Poland and Ukraine hold onto Euro 2012

Poland and Ukraine have retained their right to host the Euro 2012 soccer championship, however both countries need to step up their preparations, UEFA President Michel Platini said on Friday.

The executive committee of European soccer's governing body met in Bordeaux to discuss the preparation process. UEFA inspectors have prepared a critical report that outlines the progress on infrastructure, among other things and speculations that the two countries won't host the championship games have been laid to rest.

UEFA executive has presented the two countries with a strict timetable of preparations. "The committee stressed a number of conditions [that] must be met in order to bring forward the whole project," Platini told a news conference.

When asked whether there is a chance for Poland and Ukraine to lose the right to stage the tournament, Platini said: "Yes, the completion of the Kiev and Warsaw stadiums remains an essential element of the whole project."

Platini stressed that both the Kiev and Warsaw governments promised and they must deliver the final product. "Without Kiev or without Warsaw [stadiums] we cannot have a tournament. We will have stadiums, we will have wonderful stadiums, but we were promised hotels and airports, but we won't have airports. We were promised roads."

UEFA also said that it may reduce the number of stadiums between six to eight, in light of the slow progress.

Meanwhile, Pol-Aqua has signed a deal worth zł.125.4 million for the demolition of a stadium in Warsaw. The engineering company will have 200 days to complete the work and prepare the ground for the construction of a new stadium to be used during the Euro 2012.

Source: Reuters