeting with Platini. Ex-Communist Poland and former Soviet Ukraine face a colossal task in upgrading stadiums, building hotels and overhauling infrastructure including roads and airports if they want to stage their biggest event yet.

Both had immediate problems with stadiums in their capital cities which highlighted the problems the countries face.

In Warsaw, vendors who used the stadium as a bazaar protested at their eviction, while in Kiev wrangling over getting rid of a shopping centre adjacent to its stadium which blocked emergency exits continued for months.

After agreeing compensation to the centre's developer, demolition of the centre was begun just days ago. However, an architect is yet to be found for the stadium's renovation after the sports ministry ended talks with a Taiwan company.

Reuters

Comment 1 - 19 of 19

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  1. Poland and Ukraine are having the same problems that Portugal had before the Euros in 2004...one of the stadiums wasn't finished until three months before the start of play so I am not too worried. Poland has one stadium done (Poznan) and construction started on two others. The Ukrainian stadiums exist they just need to be modernized. So I wouldn't put too much stock in all of these rumors.

    From jmpietr, on Sat 12 Jul 5:00PM

  2. I like that idea that Turkey should host the euro cup - they played some fantastic football, nobody can take that away from them- but germany is ready to go and poland is almost there - they should cohost 2012 - that would be intense!

    From ericklein2003, on Sat 12 Jul 5:12AM

  3. football4life@,I DO NOT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ME!!!
    CAPISCI??????

    From dorin c, on Fri 11 Jul 2:54AM

  4. I THINK ALBANIA IS OK.THEY HAVE ONE STADIUM ALREADY
    AND THREE STADIUMS TO BE BUILT ONE ON THE TOP OF THE
    OTHER AND THE SPECTATORS CAN EASYLY COMUTE UP AND
    DOWN,PAIYNG ONLY ONE TICKET!
    FREEDOM OF CHOICE!!!
    GOOD FOR THE BUSINESS!
    GOOD FOR THE SPORT!
    MR.PLATINI WILL BE DELIGHTED!!!

    From dorin c, on Fri 4 Jul 7:23PM

  5. EURO 2012 is to be held in Russia! Saint Pete is perfect place for the tournament! Just think, while there are brakes between the matches one can go and enjoy the views and architecture of cultural capital of Europe! Also Russia is now having unprecedented funds and will surely do everything to prove the rest of the world that it can hold events of this scale. Also currently, there is a state of the art stadium is being built for Zenit, which could be used for EURO. The only question is will Russia want to commit given its $60Billion preparations for Sochi 2014? :)

    From romiojd, on Fri 4 Jul 7:02AM

  6. comment #14. you are a class act, the situation in the middle east is not a laughing matter.

    From football4life, on Fri 4 Jul 6:45AM

  7. I THINK ISRAEL AND THE WEST BANK PALESTINIANS ARE
    THE BEST IN PROVIDING A CIVILIZED CHAMPIONSHIP..
    TSAHAL AND HAMAS TO PROVIDE THE "SECURITY",THE "FUN
    ZONE" IN BEYRUTH...

    From dorin c, on Fri 4 Jul 6:15AM

  8. If Greece could be ready any other country would be too :-)

    From brainless, on Fri 4 Jul 5:04AM

  9. they'll have everything ready. if I know the Polish [which I should, seeing as I'm one of them] if they don't have a way of doing something, one can be damn' sure they'll find a way of getting it done.

    From Natalia, on Fri 4 Jul 1:18AM

  10. I dont trust poland even with them wisla krakow riots. they should host it in Iceland that would be so cool.

    From nezvedz, on Fri 4 Jul 1:04AM

  11. Screw all you haters, Poland's gonna host a kickass Euro, along with Ukraine...
    And besides soccer belongs to the world and the whole world deserves it so cut the @#$% about giving the euro to countries like England, although i guess that's the only way england will get in... LOL

    From piotter1988, on Fri 4 Jul 12:49AM

  12. Is Zuba joking?

    From as.morgan, on Thu 3 Jul 11:43PM

  13. the euros should definately go to scotland at the next time of asking, would be a fantastic event

    From Zuba, on Thu 3 Jul 11:33PM

  14. If they don’t meet the standards set down by UEFA then it should go to Scotland as they have the airports (Glasgow, Edinburgh,) hotels and the grounds (Hamden Park, Murryfield Stadium, Ibrox Stadium, Celtic Park). They have a grate support and in my view there football has improved by a 100%. They just missed out on Euro 2008 and have never been given the chance to host a major football competition.

    From george_macdonald, on Thu 3 Jul 11:24PM

  15. They should make the euros at countries that allredy have big stadiums like England or Italy

    From martin.mitevski26, on Thu 3 Jul 10:50PM

  16. Please stop giving the second most important sporting event on earth to countries that dont deserve it. I mean the swiss and the austrians were bad enough now Ukraine? Other than Andrei chevtchenko ukarine is nothing in footballing terms. BTW Andrei will be 36 and retired from the national team by the time the competition kicks off. For gods sake give the honor to nations that deserve it.

    From football4life, on Thu 3 Jul 10:48PM

  17. I think they could hold the event in Scotland.

    From Justin, on Thu 3 Jul 10:46PM

  18. In reply to Azerican, considering the way the Turkeish National squad has done so well over the past couple of tournaments, and as you said about Azerbaijan's admission into the race to hold the 2016 Olypmic games, these are definately two countries that should not be overlooked for holding the 2012 Tournament IF it does need to be rescheduled, or at least should be considered for jointly holding another sporting event.

    From Jim, on Thu 3 Jul 9:28PM

  19. If Turkey and Azerbaijan were given this chance with all the oil boom in Azerbaijan and Turkey being one of the dynamically developing countries we coud do it. I mean recently Azerbaijan was admitted into the race to host 2016 Olympic games in Baku, the capital. We lost out ot Chicago, Tokio and two other major cities to get into the short list. But we were admitted into the list 7 bidders. I am sure after 2012 Euro if not now the in 2016 could as well be in Turkey and Azerbaijan.

    From azerican, on Thu 3 Jul 8:54PM
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