Football: Euro 2012

Poland and Ukraine play together

Poland and Ukraine have been chosen as joint-hosts of the UEFA EURO 2012™ final round. The decision was announced by UEFA President Michel Platini at the City Hall in Cardiff, Wales


By WAVE Editorial Team
from Belgrade, SERBIA


The UEFA Executive Committee reached its verdict by a majority of eight from the 12 votes cast after examining the three bids on the final shortlist to stage the tournament in six summers' time - Poland/Ukraine, Croatia/Hungary and Italy. Both Poland and Ukraine will hold matches in four venues at the 2012 tournament. The projected Polish locations are Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw, with Chorzow and Krakow in reserve. Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kiev and Lvov are the proposed host cities in Ukraine with Odessa a reserve city and the Olympic Stadium in Donetsk a reserve stadium.

"Poland/Ukraine has been chosen by the UEFA Executive Committee to host UEFA EURO 2012™ and they are a worthy winner," said Mr Platini. "However, there are no losers today, only bids that have not won this time round. I cannot speak highly enough of the effort that has been made, and the passion for football we have seen in all three bids. The process is a tribute to each one of the five national associations involved and to the political authorities and the football fans who have all given such tremendous backing to their respective bids."

Neither country has previously been the setting for a major tournament although both have strong footballing traditions: Poland were third at the FIFA World Cups of 1974 and 1982, while Ukraine's footballers played their part when the USSR won the inaugural UEFA European Championship in 1960 and last summer reached the World Cup quarter-finals as an independent nation.

Wild in Warsaw, crazy in Kiev

In Warsaw, large crowds took to the streets in expectation of the decision from Wales and jubilant scenes followed as UEFA President Michel Platini announced the verdict via large television screens. Despite the overcast skies and chilly weather, the scores of fans gathered in the open air jumped for joy and hugged each other. Supporters of all ages were present, from young children unaware of the fuss to pensioners who have waited a lifetime for such a sporting event to come to the country.

Polish prime minister Jarosław Kaczyński was in Belgium, meeting European Commission president José Manuel Barroso, when the news filtered through. "It's a beautiful day for Polish sport," he said. At home, the Warsaw stock exchange reacted by reaching a record high. Nearly 500 miles away in Kiev, Ukrainian government ministers broke into applause as the verdict came through during a cabinet meeting while president Viktor Yushchenko said it offered a great opportunity to the co-hosts to lay on an "extraordinary" sporting showpiece.

Kiev office workers and businesses came to a standstill as they anticipated the news. The collective roar that greeted the decision could be heard across the capital, with some even crying from happiness. Flags were soon hung from windows as fans congregated in the streets to share in the party atmosphere. The fact football remains a common cause throughout the nation was underlined by the shouts of "Ukraine, Ukraine" that could be heard all day long.