EURO 2021

Global financial crisis may make the job of preparing for the Euro 2012 football championship easier for Poland as demand for unrelated construction eases and prices drop, a senior official said on Friday. Marcin Herra, who heads the PL.2012 agency preparing for the event, told Reuters in an interview, the global slowdown in investment increased developers’ interest in key infrastructure projects, while falling prices of building materials should make the final price-tag lower. Infrastructure work is a major challenge for Poland and co-host Ukraine, which have to build not only […]

Robert Lewandowski has officially become an FC Barcelona player and will wear the club’s shirt bearing the logo of the United Nations’ main agency for refugees (UNHCR, Spanish: ACNUR) As a Barcelona player, Lewandowski will be able to join the fight for the rights of refugee children and youth from across the world. In mid-June, the Catalan club signed an agreement with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), according to which it will be allocating 400,000 euros a year to humanitarian activities in Colombia, Turkey, […]

A radical-right media outlet has attacked Poland’s top footballer Robert Lewandowski and promoted xenophobic conspiracy theories around the COVID-19 pandemic. The Warsaw-based anti-racist ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association has noted a recent broadcast on the ‘Idz Pod Prad’ (‘Go Against the Tide’) online television program which targeted Lewandowski. The channel regularly refers to the coronavirus as ‘the Chinese plague’ and promotes a conspiracy theory about its origin. Against scientific evidence, it accuses the Chinese of intentionally producing and spreading the virus. It advocates a military conflict with China and announces, in the […]

Swansea v Aston Villa – Saturday 24 October Arguably the most important fixture of the weekend, with both managers under considerable pressure. Garry Monk and Swansea have been on a winless run of six games, since beating Man Utd on August 30th, whilst Tim Sherwood’s Villa side are on just four points from nine games. Sherwood is undoubtedly in the more perilous position of the two, especially with Spurs and Man City next up after Swansea. In an act of desperation the Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust issued a statement to […]

France will host football European championships in 2016, decided in Geneva the Executive Committee of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It will be the third tournament organized on the Seine – previously the Old Continent championships were held there in 1960 (triumph of USSR) and in 1984 (host’s victory). In the second round of the Executive Committee voting the French received one voice more than Turkey and won 7:6. The third candidate – Italy dropped out at the first round of voting. 13 representatives participated in voting. The UEFA […]

Michel Platini, the President of UEFA, praised Poland and Ukraine for the way they prepare for the championships, which are to be held on June 8. He added that the tournament would be the economic incentive for both countries in times of financial crisis. Platini said that the Euro 2012 would be a “great festival of football and would open up many opportunities for sport in its difficult time”. He also added that he was impressed by the efforts the inhabitants of both countries had put in preparation of the […]

Royce Simmons will lead St Helens out for their sixth straight Super League Grand Final appearance on Saturday, hoping to crown a successful first season in the competition with a victory.

Simmons has steered Saints through an injury crisis to a thir…

Chief executive Ivan Gazidis has ruled out sacking Arsene Wenger, despite Arsenal’s poor start to the new season, which has left them 50/1 with bookmaker to win the Premier League.

Wenger has come under scrutiny as the Gunners have won just one of their…

In mid 2007, Poland was abuzz after receiving co-hosting rights with Ukraine for the Euro 2012 football championship. A year from the event, the country is biting its nails with key infrastructure yet to be completed. As May came to an end, a storm drew over the Polish capital, Warsaw, and it became evident that the roof at its brand new national football stadium – built ahead of the 2012 European Championship – was not entirely waterproof. Shortly beforehand, it had become known that the staircases at the stadium were […]

Martin Kallen, an operating executive, visiting Lviv a year before the Euro 2012 assessed the level of preparations of Poland for the tournament at the level of 80%, and Ukraine – a slightly lower. Generally, I am hopeful – he said. According to Kallen, “80%” for Poland concerns both the state of preparations of stadiums, as well as airports and highways. When it comes to Ukraine: stadiums consists in 70-80% and airports – 60%. However, as far as highways are concerned, it will take take 30-40 years. In Ukraine there […]