EURO 2012

Four Polish cities picked; Krakow not on the list After months of waiting and speculation in media from Gazeta Wyborcza to The Guardian, UEFA has finally announced the list of host cities for the 2012 European Championships. At a press conference this morning in Bucharest, UEFA President Michel Platini announced the final choices for host cities for Euro 2012: for Poland, Warsaw, Gdańsk, Wrocław, and Poznań are confirmed. Unfortunately for Krakow, this means the city, along with Chorzów, is now out of the running. Krakow’s mayor took an optimistic tone […]

UEFA decided to organize Euro 2012 in eight cities. Poland and Ukraine applied for expanding the list of host-cities to 10-12. The decision of UEFA can mean that the European Championships will pass over Chorzow and Krakow. – We have reached an agreement with Poland – said the head of Ukrainian football Hryhorij Surkis – Euro will be held in four Polish cities and four Ukrainian ones. The final list of the city-hosts will have been prepared by UEFA by May. Michal Listkiewicz the former head of PZPN (Polish National […]

Zbigniew Boniek met the UEFA president Michel Platini at the game between Roma and Chelsea in the Master League. Both gentlemen had the opportunity to talk about the Polish football, elections in the Polish Football Association and about Euro 2012. It was in connection with the last one that Boniek brings good news for the cities of Krakow and Chorzow back from the meeting. „Michel opened my eyes to certain matters. In Poland no one realizes that, but it is as many as six cities that have equal chances for […]

Co-founder of the anti-fascist ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association Rafal Pankowski was awarded the prestigious annual Human Rights Distinction by Poland’s Ombudsman Dr Adam Bodnar in a ceremony held in Warsaw’s Old Town on 25 September. The celebratory speech was delivered by Marian Turski, a Lodz Ghetto and Auschwitz survivor who is Chairman of the Council for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews and Deputy Chairman of the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute as well as a member of the International Auschwitz Council. – ‘I am honoured and grateful […]

Euro 2012 draws nearer and nearer and the atmosphere around the match between Poland and Russia is getting more and more nervous. There is more and more talk about Russian fans who announce “maximum of activity” during the tournament; on the other hand, publications in Russian newspapers have been warning of “big brawls”. Are Polish security forces ready to ensure a peaceful course of the tournament? I opinion of Polish Minister of the Interior Jacek Cichocki, they are “prepared for the worst.” Russian national team, crowds of fans and… Smolensk […]

Numerous sites in Poland and Ukraine begin to display the symbol of Inclusive Zones contributing to a friendly multi-cultural atmosphere at EURO 2012. Schools, NGOs, local authorities, cultural institutions, community centres, sports clubs as well as businesses, shops and pubs have all been invited to join the initiative. The Inclusive Zones initiative is a part of the multi-faceted ‘RESPECT Diversity – Football Unites’ project in frames of the official UEFA EURO 2012 Social Responsibility programme. The project is delivered on behalf of the FARE network by by its long-established regional […]

We have been waiting very long for really well-prepared football stadium. We were jealous of other countries, but in the end we constructed beautiful stadiums. We have in Gdansk, Poznan and Wroclaw modern facilities for Euro 2012, but the real showcase is the National Stadium in Warsaw. The National Stadium was built in place of the former Tenth Anniversary Stadium, which in recent years has had nothing to do with sports. A place of the largest bazaar in Europe was occupied by an impressive stadium with a red and white […]

The number of hotels and hostels in Poland is limited, so fans, during the Euro 2012, will live, among others, at student hostels and private houses. It’s not the end of options. A very interesting offer for football fans is prepared by one of the global sponsors of the tournament – Carlsberg, which will open a modern camps. We heard about plans for creation of such sites in October from Rafał Rosiejak, the national coordinator for the accommodation from the PL 2012 company. “I have to say something about the […]

Polish football fans have celebrated the launch of the biggest stadium for this year’s Euro 2012 finals with a free music festival and fireworks display. The newly-constructed National Stadium in Warsaw will host the opening match of the four-yearly tournament on June 8 when co-hosts Poland take on Euro 2004 winners Greece in Group A. The first 40,000 fans to arrive on Sunday were given the chance to see Polish pop acts including VooVoo i Haydamaky, Zakopower, Coma, T. Love and Lady Pank. The at the 50,000-seat arena, which will […]

The Euro 2012 playoff draw was held Thursday in Krakow, Poland. The winners of these four home-and-home series will get the final four berths at next summer’s tournament, joining the 12 teams that have already qualified. The entire tournament will be televised on ESPN networks. Here are notes and Soccer Power Index projections for the four matchups. Turkey vs. Croatia This is a rematch of their dramatic Euro 2008 quarterfinal, when Croatia’s Ivan Klasnic scored an apparent winner in the 119th minute. But Turkey’s Semih Senturk tied it in stoppage […]