UEFA praise for Poland and Ukraine
By Brian Homewood
Poland and Ukraine's preparations for Euro 2012 have been far from seamless, however UEFA believes their stadiums are better than in ultra-efficient Austria and Switzerland four years ago. ''We didn't have a stadium in Austria or Switzerland which could compare to what we have in Gdansk or Donetsk,'' Martin Kallen, UEFA's head of operations, said during the International Football Arena conference today. Kallen said that the stadium in Warsaw was due to be finished next month, while the others at Gdansk, Wroclaw and Poznan in Poland and Kiev, Kharkiv, Lviv and Donetsk in Ukraine were all ready. “Lviv inaugurated last Saturday. It was the subject of our main concern and I didn't believe today before that it would be ready, but they did it,” he said.
Preparations for the tournament have often been sluggish and UEFA at one point threatened to exclude Kharkiv, Lviv and Donetsk, giving them a sixmonth deadline in 2010 to show they were up to the job. Kallen admitted that transport was not as good as it could be and that organisers were hoping for a favourable draw. This could include Germany playing near their border with Poland, Russia playing near their border with Ukraine and Sweden playing in the Baltic port of Gdansk. “It’s true that the luck of the draw in Kiev on Dec. 2 could help us in terms of where teams will go. In terms of transport we will never be at the same level as in Switzerland and Austria,” he said. However, he added the tournament would leave a legacy in terms of infrastructure. “In Poland, it has been a catalyst to build motorways and most projects will be finished by the tournament.
Source:Reuters
