Armenia’s football federation announced today that Vardan Minasyan, a former skipper of the national side, was appointed to the post today until the end of the qualifying campaign.

Minasyan had been assistant to Denmark’s coach Jan Povlson and has won the Armenian national title eight times as a player.

The 36-year-old said his side hopes to finish fourth in the Euro 2012 qualifying group, but that “Russia are clear favourites. Slovakia and Ireland are also very strong opponents.”

The Football Federation of Armenia (www.ffa.am) announced that FFA President Ruben Hayrapetyan had issued a decree appointing caretaker manager Vardan Minasyan as Armenia’s head coach until 2012, meaning that he will coach the team until the end of the Euro-2012 qualifying campaign.

Minasyan has become the 15th national head coach since Armenia joined international football as an independent nation in 1992. The team has had six foreign head coaches before Minasyan took over Denmark’s Jan Poulsen’s duty at the beginning of last year. He stayed in that capacity until his formal appointment today.

All of Minasyan’s foreign predecessors, except Ian Porterfield (2006-2007), were fired by the Armenian federation over the team’s poor performance record. The team achieved its arguably best record and form under the Scotsman, who, however, died of cancer in September 2007.

Armenia is currently ranked 102nd on the FIFA list of over 200 nations. The nation’s rivals in Group B of Euro-2012 qualification are Russia, Slovakia, the Republic of Ireland, FYR Macedonia and Andorra.

It was also reported this week that Armenia will travel to Cyprus to play a friendly on March 3 as part of preparations for the official matches starting in September.

Three years ago, the joint bid by Poland and Ukraine to stage the tournament only just managed to scrape its way onto the shortlist put before members of the organisation’s Executive Committee for the second round of the selection process.

The eventual winners finished third behind Italy and Croatia/Hungary in the first round of voting but, crucially, one vote ahead of Turkey which kept them in the race. In the final round they crushed the world champions by eight votes to four with the others nowhere to be seen.

In his quieter moments, Michel Platini must wonder sometimes just what he and the rest of the Executive Committee were thinking. He can, at least, take some consolation from the fact that on the eve of the draw for the qualifiers it does actually seem certain that the tournament will take place in the two countries and that each is set to provide the four-match venues they initially committed to.

It hasn’t always looked so likely. At various stages, the Poles have been threatened with losing their share of the event because of political interference in their association and the Ukrainian end of things has looked set to sink into a sea of financial and organisational chaos.

Some 18 months ago the Scots made it clear that they would be prepared to step in should a fall-back plan be required but, somewhat hamstrung by the image he has cultivated as the champion of the underdog, Platini stuck to his guns with Uefa issuing a succession of deadlines, many of which the organisers failed to meet.

With just short of two and a half years to go before kick-off, however, the Poles do have stadiums (enough, in fact, for it to be suggested on more than one occasion that they might host the entire shebang) although they remain well short of where it had hoped they would be in terms of transport infrastructure and hotels.

The Ukrainians, meanwhile, continue to test the nerve of Platini and co with work continuing (a little sporadically) on two of their venues, Lvov and Kiev. Uefa has actually become directly involved in overseeing some of the work but Ukrainian tournament director Markiyan Lubkivskiy recently observed that ongoing funding problems mean that the “implementation of the (Lvov) project is in jeopardy”.

This, despite the fact that some €3.8 million in direct funding has been allocated by national and local government with related spending boosting the figure considerably. Already a couple of the venue cities have been changed and the renovation of Kiev’s massive Olympic Stadium has become mired in legal disputes with contractors.

The problems, of course, have been exacerbated by the economic downturn. In the good times a government can usually sell a major football tournament to sceptics amongst its population as a much needed overhaul of national infrastructure with some matches, watched by an awful lot of tourists, to celebrate all the openings. But when the coffers are empty, it’s all a little harder to defend.

In Poland, where the investment also runs into billions, the only upside of the downturn has been the return of many skilled construction workers from abroad, something that has averted the need to import a replacement labour force from elsewhere as the pace of work on road and rails projects is stepped up.

Uefa and Fifa like to talk about the legacy that these tournaments leave in countries where they have been staged and there is no doubt that the two countries will end up with some very fine stadiums. The Polish clubs that will inherit them, however, attract nothing like the crowds that will be required to make them pay and, once again, deals made with foreign operators at the height of the boom have the potential to become fairly contentious.

As it happens, the bidding process for the hosting of the 2016 tournament starts to get serious later this month when formal proposals have to be handed in for consideration. A final decision is then due to be taken in May and there will be no joint bids on the table this time around.

The expansion of the next tournament to 24 teams has also been a factor in shaping the line-up of would-be hosts and Ireland’s chances of qualifying for a tournament they have only participated in once previously, will improve very substantially when the enlargement takes effect.

In the meantime, though, Trapattoni faces much the same sort of challenge he did two years ago when Ireland were also third seeds for the World Cup qualifying campaign and ended up being drawn with Italy and Bulgaria.

During the veteran coach’s first two years in charge, the team’s performances and results have both been stabilised and having done well to reach the play-offs, Thierry Henry’s handball provided another hard luck story to soften the blow of elimination.

On Thursday, Marco Tardelli suggested he would fancy getting the French again but then thought better of it, insisting: “No, once it’s over, it’s over.” Still, there would be worse outcomes for Trapattoni and his men tomorrow than to be handed an early rematch with what is currently Raymond Domenech’s side.

The real pity of the last campaign is it did not yield enough ranking points to haul Ireland back into the second tier of nations and so, as well as a Spain, Germany or England, we will have to do battle with the likes of Greece, Sweden or Romania.

Five of tomorrow’s second seeds will be at the World Cup finals this summer and few even of the nine in Pot Two could be expected to mount quite as tame a challenge for qualification as Bulgaria did in Ireland’s group last time out. A little bad luck tomorrow and Trapattoni’s second campaign could prove a good deal more challenging than his first.

Having taken over in the wake of the chaotic end to Steve Staunton’s brief reign, the Italian restored composure by falling back upon a fairly rudimentary system. But the expectations of supporters may be a little higher this time and there is little to suggest that the team will be any better. The group is not old but a number of key players are getting older and the terrible lack of depth remains a major concern.

Platini said recently “there are considerable hoops to be jumped through” by the organisers of the 2012 tournament. And the fact is there will be some tricky ones to be negotiated too by Trapattoni and his players if Ireland are to make it to Poland and Ukraine.

Watch the draw here from as Peter Collins will be joined live in studio by analysts John Giles and Ronnie Whelan for reaction on Ireland’s qualification hopes.

Text commentary here is provided by Rory Houston.

11.59 That brings our text commentary to a close, we’ll have reaction to the draw throughout the day. Thanks for following.

11.53 When you look at Scotland and Northern Ireland, who were in our pot, Ireland can be very pleased with this outcome.

11.51 The draw for the UEFA European Championship 2012 qualifying draw is as follows:

Group A

Germany
Turkey
Austria
Belgium
Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan

Group B

Russia
Slovakia
Republic of Ireland
FYR Macedonia
Armenia
Andorra

Group C

Italy
Serbia
Northern Ireland
Slovenia
Estonia
Faroe Islands

Group D

France
Romania
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Belarus
Albania
Luxembourg

Group E

Holland
Sweden
Finland
Hungary
Moldova
San Marino

Group F

Croatia
Greece
Israel
Latvia
Georgia
Malta

Group G

England
Switzerland
Bulgaria
Wales
Montenegro

Group H

Portugal
Denmark
Norway
Cyprus
Iceland

Group I

Spain
Czech Republic
Scotland
Lithuania
Liechtenstein

11.49 John Giles pleased with the draw. There is no glamour ties for the Republic with a lot of travelling to come.

11.48 Northern Ireland have been drawn with Italy, Serbia, Slovenia, Estonia and Faroe Islands.

11.47 Scotland drawn with Czechs and Spain. Ouch.

11.46 England drawn with Swiss, Bulgaria, Wales and Montenegro.

11.45 Netherlands in Group E

11.44 Russia, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland, FYR Macedonia, Armenia, Andorra.

11.43 RUSSIA DRAWN WITH REPUBLIC OF IRELAND IN GROUP B.

11.43 Germany out first for Group A.

11.44 The Czechs are last out for Pot 2 so we’ll start the all-important Pot 1 now.

11.43 Switzerland drawn with Wales.

11.42 Greece drawn in F.

11.42 Sweden in Group E.

11.41 Serbia drawn with Northern Ireland in Group C.

11.40 SLOVAKIA DRAWN IN GROUP B WITH REPUBLIC OF IRELAND.

11.39 Turkey in A.

11.38 Scotland in with Lithuania and Liechtenstein.

11.37 Wales in with Bulgaria and Montenegro.

11.37 Northern Ireland drawn in Group C, including the Faroe Islands.

11.36 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND DRAWN IN GROUP B WITH ARMENIA, MACEDONIA AND ANDORRA.

11.35 Austria draw Group A.

11.35 Here we go. Ireland set to be drawn.

11.34 Georgia in F. Sorry for missing some out, it is a very fast pace. Wales in a five-team group with Montenegro, Cyprus in the same with Iceland. No thanks.

11.33 Belarus join Group D.

11.31 Now we are onto Pot 4 so Ireland will be in the next pot. Beligum the first out in Group A to play Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. FYR Macedonia drawn in Group B with Armenia and Andorra.

11.30 Georgia in with Malta. We’re into the five team groups now so Montenegro on their own so far in G. Iceland on their own in H. Lichenstein are in Group I.

11.29 Albania drawn with Luxembourg, Estonia with Faroes and Moldova with San Marino.

11.28 Armenia are the first side out but they are now allowed play Azerbaijan for political reasons so they go into Group B.

11.28 That didn’t take long at all. We’re onto Pot 5 now, a reminder Ireland are in Pot 3.

11.27 San Marino in E, Malta in F.

11.27 Faroes in Group C and Luxembourg in Group D.

11.25 The Faroe Islands are in Pot 6, I’m sure Brian Kerr would love to draw his home nation. Azerbaijan in Group A, Andorra in Group B.

11.24 Pot 6 will lead determine the groups, here we go.

11.23 Now we’ll learn how the draw works. This will be handy!

11.21 The usual formalities are still going on, the hosts are taking us through the cities where games will be played.

11.15 There will be nine groups, six with six countries and three with five.

11.13 Andrey Shevchenko and Zbigniew Boniek will help conduct the draw.

11.12 Apparently Ireland drew France in the rehearsal yesterday.

11.10 The draw will start in a matter of minutes. Users in Ireland can watch the draw by clicking on the link above.

10.48 We’re about 20 minutes away from the start of the programe and the draw will not be too long after that. Here is Pot 2:

Greece, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Turkey, Denmark, Slovakia and Romania.

10.41 Looking at all the pots, there is no such thing as any easy group when you are not among the top seeds. There are some very tricky scenarios that the Republic could find themselves in.

10.40 Pot 1 is scary. We will draw one of these teams:

Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, England, Croatia, Portugal, France and Russia.

10.30 Phew, it is one busy day of sport but better concentrate on the draw now. The Republic are in Pot 3, along with the following teams:

Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Norway, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

That means we cannot draw any of those sides.

09.45 Welcome to our coverage of the Euro 2012 Qualifying draw.

Ukraine is scheduled to co-host Euro 2012 with neighbour Poland, but preparations have so far been problematic and UEFA president Michel Platini recently warned the two countries they could still lose the tournament if stadia and infrastructure development projects fall behind schedule.

Alpine BAU won the contract to upgrade the Ukraina Stadium in February, but the company claimed on Thursday that the Lviv government had set unrealistic construction targets against a budget of 85million euros.

“We have a worldwide reputation in stadium construction and cannot accept a contract that we should build something for 40% less than what it will cost,” Alpine BAU spokesperson Karin Keglevych told PA Sport.

“We did the plan according to a contract with the Lviv government which specified a more luxurious stadium than UEFA requires. They asked for a lot of extra things.

“All the construction was organised and the government said it was a beautiful stadium (design). But they wanted all of the extras included in a price of 85million euros, which was also to include 20% VAT.

“It is not possible to build a stadium of a high luxury quality for this price.”

Keglevych admitted Alpine was “disappointed” to withdraw from working on the venue and refused to completely close the door on future co-operation with Lviv.

“We are open for other discussions, but we cannot discuss for the same level of quality if they do not want to pay for it,” she said.

“The Lviv government will get an invoice for our planning work and we hope they will pay.”

The Austrian firm has been involved in a number of high-profile stadium projects across Europe, including the Allianz Arena in Munich.

According to reports, Oleh Zasadnyi, head of the Lviv’s Euro 2012 preparations department, has claimed three construction companies have already come forward with offers to rebuild the Ukraina Stadium.

“Ukraine is interested in Chinese companies and investors entering its construction market. There should not be only construction companies. First and foremost, there should be construction and design technologies, reforms, investors and experience,” Vasiunyk said. The Chinese side said it is interested in Ukrainian projects and is ready to make its design and construction proposals.

LVIV, Ukraine, Oct 20 (Reuters) – Authorities in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv are looking for new builders after an Austrian firm pulled out of constructing a stadium for the Euro 2012 finals, an official said on Monday.

Austria’s Alpine Bau, one of the country’s largest building firms, last week said it could not complete the 30,000-seat stadium within budget constraints set by Lviv city officials.

The incident is the second involving construction of Ukrainian stadiums for the tournament after authorities had to change the general contractor for renovation of Kiev’s main stadium, due to host the Euro 2012 final.

After two visits to Ukraine by President Michel Platini, UEFA last month upheld the right of Ukraine to keep the tournament, co-hosted with Poland, subject to strict monitoring.

Oleh Zasadny, head of the Euro 2012 department at Lviv city council, said the council had rejected Alpine Bau’s new costs which exceeded the budgeted 85 million euros ($114.3 million).

“Lviv city council has therefore launched procedures to find a new contractor,” Zasadny told Reuters. “Talks are under way with companies from Italy, Croatia, Turkey, Germany and Spain and official proposals have been submitted.”

In Kiev, a senior Ukrainian soccer federation official said it was awaiting word on who would be awarded the contract.

“Lviv authorities still have not decided on a contractor who can tell terms on completing the project and present a detailed plan on its realisation,” Ivan Fedorenko, head of the federation’s Euro 2012 directorate, told Reuters.

Fedorenko said a decision had also still to be taken on renovating Lviv’s dilapidated airport — a key concern to European officials, along with hotels and other infrastructure.

He said city authorities were to report to UEFA next week on plans for the stadium and by mid-November on related projects.

Alpine Bau spokesman Karen Keglevich said the company found itself unable to meet the demands of local authorities. A threat of sanctions against Poland was lifted after UEFA reached an agreement with the Warsaw government to remove a government-appointed administrator for soccer and agree to hold new elections for the national federation.

UEFA were not immediately available for comment. (additional reporting by Igor Nitsak in Kiev and Christian Gutlederer in Vienna; editing by Miles Evans)

UEFA declined to comment on the delay Thursday but referred to a statement it released in late September, saying that “any slackening could put in doubt the organization of this tournament in these countries.”

Austria-based Alpine backed out of the project last week after a financial dispute with the city of Lviv, where the stadium is to be built, company spokeswoman Karin Keglevich said.

Both Ukraine and co-host Poland have been warned multiple times by European soccer’s governing body to speed up preparations for Euro 2012. UEFA will decide in the first half of 2009 how many stadiums and cities will be used as venues.

According to Keglevich, another $54.5 million is needed to complete construction in Lviv, which includes a 30,000 capacity stadium, parking lots, a sports arena and infrastructure.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Poland | Ukraine | Championship | Euro | Kiev | Lviv

Oleh Zasadnyi, the head of the Lviv’s Euro 2012 preparations department, said several construction companies have offered to build the stadium and that the city still has a good chance to be chosen by UEFA as a host venue.

“We absolutely can manage to meet the deadline,” Zasadnyi said. “We estimate our chances to be chosen as host city as very high, because Lviv is one of the main cities in Ukraine.”

Associated Press Writer Olga Bondaruk in Kiev, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
Source: The Associated Press

The UEFA in April 2007 made Poland and Ukraine co-hosts of the 2012 European football championship. The Ukrainian cities currently set to host games include the capital Kiev, Donetsk, Lviv, and Dnipropetrovsk.

An alternate site to Lviv will be necessary if the west Ukrainian city fails to turn around currently stalled efforts to build a stadium from ground up, Fedorenko said.

Lviv’s city government recently sacked a general contractor for the project over cost differences, and faces lawsuits by local residents alleging the city has no right to the land where the stadium is to be built.

Dnipropetrovsk in contrast opened a brand new first class stadium in September, but its Soviet-era airport is nonetheless incapable of handling international flights carrying fans to games, Fedorenko said.

Lviv’s airport is somewhat better than Dnipropetrovsk’s, but its runways still need a complete overhaul to come up to UEFA standards, he said.

Two other Ukrainian cities, Kharkiv and Odessa, are possible replacements. City governments in both locations have advanced football infrastructure preparations, well beyond Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk.

The UEFA will in May 2009 make a final decision on which cities would hold Euro 2012 games, Fedorenko said.

Federenko’s report of the UEFA plans came one month after a visit by a UEFA delegation to Poland and Ukraine by UEFA head Michel Platini.

The former French footballing great gave his tentative approval to Ukrainian and Polish preparations for the tournament so far, but warned that if one country to do a better job getting ready to host its share of the competition, the UEFA could strip the other host nation of games.

Poland is rated ahead of Ukraine in transportation, communications and tourism infrastructure, while observers give Ukraine a lead in football stadiums and sports training facilities.

A weak point in both countries is insufficient hotel rooms, particularly outside the capitals Warsaw and Kiev.

Ukraine must also bring its transportation network to European standards – a task estimated by the Ukrainian government likely to cost five billion dollars for roads alone.

As the dust settles on a turbulent few weeks for Polish soccer, a wider question is being asked in the game’s corridors of power. Did UEFA make a mistake in awarding Euro 2012 to Poland and Ukraine?

Despite both countries receiving explicit warnings from European soccer’s governing body, they are still well behind in their preparations, so much so that UEFA may have to rethink the number of stadia to be used.

To add insult to injury, just three days after Poland and Ukraine received a final reprieve by UEFA in Bordeaux, Warsaw’s government sacked their FA much to the anger of UEFA and world governing body FIFA.

FIFA, whose statutes do not allow government interference, threatened to suspend Poland from all competitions and UEFA threatened to strip them of the right to host EURO 2012.

A last minute deal was reached by last Monday’s deadline, but UEFA is not totally convinced.

“The trust has been broken and a lot of work has to be done before we can trust them again,” a senior UEFA official told Reuters after the deal was reached.

UEFA officials were left wondering why the government failed to pick up the phone ahead of the crunch executive meeting in Bordeaux to inform soccer’s authorities of their intentions and seek their help.

Some sceptics have gone as far as to suggest that Warsaw thought UEFA would pull the plug in Bordeaux, but when they were given yet another chance — this time with very strict and costly conditions — they may have panicked amid the current financial downturn.

Maybe they cannot deliver, but why would they think this was a way out without being blamed?

No matter what the reasons, the events of last week have certainly fuelled concern over Poland’s ability to stage the event in four years time.

Ukraine’s current political instability also heaps further pressure on the co-hosts.

Source:blogs.reuters.com

Taylor, the former Scottish Football Association chief executive, has admitted the recent decision to increase the number of finalists from 16 to 24 in 2016 has limited the number of nations able to stage the tournament single-handedly.

It means countries who launch joint bids have a greater chance of being successful than in previous years.

And with Wales having openly mooted the idea of linking up with Scotland – even as early as 2016 – to bring the showpiece championships to British soil, the news is a huge boost.

Speaking of his native Scotland, Taylor said: “Scotland clearly couldn’t do it by themselves but there’s nothing to rule out a joint bid.

“There would be fewer candidates to act as host potentially because we’d need more stadiums, possibly 10 rather than eight, so it is a step up in terms of organisation.”

The expansion – due to take place after the 2012 tournament to be staged in Poland and Ukraine – would leave only the likes of England, France, Spain, Italy and Germany in contention to act as sole hosts.

And with Uefa president Michel Platini eager to take major events across the continent, it is thought a joint bid from FAs outside of that list would be welcomed.

It is not yet known whether the increase in number of stadia needed would relax the current strict Uefa criteria that dictates that the 20,000 Liberty Stadium and other lower-capacity stadiums, such as the Racecourse and the new Parc Y Scarlets in Llanelli, as too small to stage Euro games.

Scotland, who boast several suitable stadiums, had recently cooled on the idea of linking up with Wales, having been reportedly pencilled in as a possible replacement for Poland in 2012 after a dispute between politicians and football administrators threatened their involvement.

But with the row over, Scotland could now opt to focus their energies on a Home Nations bid.

And Wrexham AM Lesley Griffiths said: “The resolution of the Polish question by Uefa and Fifa is good news for the possibility of Wales co-hosting 2016.

“Over recent months, the Scottish Football Association has had one eye on stepping into the breach and hosting Euro 2012 if Poland were forced out.

“However, now the Polish issue appears to have been resolved, it leaves the door wide open for the SFA and the Football Association of Wales to go all out for Euro 2016.”

The government suspended the board of the Polish Football Federation (PZPN) last Monday for its failure to tackle corruption in the domestic league. The move followed a ruling by the Polish Olympic Committee’s court of arbitration.

The affair casts doubt over the country’s readiness to co-host the 2012 European Championship and could jeopardise its chances of making it to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The governing body of world football FIFA warned last Wednesday that Poland would be barred from two forthcoming world cup qualifiers if it does not reinstate the PZPN board by 10am this Monday. FIFA rules forbid political interference in footballing affairs.

The European football body UEFA joined the fray last Friday. “We are standing firm with FIFA. If the FA is not reinstated by Monday’s deadline then we will have serious discussions about the future of Euro 2012 immediately. We will not wait any longer,” said William Gaillard. The close advisor to UEFA president Michel Platini was speaking to Reuters.

The same day, the Polish prime minister Donald Tusk gave his full backing to sports minister Miroslaw Drzewiecki. The latter had pushed for the appointment of Robert Zawlocki, a lawyer who used to sit on the disciplinary committee of the PZPN, as the caretaker head of the federation.

Losing patience

Only the previous week UEFA had given both Poland and the Ukraine a reprieve after a damning report into their preparations to co-host the 2012 championship.

“We have done everything we can for Poland and Ukraine. We have bent over backwards to help them and this makes us very unhappy,” said Gaillard, who described the suspension of the PZPN board as a “coup”.

Unswayed, Tusk refused to countenance the dismissal of Zawlocki, saying that taking a tough stance sometimes has a price. He said that dismissing the newly appointed administrator would do nothing to heal Polish football.

“And why do we need qualifiers that we will lose anyway if Polish football doesn’t change?” he asked reporters.

Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Vasyunyk was quoted by the UNIAN news agency as saying he had noted a more favourable outlook in talks with UEFA officials on Thursday in the Swiss town of Nyon.

“The atmosphere in Vienna and that in Nyon were completely different,” Vasyunyk was quoted as saying. “I did not hear any member of their executive board or expert express doubts or criticism of Ukraine working towards staging Euro 2012.”

UEFA is due to decide next week whether to take the championships away from Ukraine and Poland after criticising progress on building stadiums and modernising infrastructure.

Vasyunyk said discussions at a UEFA meeting in Vienna in June had focused on delays in renovating Kiev’s main stadium, due to host the 2012 final.

“Yesterday, UEFA experts noted that the anti-crisis plan for the stadium has been fulfilled,” he said. Reconstruction of the 84,000-seat facility would begin by the end of the year once an adjacent shopping centre was torn down.

The project was delayed for a year by wrangles over the shopping centre which blocked exits and violated safety rules.

Vasyunyk also said UEFA officials were aware that Ukraine was starting from scratch in drawing up plans to modernise airports and build sufficient numbers of new hotels.

President Viktor Yushchenko assured Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk at talks in Kiev that all deadlines would be met.

“He said all sites would be completed in good time,” Yushchenko’s press service quoted him as saying.

Ukraine’s soccer federation earlier said officials, including federation president Grigory Surkis, had assured UEFA that political problems would have no effect on preparations.

A dispute between Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has split the ruling coalition and, unless a new coalition is formed, Ukraine may hold its third parliamentary election in as many years.

“The deputy prime minister said Euro 2012 became the first project in the history of Ukraine that united all political forces,” a federation statement said.

“(He said) this will ensure that the political situation will not impact the country’s preparations for hosting the championship in 2012 and on the government’s responsibilities as promised to UEFA.” (Writing by Sabina Zawadzki; Editing by John Mehaffey)

She said that the Ukrainian Government would provide thorough assistance to all investment projects as part of Euro 2012 preparations. The draft national budget for 2009 foresees enough funds for the financing of events linked to these projects, reads a welcome statement. Yuliya Tymoshenko expressed the confidence that Ukraine could make a pleasant surprise to the world in the context of preparations for the European football championship. According to the statement, the prospects of Ukraine, its prestige and investment attractiveness will depend on whether the Euro 2012 finals are held successfully or not.

Co-host with Ukraine, Poland is staggering from one crisis to another, from construction delays to corruption, from a national federation suspension to possible forfeiture of World Cup qualifying matches.

Yet, European soccer’s governing body is still giving the nation one more chance to stage its biggest competition.

“There is no doubt that our trust has been weakened in Poland’s capacity to organize the Euro,” UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said Monday. “Now it’s up to them to behave in a way that will make us again confident that everything can go well.”

That means the championship is still heading for a nation where soccer is in disarray and the running of the federation is now being monitored by the world governing body.

Italy, surprisingly beaten by Poland and Ukraine in the ballot to stage the 2012 Euros, would be happy to take over if either Poland or Ukraine, of both, had the competition taken away. So would Germany, well equipped to stage the event after the 2006 World Cup, with no fears about being ready on time and with comparative harmony off the field.

But UEFA gave both Poland and Ukraine another chance to prove they could host Euro 2012 despite strong concerns they won’t build stadiums, transportation links and hotels on time.

The two nations can’t afford any more delays or slips.

“We were promised new airports and we will not have new airports,” UEFA president Michel Platini said 10 days ago. “We were promised new roads and we are still waiting. Warsaw and Kiev are the key issues. We cannot organize a European competition without the capital city.”

Three days after Platini’s news conference, the Polish government suspended the national soccer federation for failure to confront corruption in the league.

Authorities have charged more than 100 people — including federation members, coaches, referees, players and club officials — with rigging matches in the top domestic leagues and 29 clubs have been implicated.

That doesn’t sounds like the ideal place to host a European Championship, and the government decided to take action by suspending the federation. But that would have led to sanctions by FIFA. Poland, leading its World Cup qualifying group, would have forfeited its next two games against two of its biggest rivals, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

When the federation reached a last-minute deal with the government Monday, Poland avoided losing those six points and also held on to hosting the Euros.

“If tomorrow is realized what is promised today, then for us it is OK,” FIFA president Sepp Blatter said. “It is good. I’m relaxed about this decision and also is Michel Platini.”

The rest of soccer might not take such a relaxed view.

This summer’s Euros were co-hosted by Switzerland and Austria and went smoothly with no delays or problems with transportation and housing. Even though neither country stood much chance of winning the title each made a great effort to stage the event almost flawlessly.

The nations that will be among the major contenders for the next championship will demand the same conditions for 2012. Poland and Ukraine have a lot to do.

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 executive committee reconfirmed UEFA’s commitment to organize Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine,” UEFA president Michel Platini told a news conference in Bordeaux. “At the same time, the committee stressed a number of conditions must be met in order to bring forward the whole project.”

Platini said the co-hosts “promised” that stadiums in Kiev and Warsaw would be ready in time.

Poland football chief doubts Poland’s readiness

Inadequate stadiums, problems with transport systems and not enough hotel beds had given rise to serious concerns and pushed UEFA into a corner.

Several contingency plans had been touted prior to Friday’s meeting, such as using Germany as a third, supporting host, or — as the president of the Polish soccer association, Michal Listkiewicz, suggested — that Poland and Ukraine’s 2012 hosting rights be rescinded in favor of another country, and that the two nations instead plan to host the tournament in 2016.

Listkiewicz seems far from convinced his country will be ready in four years time. The biggest problem: poor infrastructure and terrible traffic, he said.

“If the European Championships took place in 2016, we would have no problems about being ready then,” Listkiewicz told Die Zeit Online, the Internet platform of the weekly newspaper.

“But realistically we are looking at having no good roads in time for 2012,” he said. “From Gdansk (in Poland) to Donetsk (in the Ukraine) is more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles). This is not like in Austria and Switzerland where everything lies close together.”

Moreover, he cast doubt on whether Poland’s partners in Ukraine will be up to the job.

“If things don’t go well now, and UEFA has another suggestion, then that would be in order,” he said.

2016 Euro expansion

Also to come from the Bordeaux meeting was an announcement that as of 2016, the European championship finals would be played in an expanded format, seeing 24 teams participate instead of the current 16. The decision was reached unanimously by the 13-man committee.

The expansion would also see Euro 2016 become a 51-match tournament — rather than the current 31-match format — played over four weeks rather than the current three.

Source:dw-world.de

FIFA has already warned Poland it faces forfeiting upcoming World Cup qualifiers if it does not reinstate its FA by Monday.

UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said: “The rules are clear. We offered Euro 2012 to the FA, not the government.

“So if the FA are not in place or suspended then they are not in a position to host the tournament.”

Poland’s arbitration tribunal suspended the FA (PZPN) and named an administrator on Monday after failing to address corruption issues.

But FIFA and UEFA have refused to recognise the administrator appointed to run the country’s FA.

FIFA said it would ignore any correspondence from the newly installed board as the world governing body’s statutes forbid government intervention in football affairs.

And Gaillard added: “We are standing firm with FIFA. Our patience has limits and we are very close to the limit.

“If the FA is not reinstated by Monday’s deadline then we will have serious discussions about the future of Euro 2012 immediately. We will not wait any longer.”

Last week both Poland and Ukraine were given a reprieve after a report criticised their lack of progress in preparing to hold Euro 2012.

“We gave Poland another chance and then there was this coup on Monday. It is very annoying,” Gaillard said.

“We have done everything we can for Poland and Ukraine. We have bent over backwards to help them and this makes us very unhappy.”

Poland could be handed automatic 3-0 defeats in upcoming qualifiers against Czech Republic and Slovakia.

A FIFA statement said further action would be considered when the executive committee meets in Zurich on October 23 and 24, with UEFA’s emergency panel due to meet around the same time.

Poland were threatened with being thrown out of qualifying for Euro 2008 when the PZPN was suspended in January 2007.

Down follows the text of G. Surkis’ address:

“On Apr. 18, the date of UEFA decision to grant Poland and Ukraine the right to host Euro-2012, UEFA monitoring committee had its session. The issue was not to drop Poland and Ukraine off the list of host countries. None of UEFA officials has ever raised the issue.

Instead, members of the monitoring committee listened to the reports by experts who had examined the condition of stadiums and infrastructure in the host cities. Their reports were perfectly objective.

Let me quote some facts given in their reports.

Stadiums

The next 3 to 6 months will be very critical for preparation of stadiums. Only if all the deadlines are met on time can we say that the stadiums will be ready by Euro-2012. In case of a slowdown in projects implementation for any domestic or outside reasons, the stadiums will not be completed in time. So far, none of the stadiums is fit to meet UEFA standards.

Airports

UEFA experts have not noticed any substantial progress made in this area. At present, none of the airports can handle the passenger flow set by UEFA. The possibility to use alternative and stand-by airports to handle the traffic are being examined. All Ukrainian airports have the highest risk level – red.

Accommodation

Except for Warsaw and Krakow, other host cities do not meet UEFA demands for accommodation of fans, even considering the 2-hour commuting level to which UEFA agreed. Four cities, Gdansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Kharkiv, do not meet UEFA standards set for the time of handing in applications to host Euro-2012.

Transportation

According to UEFA experts, no significant changes had occurred since the initial report was made. Meanwhile, all host cities proposed ambitious projects to expand their transportation facilities.

Mr. President, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that these skeptical assessments have been made by experts in the run-up to May 5, the time when Ukraine is to submit to UEFA its comprehensive action plan outlining specified infrastructure elements with the sources of funding, dates of commissioning and persons responsible.

Incidentally, in line with the cabinet resolution of Feb. 23, all central and local executive agencies as well as local governments involved had to update their action plans and harmonize them with the country’s master action plan, specifying preparation of stadiums, hotels, hospitals, airports.

Unfortunately, this has not been done. We are faced with failures to meet UEFA deadlines. We will hardly be able to catch up with UEFA deadlines in 2008. That is why UEFA has expressed its grave concern and issued a stern warning to Poland and Ukraine, giving 4-6 months to rectify the situation. This term expires on June 27. On this day, UEFA monitoring committee will sit, followed by a session of UEFA executive board session the next day.

If nothing is changed, I do not dare to predict UEFA reaction. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials continue to disregard their duties and presidential decrees and government resolutions. Corrupt officials use the present snafu to line their pockets by taking investors by the throat. They do not care about the attractive investment climate and transparency crucial for such a giant project.

The Ukrainian parliament is bogged down in endless political wrangling, delaying the approval of important laws to implement the Euro-2012 commitments of Ukraine. Corrupt local officials are also fishing in murky waters blocking preparations for the football tournament.

I have never expected that preparations for Euro-2012 will be clouded by such grave problems. The project puts up a lot of challenges for Ukraine, and we are fully responsible for meeting them. Can we do this? It is not a rhetorical question. This question is also asked by UEFA president Michel Platini, who has plans to come to Ukraine in the wake of Euro-2008 tournament. His motives are very strong for holding Euro-2012 in Ukraine and Poland. Remember what he said when UEFA was discussing the site for Euro-2012,”I want Eastern Europe to host our tournament in 2012.”

I would like very much to see that our deeds match these plans of Platini”.

Source:zik.com.ua

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UEFA says Poland’s international credibility is at stake. The Polish federation is already behind schedule in organizing the tournament. Its elected officials were suspended Monday and the government refuses to reinstate them despite demands by UEFA and FIFA.

UEFA warned Poland last week it risks being stripped of the 2012 tournament unless soccer and government officials work well together.

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The UEFA experts inspected football field quality, compliance of team locker-rooms with UEFA requirements and terms of the completion of the Olympic SC construction. The facility reconstruction, which will be used as a training base for the teams of the European Juniors Championship 2009 final and Euro 2012, is planned to be completed next year.

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But both Uefa, football’s European governing body, and Fifa, the world body, say that they will not recognise the administrator because both take a firm line that there should be no political interference in national associations.

William Gaillard, the Uefa communications director and special adviser to president Michel Platini, warned that if the situation was not dealt with it could affect preparations for Euro 2012, which Poland is hosting jointly with Ukraine.

“We are hoping we will be solving the problems before the end of October so it will not affect 2012,” Gaillard said. “But if the problem is not solved and the Polish FA will not have ability to operate then it’s a different ball game, and that opens all kinds of question marks around Euro 2012.

“The European Championships are administrated through the Polish and Ukrainian FAs, not their governments. If there is no legitimate Polish FA then we will not have a Euro in Poland – we are a long way from that situation but that is what they must face.”

Uefa issued a warning to Poland and Ukraine only last Friday that they must speed up their preparations and meet several conditions.

Gaillard said: “Look back at Friday where there were a number of conditions laid down – if they do not exist then it becomes complicated.” Gaillard said that Uefa and Fifa were not impressed by the Polish government’s claims of corruption within the sport, and would not meet the administrator Robert Zawlocki.

“The Polish FA were supposed to have elections on 31 October and so a democratic process has been interrupted,” Gaillard said. “These sorts of accusations have been made and withdrawn in the past.”

“We only recognise Michal Listkiewicz, the chairman of the Polish FA, we don’t know this other guy and we are not planning to meet him or communicate with him.” Fifa and Uefa will work together to decide on the next steps and the matter will be brought up at the next Fifa executive committee meeting in Zurich on 23 and 24 October.

Miroslaw Drzewiecki, Poland’s sports minister, has accused the Polish FA of using Euro 2012 as a shield to hide behind and escape responsibility for breaking the law. He said: “They wanted to use Euro 2012 as a shield to protect themselves but Euro 2012 is four years away and we will prepare everything on time.”

Fifa warned Poland last year when Tomasz Lipiec, Drzewiecki’s predecessor, appointed a commissioner as head of the FA in an anti-corruption drive. “I don’t fear this situation will repeat itself. [The previous] minister Lipiec named his own commissioner and I have filed a motion to the arbitration tribunal,” Drzewiecki said.

Source:independent.co.uk

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Poland have been warned by Uefa over their government’s interference with the country’s FA, with the ignominy of losing the tournament a real possibility should that situation fail to change sufficiently.

On Monday, the Polish FA was suspended for its alleged failure to acknowledge and tackle corruption, and an administrator has been appointed to run the body by the government.

However, that remedy is not enough to appease Uefa and Fifa, who say they will not recognise the administrator. Both governing bodies have taken a hardline stance on political dalliance in national associations, and this latest episode comes only a week after Poland and prospective co-hosts Ukraine were told to hurry along their preparations for the tournament.

The most recent developments have pricked the attention of The SFA, who are keeping close tabs on how things pan out.

“Our position is straightforward,” said SFA chief executive Gordon Smith in The Scotsman.

“If, in the event of it being taken away from Poland and Ukraine, it was opened to bids, then we would seek to establish if a bid from us would be considered by Uefa.

“If the response was positive then we would undertake a feasibility study along with the Scottish government to decide if we would bid.”

Fifa and Uefa will now mull over their options, with the issue being brought up for a decision at the next Fifa executive committee meeting in Zurich on October 23 and 24.

“We are hoping we will be solving the problems before the end of October so it will not affect 2012,” Uefa communications director William Gaillard told PA Sport.

“But if the problem is not solved and the Polish FA will not have ability to operate then it’s a different ball game, and that opens all kinds of question marks around Euro 2012.

“The European Championships are administrated through the Polish and Ukrainian FAs, not their governments.

“If there is no legitimate Polish FA then we will not have a Euro in Poland.”

Source:setantasports.com

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Both Uefa and world governing body Fifa ferociously oppose government intervention in football and made a joint statement hinting at the possibility of suspending Poland from all levels of the game. The situation will be discussed at the next meeting of Fifa’s executive committee on 23 October. If the ultimate sanction is taken, Poland would lose the right to co-host Euro 2012.

“Our position regarding Euro 2012 is straightforward,” said SFA chief executive Gordon Smith. “If, in the event of it being taken away from Poland and Ukraine, it was opened to bids, then we would seek to establish if a bid from us would be considered by Uefa. If the response was positive, then we would undertake a feasibility study along with the Scottish government to decide if we would bid.”

It is understood the SFA would consider a solo bid, though a joint bid with Wales remains a possibility. Uefa is believed to favour Germany, Italy or Spain as an alternative.

Source:news.scotsman.com

Dr Mifsud said yesterday it was evident from recent visits by UEFA officials that work on football stadia, roads, airports and hotels were very far from being completed.

He added that UEFA had warned both that unless the stadia in Kiev (Ukraine) and Warsaw (Poland) were completed at least one year before the start of the finals, UEFA would have to transfer the finals to another country.

He added that in future, UEFA will be selecting the stadia to host its Championship finals – a minimum of six and a maximum of eight.

He added that even if Malta took part in just the qualifying stages because of the circumstances, it was still proud to have taken part in the last competition, the final of which between Spain and Germany, constituting a record TV audience of 30 million (90 per cent) in Spain alone.

Dr Mifsud added that the UEFA Executive felt it was justified in increasing the number of finalists from the 2016 tournament to 24. “Countries have shot up in Europe from 35 to 53 and it is possible that this number will increase by one or two in the next few years. In 1992, the finalists were eight. Then it was lifted to 16 and now to 24. Despite such an increase, the qualification rounds will not be touched and there will still be the usual groups of five or six teams,” he added.

An arbitration tribunal, following a request from the sports ministry, suspended the FA management board on Monday for failing to address corruption and for violating the law. It also named Robert Zawlocki as administrator.

There have been doubts about the ability of Poland and fellow co-hosts Ukraine to orgranise the tournament. On Friday they were warned by European soccer’s governing body (UEFA) to speed up preparations or risk losing the right to stage it.

“The PZPN wanted to trick us by using Euro 2012 as a shield to protect it,” Sports Minister Miroslaw Drzewiecki told a radio broadcast. “But Euro 2012 is in four years time and we will prepare everything well and on time.”

World soccer’s governing body FIFA does not allow governments to interfere in the running of their associations and warned Poland last year when Drzewiecki’s predecessor appointed a commissioner as head of FA in an anti-corruption drive.

“I don’t fear this situation will repeat itself. (The previous) minister Lipiec named his own commissioner and I have filed a motion to the arbitration tribunal,” Drzewiecki said.

Both FIFA and UEFA have expressed their concern over the news and said they would examine the case in the coming days. A FIFA statement is expected later on Tuesday.

Zawlocki, seen as a critic of the suspended management board, had sought to reassure UEFA on Monday over preparations for Euro 2012.

Drzewiecki said there was no doubt the PZPN had violated the law in a number of cases and that the arbitration tribunal would meet again in two weeks to follow up on Monday’s decision.

Accusations of corruption in the PZPN have been raised many times in the past and a succession of sports ministers, including Drzewiecki, have tried to oust PZPN head Michal Listkiewicz.

Some expect Listkiewicz to soon step down but the new association’s administrator said management board elections planned for end-October would have to be postponed. (Reporting by Piotr Skolimowski and Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

‘It is still before the qualifying draw, so we don’t know who will play in Poland and we don’t know from which directions people will fly in’ Tadeusz Jarmuziewicz, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure, says ‘So how to determine whether we are ready? UEFA bases its expectations on stadium capacity. They assume 50% of the spectators will travel by air. Another assumption is that most of them will do so within 10 hours before and after the game. This would mean that we should account for 20,000 people. Coincidentally, that is almost the capacity of Warsaw airport today’. Even though this may sound optimistic, there is no guarantee that Polish planes, airports and carriers will be fully ready in 2012 as the aviation industry is facing a crisis caused by the fuel prices.
Ok?cie airport in Warsaw is the largest in Poland. It has a 40% share in the aviation market. Its optimum capacity is 36 landings and takeoffs and 5,000 passengers per hour. ‘July was a record month for Warsaw airport. We checked in 50,000 passengers in 24 hours. According to the estimations for Euro 2012, Warsaw airport will be required to check in 24,000 passengers within 10 hours. It may be tight but it is definitely doable’ says Micha? Marzec, president of the ‘Polish Airports’ State Enterprise and president of the Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport.
Polish aviation industry representatives seem to agree that the organization of Euro 2012 poses a certain challenge for the branch but it is a welcome challenge, one which will positively stimulate the industry and boost its development rather than create excessive pressure. ‘The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency and Warsaw Airport have prepared a report determining the challenges ahead of us. In my opinion Euro 2012 will be a catalyst for the processes that are happening anyway, because aviation is developing and investments are made on regular basis. Euro 2012 will be a milestone on a path we have been on for years’ says Krzysztof Banaszek of PANSA.

UEFA also confirmed the 2016 championship will expand from 16 to 24 teams, approved the renaming of the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League and said it is looking into suspicious betting patterns from 25 lower-tier matches.

In addition, UEFA will decide in December whether Wembley Stadium in London will host the 2011 Champions League final, as widely expected.

The governing organization said there has been progress in the past six months in Ukraine and Poland, but it was “neither uniform nor constant.”

“Both host countries must continue to make the necessary efforts as any slackening could put in doubt the organization of this tournament in these countries,” UEFA said.

UEFA president Michel Platini visited both countries in July.

“We were promised new airports and we will not have new airports,” he said at a news conference. “We were promised new roads and we are still waiting. Warsaw and Kiev are the key issues. We cannot organize 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 of changes if the host countries fail to meet the new expectations.

“If there are neither the stadium ready in Kiev or Warsaw, we would certainly do something different,” Platini said.

UEFA said it will decide next year how many and which stadiums and cities will be used as venues, with a minimum of six and maximum of eight. The number of venues will not necessarily be the same in each country.

The expanded 2016 championship will consist of six groups of four teams. The top two from each group will advance with the four best third-ranked teams. The tournament will feature 51 matches, up from 31, and last 29 to 31 days.

Platini dismissed the notion that expansion would further tire players after a long season.

“It’s just one more match, a last-16 game,” Platini said.

UEFA also said it was beefing up its “early-warning system” to protect against illegal betting and match-fixing. Two additional full-time staff and four additional disciplinary inspectors will be hired.

UEFA said a special unit will look into irregular betting patterns surrounding 25 UEFA Cup and Intertoto games from last season and this season.

Also to come next season is a new format with a newly named UEFA Europa League. The move appears to create a lower-tier version of the Champions League, with teams playing each other on a home and away basis in group stages. Under the current format, clubs only play each other once in the group phase.

The UEFA Cup has struggled in the shadow of the lucrative Champions League, which gives teams global exposure and huge television revenues.

Source:The Associated Press

Speaking at the conclusion of the Uefa executive committee meeting in Bordeaux that also approved the expansion of the 2016 European Championships to 24 teams and the re-branding of the Uefa Cup, Platini said preparations left a great deal to be desired.

Uefa has carried out two inspections of facilities and infrastructure in the countries recently and been disappointed at progress. The primary concern is at the lack of appropriate infrastructure rather than stadia.

“It’s not about the stadia, it’s about the infrastructure, hotels and transport,” Platini said. “We were promised new airports and we will not have new airports, we were promised new roads and we are still waiting. Progress has been neither constant or even.”

Platini said the tournament would remain in doubt unless there was significant progress in the coming months and a renewed commitment from the two governments.

“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.

“Warsaw and Kiev are the key issues. We cannot organise a European competition if the capitals are not participating.”

The deliberations over the 2012 competition are made more complicated by the fact the tournament was given to the two nations shortly before Platini was elected having attracted support from eastern European nations.

Uefa will do all it can to resist a change of venue but with less than four years to go there is genuine concern that an alternative may be required.

The expansion of the European Championship finals to 24, an eight-team increase on the current 16, means that almost half of the countries eligible to compete will qualify for the finals, reducing the interest in the qualifying tournament significantly.

The original proposal came from the Scottish FA, whose chief executive Gordon Smith ahs subsequently pointed out that it will make it easier for both Scotland and England to qualify for Europe’s premier competition.

Also approved yesterday was the establishment of a six-man special investigation unit to target match-fixing and corruption in football. Uefa revealed they are looking into 15 matches from last season and 10 Intertoto Cup and Uefa Cup qualifiers this season.

The matches are drawn from an original dossier of 26 games that Uefa had concerns about. Uefa general secretary David Taylor said: “We will be setting up a special investigations unit to look into situations reported to us in terms of irregular betting. This is a danger in our game, we will not allow our sport to be destabilised by those who wish to manipulate it for their own monetary games.

“We are employing extra people and strengthening our early warning systems tofight the war against illegal betting and corruption.”

Meanwhile Wembley is likely to host the 2011 Champions League final after the government agreed to waive a one-off tax levied on visiting entertainers and sportsmen at Uefa’s request.

Source:telegraph.co.uk

UEFA is expected to rule Friday on whether Ukraine and Poland can still host the tournament, following concerns about their preparations.

“I am absolutely sure everything will be ready for Ukraine and Poland for the organization of this competition,” Grigoriy Surkis told The Associated Press ahead of the UEFA executive committee meeting in Bordeaux. “I am certain that the report will be positive for Ukraine and for Poland.”

UEFA president Michel Platini and his committee members will view a report detailing the two countries have made enough progress on infrastructure and planning – an area of concern when officials visited earlier this year.

Surkis – a member of UEFA’s executive committee – said he was confident Ukraine has made the required progress, particularly over having stadiums ready in time.

“The first stadium was already finished on the 14th of September, one of the six stadiums,” Surkis said. “The next one will be ready next year in Donetsk, and there is no doubt that in Kyiv the stadium will also be ready on time. There will be no problem for the sporting infrastructure. … For the other infrastructure, we will follow the plan designed by UEFA and we are sure everything will be delivered on time.”

When Platini visited Poland and Ukraine in March, he was unhappy at the lack of progress and warned officials they could lose the right to host Euro 2012 if considerable improvements were not made.

UEFA awarded the tournament to Ukraine and Poland in April 2007, ahead of Italy and another co-host bid from Hungary and Croatia.

Source:The Canadian Press

The Association’s Secretary General, Wolfgang Niersbach, said that Germany won’t apply to organize the tournament should UEFA take away the right to host it from Poland and Ukraine.

He added that Germany does in fact support the current hosts of EURO 2012.

The statement comes a few days before a meeting of executives of the European football authorities who are to meet in Bordeaux at the end of the week to evaluate the state of preparations for the event in Poland and Ukraine.

Earlier on, international media suggested that if the results of this evaluation are negative, UEFA is likely to change the location of the championships.

One of the emergency scenarios included a joint organization of the tournament by Poland and Germany, if UEFA decided to penalize Ukraine for its sluggishness in constructing stadiums and other infrastructure.

Italy and Spain have also been speculated to be preparing emergency bids.(jm)

Source:polskieradio.pl