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Uefa D-day


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I'd have thought that if there was a string possibility of them being stripped of the tournament, our papers and TV news would be full of it. As it is, this thread's the only thing that's reminded me of this date.

I don't know if that's a good way of predicting the outcome, but no news is good news.

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Reuters reported a few days ago that UEFA doesn't intend to take the EURO away from Poland and Ukraine, despite still criticising the organisers for their lack of progress:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootbal...G69171220080916

But now, even the president of the Polish Football Association (PZPN), Michal Listkiewicz, voiced doubts whether his own country and the Ukraine can pull the EURO off. He even said that he would understand if UEFA decided to award the EURO to a different host country.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gYtpMQ...rIYiV9kOIuX29Qg

Meanwhile, the German Football Association (DFB) confirmed once more that it wouldn't stand in as alternate host if Poland and Ukraine really were stripped off of the EURO.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/23...2012-plans.html

Finally, here's what Michel Platini said about UEFA's upcoming decision:

“We will confirm the decision, or not confirm it,” Platini said. “It's easy to have stadiums - you simply pay - but there aren't the airports, the hotels or the sports centres for the visiting teams. We must make a good decision. It's difficult to have the tournament in Poland and Ukraine and it's very, very difficult to change it.”

(Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4821131.ece)

I think that, regarding that even the organisers themselves seem to have doubts, the wisest decision would be to look for a new host for EURO 2012. With still almost four years to go, that's not that difficult as Platini claims it. Maybe it's only difficult for him personally, since he owes a lot especially to the Eastern European states who carried him to the UEFA presidency.

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I think its 60/40 on both decisions, for upping the tournament numbers and for striping Poland/Ukraine. Though I have a feeling that if Poland were to be striped, they would easily get 2016 for themselves without a co-host.

The decision upon the expansion from 16 to 24 teams is only a formality. The expansion has already been approved by all 53 UEFA member nations in a vote in June:

Uefa will make its next announcement on the subject at a meeting on 23 September - where it will also formally decide whether to increase the number of teams competing in the finals from 16 to 24 from 2016.

The idea was unanimously agreed by senior officials of all 53 UEFA member nations on Saturday after the recommendation was made at a meeting of the presidents and general secretaries of UEFA members.

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/7479293.stm

So I think that the odds for that one are actually 99/1.

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The decision upon the expansion from 16 to 24 teams is only a formality. The expansion has already been approved by all 53 UEFA member nations in a vote in June:

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/7479293.stm

So I think that the odds for that one are actually 99/1.

The executive board could make their own decision, especially since it would hurt the overall quality of the tournament and mean further co-hosts and less possible hosts.

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The executive board could make their own decision, especially since it would hurt the overall quality of the tournament and mean further co-hosts and less possible hosts.

But I suppose that among the UEFA member federations which all voted in support of the expansion, there were the members of the executive committee. So I really don't expect them to make a different decision this time.

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Despite severe warnings by Michel Platini, Poland and Ukraine stay hosts for EURO 2012.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...g-Football.html

One had to fear that Platini would chicken out, remembering who elected him into his office. As long as he stays president, one can't expect that he will make any decision against an Eastern European country.

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If they're not up to the job, better to move it now than later. I personally would have moved it, particularly in the context that the very welcome move to a 24 team tournament will inevitably limit the host pool. A country like Scotland probably won't get the chance to host now, and I think that is a great pity.

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Even though England could host alone, a Scotland/England bid is still possible. Though not in the near future.

I think the 24 team tournament cements France as the 2016 host.

I really hope this doesn't blow up in UEFA's face, especially if we are getting to 2010 and things are still looking bad.

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It'd never happen. I mean, if the Scottish and English FA can't even agree on a simple issue like fielding a British team for 2012, how are they supposed to work together organising a European Championship? The home nations minus England are going ahead with their Celtic Cup pre-season tournament whilst England declined that invitation and could be competing in a similar tournament with the other big guns of European football within a couple of years. Scotland wants to host the Euros, as do Ireland, but England have bigger fish to fry at the moment with their World Cup bid. On top of that, it'd be such a one sided tournament in terms of where matches are staged; it'd be unbalanced and wouldn't really be doing the Scots justice.

Much better for Scotland/Ireland or Scotland/Wales to put something together in my opinion.

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Uefa warns Poland over Euro 2012

Uefa yesterday warned the Polish government that the suspension of the country's Football Association could threaten their hosting of Euro 2012. The Polish Football Association was suspended on Sunday by the sports ministry for allegedly failing to address corruption, and the government has appointed an administrator to run the organisation.

But both Uefa, football's European governing body, and Fifa, the world body, say that they will not recognise the administrator because both take a firm line that there should be no political interference in national associations.

William Gaillard, the Uefa communications director and special adviser to president Michel Platini, warned that if the situation was not dealt with it could affect preparations for Euro 2012, which Poland is hosting jointly with Ukraine.

"We are hoping we will be solving the problems before the end of October so it will not affect 2012," Gaillard said. "But if the problem is not solved and the Polish FA will not have ability to operate then it's a different ball game, and that opens all kinds of question marks around Euro 2012.

"The European Championships are administrated through the Polish and Ukrainian FAs, not their governments. If there is no legitimate Polish FA then we will not have a Euro in Poland – we are a long way from that situation but that is what they must face."

Uefa issued a warning to Poland and Ukraine only last Friday that they must speed up their preparations and meet several conditions.

Gaillard said: "Look back at Friday where there were a number of conditions laid down – if they do not exist then it becomes complicated." Gaillard said that Uefa and Fifa were not impressed by the Polish government's claims of corruption within the sport, and would not meet the administrator Robert Zawlocki.

"The Polish FA were supposed to have elections on 31 October and so a democratic process has been interrupted," Gaillard said. "These sorts of accusations have been made and withdrawn in the past."

"We only recognise Michal Listkiewicz, the chairman of the Polish FA, we don't know this other guy and we are not planning to meet him or communicate with him." Fifa and Uefa will work together to decide on the next steps and the matter will be brought up at the next Fifa executive committee meeting in Zurich on 23 and 24 October.

Miroslaw Drzewiecki, Poland's sports minister, has accused the Polish FA of using Euro 2012 as a shield to hide behind and escape responsibility for breaking the law. He said: "They wanted to use Euro 2012 as a shield to protect themselves but Euro 2012 is four years away and we will prepare everything on time."

Fifa warned Poland last year when Tomasz Lipiec, Drzewiecki's predecessor, appointed a commissioner as head of the FA in an anti-corruption drive. "I don't fear this situation will repeat itself. [The previous] minister Lipiec named his own commissioner and I have filed a motion to the arbitration tribunal," Drzewiecki said.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...012-947360.html

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Could Ukraine really host alone?

I don't think so. Ukraine actually has the more severe problems in terms of quarrels among the organisers, bad infrastructure and a slow construction progress. That's also why it was discussed whether Berlin and Leipzig could fill in and co-host the EURO together with Poland, should the problems in Ukraine not be solved in time.

However, this EURO is seriously doomed -- even if Michel Platini tries to blank that out.

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I don't think so. Ukraine actually has the more severe problems in terms of quarrels among the organisers, bad infrastructure and a slow construction progress. That's also why it was discussed whether Berlin and Leipzig could fill in and co-host the EURO together with Poland, should the problems in Ukraine not be solved in time.

However, this EURO is seriously doomed -- even if Michel Platini tries to blank that out.

Truthfully the longer and longer it takes to strip the tournament, the more and more likely the tournament goes to Germany. Which would be a huge slap in the face to Poland. It would be good to get things fully settled before the start of qualification in 2010. So we still have 2 more years but the longer they wait the more likely the tournament is going to be hosted in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza and Bilbao/San Sebastian or Berlin, Leipzig, Dortmund, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Munich.

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Hehe. We've got the Olympics to worry about and our 2018 bid is gathering pace. I don't want England as a standby for anything.

However, this EURO is seriously doomed -- even if Michel Platini tries to blank that out.

You're of the opinion that there will have to be a change. When do you think Platini will take his blinkers off then?

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Or indeed London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and Nottingham, perhaps. One way or another, I believe this issue has to be settled before the draw for the qualification tournament is made.

Not with England wanting 2018. and with France wanting 2016 that takes them out and Italy has said they can't host on short notice. In the end that leaves Germany and Spain and more than likely Spain because of good old Franz and his recent statements.

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BBC

And now this happens.

Wait and see. The Polish government will backpedal lukewarmly after UEFA's threats, UEFA will accept it and leave the EURO in Poland. As I said: I can't imagine any case (maybe only apart from a "natural disaster", as Sepp Blatter would say) in which UEFA would take the EURO away from Poland and/or Ukraine.

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