Euro-2012 News Online

During Europe Football Championship final 2012 every stadium in Poland’s going to be equipped with prayer spots for followers of world leading religions. This was claimed by Edward Plenj, Polish priest appointed by Roman Catholic Church responsible for fans relations at the Championship.

E. Plenj highlights that Catholic volunteers are going to give out religious leaflets and tell the fans about Polish Catholicism.

We remind that at its meeting in Copenhagen UEFA Executive Committee’s positively assessed Euro-2012 organization in Poland and Ukraine. Championship transfer issue’s been removed from the agenda.

Polish-German-Austrian firms syndicate’s won the bids for holding the next stage of stadium construction works in Gdansk. Mayor of Gdansk Pavel Adamowich signed the corresponding report of qualification commission. According to Mikhal Krushinsky, the Association official and Euro-2012 organizer in Gdansk (BIEG 2012), each of these companies has significant amount of work experience in this domain. In particular, Alpine Bau erected famous “Alianz Arena” in Munich. Investment in stadium construction in Gdansk will make 521 mln zlotys (about US $ 160 mln).

At the same time other six firms - bids participants will be provided with 10 days to appeal against contest terms fulfillment. BIEG 2012 representatives expect second stage of stadium construction to begin in the end of April - early May 2009.

Erection of arena in Gdansk is to be finished by the end of 2010. It’s expected that stadium will seat 44.000 spectators, including 1.5 000 V.I.P. seats. The stadium will be 227 m long, 194 m wide and its height will reach 45 m. Its territory will cover 34 hectares. According to design documents, 1.8 000 cars and 160 buses or trucks can be located at the parking lot by the stadium.

Football Federation of Ukraine predicts around 1 mln Russian tourists will visit Ukraine in case Russia team reaches Europe Football Championship final 2012. This was stated by FFU vice President Sergey Storozhenko in his interview to Izvestiya edition in Ukraine.

“In fact, we figured out that in this case (I mean if Russia team reaches Euro-2012 final) we gonna have around 1 mln tourists from Russia” - told Mr. Storozhenko.

Nearly 300 000 fans are expected to come from other countries.

Meanwhile S. Storozhenko considers as first priority in Euro-2012 Championship organization stadiums construction and transport communications infrastructure development.

Everything related to public service - volunteers, stewards, police officers and medical workers retraining - can be started in 2010 or even 2011, says Mr. Storozhenko.

UEFA President Michel Platini’s sure that Euro-2012 which is going to be held in Ukraine and Poland will fall far behind previous Championships in profit gained.

New Polish stadiums being constructed for Euro-2012 will apply equipment and technologies in the image and likeness of those at Donbass-Arena.

As UNIAN was informed by stadium’s press-agency, PL.2012 Company officials and managers of stadiums being erected in Poznan, Gdansk and Warsaw arrived in Donetsk to gain experience.

The guests had a tour around Donbass-Arena where they were shown corporative suites, lounge-bar, stadium bowl and system control office. 
Polish officials were also highly interesting in seats disposition for physically challenged fans, inside and outside stadium security, TV communication systems, evacuation plans, also nearby arena park peculiarities and so on.
Having examined and acquainted with Donbass-Arena specific features Polish experts noted they’re planning to similarly organize stadium infrastructure in Poland, control system and tickets distribution, security, protection and video surveillance. Also food supply and traffic control during the matches will be set going as in Donetsk.

Polish delegation’s marked out in-depth study of Donbass-Arena cooperation principles with local and governmental structures while designing and erecting the stadium, and Euro-2012 organization.

No less burning issue for Polish guests was the way Donetsk is going to run the stadium after Euro-2012.

Summing up the results Polish officials have agreed that Donetsk succeeded in high-level organization, they also expressed hope for the future collaboration in preparation for Euro-2012 in order to host it in Ukraine and Poland the best way possible.

It was earlier stated that at its meeting in Copenhagen UEFA Executive Committee’s positively evaluated Euro-2012 organization in Ukraine and Poland. Nothing’s been mentioned of the Championship transfer to another country. 

Michel Platini will again pay visit to Ukraine. At its meeting UEFA Executive Committee’s positively evaluated preparation process for Euro-2012 in Ukraine and Poland.

“The talks are over about replacing the upcoming Europe Football Championship. In some organization moments Poland’s ahead of Ukraine, however stadiums’ erection goes as scheduled in both of the countries” - stated Gerhardt Mayer, UEFA vice-President on Tuesday, March 24th after Executive Committee meeting.
Mr. Mayer also underlined that UEFA plan didn’t preview substituting Ukraine by the Germany, these were just mass-media speculations.

As states Franz Beckenbauer, coordinator of World Cup organization in Germany in 2006, UEFA Executive Committee’s got “generally positive” report on Poland and Ukraine’s preparation for Euro-2012.

In April UEFA President Michel Platini is going to visit Poland and Ukraine to personally witness Euro-2012 organization.

As claim the experts, key hot issue relating to Ukraine happens in May, when UEFA will finally decide on host-cities of the Championship.

Cities with the lowest chance to be part of 4 host-cities are Odessa and Lvov, as considers Andrey Kapustin, Euro-2012 Public Committee representative. Major reason is absence of strategic investor for sports facilities’ reconstruction and erection.