EURO 2021

Where even soccer is politics, infrastructure improvements have fallen behind. KIEV — In Ukraine, soccer is simply politics pursued through other means. The vicious and sometimes petty power struggle at the highest reaches of the country’s government has spilled over to its sports fields. Two years ago, UEFA, Europe’s governing soccer body, awarded Ukraine and its Slavic neighbor Poland the prestigious designation as co-hosts of the European soccer championships in 2012. The European championship, held every four years, is the largest international soccer tournament after the World Cup and one […]

Former Poland forward Grzegorz Lato was voted president of the Polish FA (PZPN) on Thursday in an election called to avoid FIFA sanctions and the potential loss of the country’s right to co-host Euro 2012 with Ukraine. Lato, top scorer at the 1974 World Cup, took 57 of 112 votes to win outright in the first round. He beat FA secretary-general Zdzislaw Krecina and government favourite Zbigniew Boniek, another ex-Poland forward, who got 36 and 19 votes respectively. Lato said a successful Euro 2012 was one of his main goals […]

UEFA President Michel Platini has urged the international community on Thursday to help Poland and Ukraine in their preparations for the Euro 2012. Poland and Ukraine need support of international community – quotes the National News Agency of Ukraine “Ukrinform”. In the last few months German and Italian media speculated about taking the preparation of EURO 2012 away from Poland and Ukraine. According to western press former communist countries will not manage such a huge project. Italians, who lost the battle to organize this event, were first to criticize. Platini, […]

If more and more real scenario was put into practice and all the matches (or almost all) should be played in Poland what would it mean for the inhabitants of our country? As it is reported (a source similar to Michel Platini) UEFA considers talking back part of the meetings from Ukraine for the benefit of Poland. There is also a possible scenario that both semi-finals and the finals would be played in our country. Would we cope with the organization of the tournament on our own and what would […]

Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko of Ukraine has participated in a meeting of the Polish-Ukrainian Committee for the organisation of the EURO 2012. While in Warsaw she also held talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk on the preparations to the championships. Both premiers assured that stadiums in Warsaw and Kiev will be built on time and added that both countries will intensify cooperation in the preparation to the championships. Danuta Isler reports It was in April 2007 that Ukraine and Poland were named co-hosts for the prestigous tournament. Since then little […]

Coach: Leo Beenhakker Group B: Germany, Croatia, Austria, and Poland Introduction Cause For Optimism There has never been a better time to be a Polish football fan. A burgeoning squad developing in self belief under the guidance of one of the shrewdest managers around, the time is right for Poland to shake off their tags as international under achievers at Euro 2008. Qualification for the tournament already indicated that Poland are becoming a force to be reckoned with. Drawn into Group A, with 8 teams, it was always going to […]

A match-fixing scandal and a complacent attitude towards construction may undermine Poland’s ability to co-host Euro 2012 There is a rumour going around that Poland-Ukraine was awarded the rights to host Euro 2012 only by embittered Lennart Johansson acolytes looking to screw up Michel Platini’s reign. It is, almost certainly, nothing more than mischief-making, and yet there was a strange pause as Platini opened the envelope that could, with hindsight, be construed as horror. On that momentous day in Cardiff, west seemed to offer an arm to east and talk […]

To build a stadium for 30-40 thousand people two, or two and half a year is enough- said in the interview of ‘Rzeczpospolita’ Heinz Palme, the chairman of company ‘Austria przy Pilce’ which coordinates preparations of Austria to Euro 2008 finals. – Every organizer of championships has a similar problem as Poland. We also have elections and changes of government. In Klagenfurt we managed to begin works at the last moment because first environmentalists protested, politicians quarreled and then documentation concerning a tender leaked out to the press and a […]

We need Polish Beckenbauer as soon as it’s possible- it’s the conclusion from the meeting concerning organization of Euro 2012. Franz Beckenbauer, in the past a brilliant footballer, was a chief who led preparations for the World Cup 2006 in Germany. In the conference which was organized in Warsaw ‘Euro 2012- a chance or a risk?’ representatives of Austria and Switzerland shared their experiences in preparing to next year’s European championships with representatives of Polish municipal government. They discussed preparations to Euro 2012. Conclusions weren’t optimistic… -I think that we […]

Chelsea and England defender John Terry is an amazingly talented defender: not only can he defend bloody well, he can also score some sweet headed goals. The control of the great man himself and propel England through the World Cup with an amazing array of beautifully headed goals. Keep those positive vibes coming; and England just might win something!