PARIS (AP) - European football's governing body is expected to rule Friday on whether Ukraine and Poland can still host the 2012 European Championship, and whether to endorse a move to increase that competition from 16 to 24 teams.
The main item for UEFA's executive committee at the two-day meeting starting Thursday in Bordeaux will be for president Michel Platini and his committee members to review the hosting arrangements for Euro 2012.
They will go over a report showing whether Ukraine and Poland have made enough progress on infrastructure and planning, which was an area of concern after UEFA officials visited the countries earlier this year.
"We will receive an experts' report," UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said Wednesday. "It will be presented to the executive committee to see what has been done since the last reports three months ago, and what remains to be done."
Gaillard said he has not yet seen the report, which was written last month by UEFA inspectors. Ukraine and Poland have struggled to upgrade stadiums, transport and accommodation.
When Platini visited Poland and Ukraine in March, he was unhappy at the lack of progress and warned officials they could lose the right to host Euro 2012 if considerable improvements were not made.
UEFA awarded the tournament to Ukraine and Poland in April 2007, ahead of Italy and another co-host bid from Hungary and Croatia.
"In March, our president pointed out that there was a problem with the infrastructure and the management of the project," Gaillard said. "The executive committee will look at what has been done in that domain. We are not expecting stadiums to be finished by tomorrow, but that things are going the right way."
UEFA will also discuss whether to favor plans to expand the tournament to 24 teams by 2016, a proposal that is expected to be approved after being unanimously backed in June.
credit: foxsoccer.com
i hope the euro gets moved to a place like italy. i really want to go to the next euro if turkey makes it, and i really don't feel like spending 10 days in the f'n ukraine. lol
The main item for UEFA's executive committee at the two-day meeting starting Thursday in Bordeaux will be for president Michel Platini and his committee members to review the hosting arrangements for Euro 2012.
They will go over a report showing whether Ukraine and Poland have made enough progress on infrastructure and planning, which was an area of concern after UEFA officials visited the countries earlier this year.
"We will receive an experts' report," UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said Wednesday. "It will be presented to the executive committee to see what has been done since the last reports three months ago, and what remains to be done."
Gaillard said he has not yet seen the report, which was written last month by UEFA inspectors. Ukraine and Poland have struggled to upgrade stadiums, transport and accommodation.
When Platini visited Poland and Ukraine in March, he was unhappy at the lack of progress and warned officials they could lose the right to host Euro 2012 if considerable improvements were not made.
UEFA awarded the tournament to Ukraine and Poland in April 2007, ahead of Italy and another co-host bid from Hungary and Croatia.
"In March, our president pointed out that there was a problem with the infrastructure and the management of the project," Gaillard said. "The executive committee will look at what has been done in that domain. We are not expecting stadiums to be finished by tomorrow, but that things are going the right way."
UEFA will also discuss whether to favor plans to expand the tournament to 24 teams by 2016, a proposal that is expected to be approved after being unanimously backed in June.
credit: foxsoccer.com
i hope the euro gets moved to a place like italy. i really want to go to the next euro if turkey makes it, and i really don't feel like spending 10 days in the f'n ukraine. lol
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