Poland and Ukraine host Euro 2012

[JohnnyH]

Poland and Ukraine have been chosen to host the 2012 European Championships.

Italy were widely expected to win the Uefa vote in Cardiff, with another joint bid from Croatia and Hungary also in the running.

 

However, Italy's bid was overshadowed by last season's referee corruption scandal and their on-going problems with football-related crowd trouble.

 

It will be the first time that either Poland or Ukraine have hosted a major football championship.

 

Their bid team staged an impressive presentation on Tuesday, featuring Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko, Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek, world heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, former pole vault Olympic champion Sergei Bubka and Ukraine president Victor Yushchenko.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6562527.stm

[cymrococh]

Sergei Bubka rocks.

[Leo No.8]

Brilliant - I've got family out in Poland, can combine a visit with a trip to catch a few of the games...

[Kahnee]

Great news. Really thought Uefa were gonna f*** this one up and hand it to the Italians

[JohnnyH]

Jesus, Ireland is going to be empty in 2012, whether we qualify or not.

[John am Rhein]

Hurrah!

 

What about the border though? Poland's EU but Ukraine isn't.

[Kahnee]

Hurrah!

 

What about the border though? Poland's EU but Ukraine isn't.

 

Still time for them to join the club

[John am Rhein]

Still time for them to join the club

 

Do you think that'll happen, though? There's a big split in Ukraine between the pro-Russian and the pro-western camps. I'd be surprised if the pro-Russian camp didn't see this as a politically motivated decision. They might do their best to mess up efforts at co-operation with Poland to organize the tournament.

[smithdown]

Nostrovia!

[matty]

Jesus, Ireland is going to be empty in 2012, whether we qualify or not.

 

eh? What's this got to do with Ireland?

[Kahnee]

Do you think that'll happen, though? There's a big split in Ukraine between the pro-Russian and the pro-western camps. I'd be surprised if the pro-Russian camp didn't see this as a politically motivated decision. They might do their best to mess up efforts at co-operation with Poland to organize the tournament.

 

It's a decision more affected by recent goings on in Italy, I suspect, but I could see how the pro-Moscow lobby could take it.

Surely, though, they wouldn't be so short sighted as to f*** up the chance to make lots of money from foreign tourists?

The choice of venue for the final could be interesting

[Romario]

eh? What's this got to do with Ireland?

Nearly 500,000 foreign nationals living there. That's more than 1/10 of the population if I'm correct.

[Stevie H]

It's a decision more affected by recent goings on in Italy, I suspect, but I could see how the pro-Moscow lobby could take it.

Surely, though, they wouldn't be so short sighted as to f*** up the chance to make lots of money from foreign tourists?

The choice of venue for the final could be interesting

be dynamo kiev's place won't it? not sure what the stadia in warsaw are up to these days.

[Kahnee]

be dynamo kiev's place won't it? not sure what the stadia in warsaw are up to these days.

 

I'll let you know when I get back from seeing Linkin Park

[12twelve]

Interestingly their ambassors for the campaign are Jerzy and Shevchenko. Wonder what they'll be talking about when they meet...

[John am Rhein]

It's a decision more affected by recent goings on in Italy, I suspect, but I could see how the pro-Moscow lobby could take it.

Surely, though, they wouldn't be so short sighted as to f*** up the chance to make lots of money from foreign tourists?

The choice of venue for the final could be interesting

 

Have they not decided that yet?

 

I don't think the pro-Moscow lobby are particularly interested in money from foreign tourists. The're more concerned about foreign (i.e. American) military bases being established in Ukraine.

[adiman]

am at this in Cardiff. Spoke to Klitschko and Bubka earlier. Both seem nices guys and speak great articulate English - Bubka especially

[fred milne]

Great news. Really thought Uefa were gonna f*** this one up and hand it to the Italians

It is good news. To give it to the Italians in the wake of the Juve scandal and the ongoing serious problems with crowd control would have been a joke.

 

Hopefully, this will serve as a wake-up call for the Italian football authorities to get their house in order, although I'm not going to hold my breath on that one.

[The Hitman]

am at this in Cardiff. Spoke to Klitschko and Bubka earlier. Both seem nices guys and speak great articulate English - Bubka especially

Both Klitschko's are incredibly smart fellers for boxers,both got doctorates I believe.

[Will]

I'll let you know when I get back from seeing Linkin Park

Please reassure me that you are not travelling halfway across Europe to see Linkin Park play

[matty]

Nearly 500,000 foreign nationals living there. That's more than 1/10 of the population if I'm correct.

 

I see.

[Stevie H]

I see.

all 500,000 of whom are going to attend the european championships 2012. oh yes.

[mally]

Both Klitschko's are incredibly smart fellers for boxers,both got doctorates I believe.

 

yes but they are doctorates in PAIN

[matty]

all 500,000 of whom are going to attend the european championships 2012. oh yes.

 

After coming to London to watch the Olympics first. Last one out of Oiland turn off the spuds!

[Gary Wolf]

Hurrah!

 

What about the border though? Poland's EU but Ukraine isn't.

They say they make the procedure as simple as possible for Europians.

It only means it will become more complicated for Russians