The official logo of the 2012 UEFA European Championship (EURO 2012) was unveiled today in Kiev, venue for the final of the competition.
Attendees at the ceremony included UEFA President Michel Platini, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, President Viktor Yushchenko, and Grigoriy Surkis, President of the Football Federation of Ukraine.
Ukrainian women’s movement FEMEN held a demonstration in Kiev today to highlight concerns of potential sex tourism during the 2012 UEFA European Championship (EURO 2012).
The rally was held on St Michael’s Square, prior to the official unveiling of the competition’s logo.
FEMEN is best known for its street protests against the increasing number of sex tourists visiting Ukraine. Most feature its members dressed as sex workers.
The group fears that the government may legalise prostitution in the run up to the competition, following similar moves in other countries that have held major sporting events.
Kiev was today confirmed as the host city for the final of the 2012 UEFA European Championship (EURO 2012).
Donetsk, Lviv, and Kharkiv were also confirmed as Ukrainian host cities.
The announcement was made at a meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee in Funchal, Madeira.
UEFA have previously issued warnings on Ukraine’s ability to host matches and made threats to relocate some or all of the matches to co-hosts Poland.
Concerns were raised about the suitability and number of hotels, and the state of roads and railways.
UEFA President Michel Platini said ‘In September, we had to reserve our opinion on three of the four candidate cities in Ukraine – considerable progress needed to be made. I can say to you that today, thanks to the enormous efforts and great sacrifices undertaken by the Ukrainian government, we can finally give the green light to a symmetrical tournament with four cities in Poland – Warsaw, Wroclaw, Poznan and Gdansk – and four cities in Ukraine – Kiev, Lviv, Kharkiv and Donetsk. The final will take place in Kiev.’
Ukraine’s role in the 2012 UEFA European Championship (EURO 2012) has been placed in serious doubt this week.
The tournament is scheduled to be hosted in both Ukraine (Kiev, Donetsk, Lviv, and Kharkiv) and Poland (Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw, and Gdansk), with the final being held at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev.
However, following a meeting in Bucharest yesterday the UEFA Executive Committee issued a statement confirming only the four Polish cities and Kiev as hosts.
A review of the Ukrainian host cities revealed serious shortcomings in the stadiums, transport infrastructure, and hotel accommodations. Donetsk, Lviv, and Kharkiv have until November 30 to prove their suitability as host cities. Furthermore, Kiev was not confirmed as the venue for the final.
Should the Ukrainian cities not meet the UEFA’s criteria by the deadline they will not be appointed host cities, throwing the organisation of the tournament into disarray.
UEFA President Michel Platini has given Euro 2012 hosts Ukraine and Poland 6 months to get their preparations for the competition on track. He was speaking yesterday after a meeting of UEFA’s executive committee in Zagreb, Croatia, where a report on the lack of progress being made by both countries was discussed. Officials have stopped short of saying an alternative host is being considered, but say the situation will be reviewed in the summer.
Projects to construct stadiums and infrastructure have suffered due to political instability in both countries. The countries were chosen as joint hosts in April last year. Neither country has hosted a major football competition before.
Dynamo Kiev want to bring former player Andriy Shevchenko back to Ukraine. Club president Hryhoriy Surkis stated that he is unable to afford to buy the player but is willing to pay his wages. Chelsea paid AC Milan £30 million in May 2006, a British transfer record. Despite this he has failed to command a regular place in the Chelsea first team and is widely regarded as one of the biggest flops in British football.
Kiev’s city council has voted to terminate the operations of FC Arsenal Kiev at the end of the current football season. The local municipality holds an 80% stake in the debt-ridden Ukrainian Premier League football club.
Ukraine and Poland have won a joint bid to host the Euro 2012 football championship. In a meeting yesterday in Cardiff, Wales, UEFA President Michel Platini announced that the bid scooped 8 votes from the 12 members of the voting committee. Italy secured 4 votes, while another joint bid from Hungary and Croatia received none.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has backed Ukraine’s joint bid with Poland to stage the 2012 European football championship. During a one day visit to Kiev he said ‘I hope that the championship will be held here in Ukraine.’
Former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko will make a comeback fight in Moscow, more than two years after being forced to retire with injuries. Klitschko, who recently failed to be elected mayor of Kiev, will face Oleg Makaev on April 21.