Concerns Grow With Euro 2012 Hosts In Disarray
Ukraine and Poland’s hosting of the European Championships in 2012 is in severe doubt after the governing board of the Polish Football Federation was suspended by its court-appointed chief for allegedly failing to tackle corruption in the domestic league.
The news came only a matter of hours after UEFA has announced that it was standing by its choice of host nations but only subject to a number of conditions following a review by the European governing body of the preparations for the 2012 tournament.
The chief stumbling block appeared to be the construction schedule of stadiums in both countries, while transport infrastructures, airports and hotels were also areas of concern.
However, with the organising committee behind Poland’s involvement now in disarray, it is unknown whether UEFA will decide to cut its losses now and award the hosting rights to another nation.
The suspension of the Polish Football Federation was made after a ruling by the Poland Olympic Committee’s arbitration court. The court named Robert Zawlocki as temporary chief of the federation in response to a critical motion submitted by the Ministry of Sport.
Zawlocki, a lawyer who once worked for the federation’s disciplinary committee, announced he had suspended the current board and canceled elections for 30th October to choose the federation’s new leadership.
For its part, Ukrainian authorities had stated they were taking measures to streamline and improve planning for Euro 2012 after UEFA upheld the ex-Soviet state’s right to co-host the event with Poland.
Deputy Ukrainian Prime Minister Ivan Vasyunik announced that preparations would soon be placed under the direct responsibility of the President and Prime Minister.
