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Euro Poland - Ukraine
Showing posts with label Euro 2012 News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Euro 2012 News. Show all posts
Euro 2012 Awards
- UEFA Team of the Tournament
The UEFA Technical Team was charged with naming a squad composed of the 23 best players over the course of the tournament. The group of eleven analysts watched every game at the tournament before making their decision after the final. Ten players from the winning Spanish team were selected in the team of the tournament, while Zlatan Ibrahimović is the only player knocked out in the group stage were included.
| Goalkeepers | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
 Iker Casillas | Jordi Alba |  Steven Gerrard | Cesc FÃ bregas |
 Manuel Neuer | Gerard Piqué | Sami Khedira | David Silva |
 Gianluigi Buffon | Sergio Ramos | Mesut Özil | Mario Balotelli |
| Philipp Lahm | Andrea Pirlo |  Cristiano Ronaldo | |
| Fábio Coentrão | Daniele De Rossi |  Zlatan Ibrahimović | |
| Pepe | Xabi Alonso | ||
| Sergio Busquets | |||
| Xavi | |||
| Andrés Iniesta |
- Golden Boot
In the event of a tie, the Golden Boot will be awarded to the player with the most assists. In a further tie, the winner will be the player spending the least time playing in the tournament. Fernando Torres tied with five other players on goals and with Mario Gómez on goals and assists; however he spent 92 minutes less on the pitch compared to Gómez and this owned him the title. Torres also became the first player to score in two finals. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar of Netherlands was the over-all topscorer for Euro 2012 including qualification by 12 goals.
- UEFA Player of the Tournament
Germany's Class of 2010 ready to test Danes
Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has said Germany's rising stars have learnt a few lessons from the 2010 World Cup as they look to down Denmark today to reach the Euro 2012 quarter-finals.
Worryingly for their Euro rivals, Schweinsteiger says the Germans are eager to play more of the high-tempo attacking football they have built a reputation for in their quest to win a fourth European crown.
As one of the team's senior statesmen having made his debut just before Germany's unsuccessful Euro 2004 campaign, Schweinsteiger is playing his third European championships, but he says the foundations of the current Euro success were laid at the 2010 World Cup.
Germany finished third in South Africa by playing an eye-catching brand of attacking football, which yielded knock-out wins over England and Argentina before losing to Spain in the semi-finals, to eventually finish third.
Schweinsteiger says he feels the Germans have added patience and the ability to control a game's tempo to their attacking prowess and solid defence.
"I think the 2010 World Cup tournament did us the world of good," said the 27-year-old, who has made 92 appearances for his country, scoring 23 goals.
"Many of the new guys earned a wealth of experience and sometimes that it might be a good idea to take a small break with the ball at your feet and let the opponent do the running.
"What we did (against the Dutch) is play well-time passes and avoided doing anything which could be energy sapping.
"We hope in the future we can play more attractive, free-flowing football which Germany is now known for.
"But even the Denmark game will be far from easy, they will be sitting deep and patience will be the name of the game. It is something we have learned."
Germany carried their World Cup form into their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign as they finished with 10 wins from 10 matches.
Two years ago in South Africa several rising stars came of age with midfielders Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Mueller, who won the golden boot, and Manuel Neuer cementing their places as the Germans finished third.
(nst.com.my)
Worryingly for their Euro rivals, Schweinsteiger says the Germans are eager to play more of the high-tempo attacking football they have built a reputation for in their quest to win a fourth European crown.
As one of the team's senior statesmen having made his debut just before Germany's unsuccessful Euro 2004 campaign, Schweinsteiger is playing his third European championships, but he says the foundations of the current Euro success were laid at the 2010 World Cup.
Germany finished third in South Africa by playing an eye-catching brand of attacking football, which yielded knock-out wins over England and Argentina before losing to Spain in the semi-finals, to eventually finish third.
Schweinsteiger says he feels the Germans have added patience and the ability to control a game's tempo to their attacking prowess and solid defence.
"I think the 2010 World Cup tournament did us the world of good," said the 27-year-old, who has made 92 appearances for his country, scoring 23 goals.
"Many of the new guys earned a wealth of experience and sometimes that it might be a good idea to take a small break with the ball at your feet and let the opponent do the running.
"What we did (against the Dutch) is play well-time passes and avoided doing anything which could be energy sapping.
"We hope in the future we can play more attractive, free-flowing football which Germany is now known for.
"But even the Denmark game will be far from easy, they will be sitting deep and patience will be the name of the game. It is something we have learned."
Germany carried their World Cup form into their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign as they finished with 10 wins from 10 matches.
Two years ago in South Africa several rising stars came of age with midfielders Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Mueller, who won the golden boot, and Manuel Neuer cementing their places as the Germans finished third.
(nst.com.my)
England set to change winning line-up
England manager Roy Hodgson is set to change his winning line-up against Ukraine on Wednesday (NZT) as his side seeks another point to reach the quarter-finals of the Euro 2012 soccer championships.
Hodgson, 64, made it clear after the 3-2 victory over Sweden that Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney would come straight back into the starting line-up after serving a two-match suspension.
Hodgson hailed his side's performance in Kiev on Friday evening after coming from behind to beat the Swedes, who only have pride to play for when they come up against France in group D in Kiev.
England need a draw against co-hosts Ukraine in Donetsk to advance, and Hodgson will have to leave out one of the heroes of Friday's victory to accommodate Rooney.
Hodgson had brought in Andy Carroll, a move that paid off when the Liverpool striker headed England ahead in the first half. After Sweden went in front through a Glen Johnson own-goal and an Olof Mellberg header, Arsenal's Theo Walcott then came off the bench to put England level and set up the back-heel winner by Danny Welbeck.
The speculation has already started on who will have to make way for Rooney, with Carroll or Welbeck the likely candidates, and how Hodgson - who was defensive in the 1-1 draw against France - will approach the key match against Ukraine, who need a win to advance.
"I welcome those kind of problems. I was really pleased with the performance of the front players, and Theo Walcott's contribution was enormous. To come on as a substitute, score and then set up the winner means he'll be very happy," the England manager said.
"I believe in Theo. He's a good player with real quality. I've only been working with these players for a month and I'm still learning what they're really good at and what areas we can find improvement but I was delighted with his performance."
Hodgson also praised the suspended Rooney.
"But Wayne Rooney is a special player and it'll be hard to leave him out. If you are one of the front players who gets into the team while Wayne Rooney is serving a suspension, I'm afraid you probably expect him to get his place back once that ban has been served," said the coach.
"Against Ukraine, a player like Rooney can make a major difference and I am delighted to welcome him back. If I did leave him out, all hell might break loose in the dressing room."
The imminent return of Rooney was already featuring in the headlines in the British media on Saturday.
"Beck Heel" a Sun headline said in reference to Welbeck's goal, adding "Danny joy but Roy vows to bring back Roo".
The tabloid Mirror used the Nirvana song Smells Like Teen Spirit to refer to the good vibes in the England side and the age of the scorers (Welbeck 21, Walcott and Carroll both 23) for the headline, "Smells like team spirit: Hero Welbeck praises players while Roy's ready to welcome Wayne back".
(nzherald.co.nz)
Hodgson, 64, made it clear after the 3-2 victory over Sweden that Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney would come straight back into the starting line-up after serving a two-match suspension.
Hodgson hailed his side's performance in Kiev on Friday evening after coming from behind to beat the Swedes, who only have pride to play for when they come up against France in group D in Kiev.
England need a draw against co-hosts Ukraine in Donetsk to advance, and Hodgson will have to leave out one of the heroes of Friday's victory to accommodate Rooney.
Hodgson had brought in Andy Carroll, a move that paid off when the Liverpool striker headed England ahead in the first half. After Sweden went in front through a Glen Johnson own-goal and an Olof Mellberg header, Arsenal's Theo Walcott then came off the bench to put England level and set up the back-heel winner by Danny Welbeck.
The speculation has already started on who will have to make way for Rooney, with Carroll or Welbeck the likely candidates, and how Hodgson - who was defensive in the 1-1 draw against France - will approach the key match against Ukraine, who need a win to advance.
"I welcome those kind of problems. I was really pleased with the performance of the front players, and Theo Walcott's contribution was enormous. To come on as a substitute, score and then set up the winner means he'll be very happy," the England manager said.
"I believe in Theo. He's a good player with real quality. I've only been working with these players for a month and I'm still learning what they're really good at and what areas we can find improvement but I was delighted with his performance."
Hodgson also praised the suspended Rooney.
"But Wayne Rooney is a special player and it'll be hard to leave him out. If you are one of the front players who gets into the team while Wayne Rooney is serving a suspension, I'm afraid you probably expect him to get his place back once that ban has been served," said the coach.
"Against Ukraine, a player like Rooney can make a major difference and I am delighted to welcome him back. If I did leave him out, all hell might break loose in the dressing room."
The imminent return of Rooney was already featuring in the headlines in the British media on Saturday.
"Beck Heel" a Sun headline said in reference to Welbeck's goal, adding "Danny joy but Roy vows to bring back Roo".
The tabloid Mirror used the Nirvana song Smells Like Teen Spirit to refer to the good vibes in the England side and the age of the scorers (Welbeck 21, Walcott and Carroll both 23) for the headline, "Smells like team spirit: Hero Welbeck praises players while Roy's ready to welcome Wayne back".
(nzherald.co.nz)
Last Battle in Group B Euro 2012
The statistics do not make pleasant reading for the Netherlands – they must beat Portugal by two goals today and hope Germany overcome Denmark if they are to reach the Euro 2012 quarter-finals.
No team has ever reached the knockout phase at a Euro after losing their first two matches. Coach Bert van Marwijk appears to face problems with several of his most important players.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Rafael van der Vaart have both expressed anger at being left out of his starting line-up, while Arjen Robben reacted to his substitution in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Germany by jumping over an advertising hoarding and stalking angrily back to the dug-out.
The top scorers in qualifying with 37 goals, it took Holland 45 shots to find the net at the Euro but Robin van Persie’s 73rd-minute effort against Germany was ultimately in vain.
“I drew a lot of conclusions from our defeat against Germany,” said van Marwijk. “We defended carelessly and the service of both Ibrahim Afellay and Arjen Robben from the flanks was not good enough.”
Meanwhile, Portugal will be guaranteed to reach the last-eight if they win, unless Denmark beat Germany in the other game, which would invoke a three-way head-to-head comparison between those teams. The only disappointment for Portugal coach Paulo Bento was yet another mystifyingly poor performance in front of goal from his captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, who spurned two one-on-one chances to put Portugal 3-1 up.
Both teams would be hoping that their superstars Ronaldo and Robben would gain some much needed form and fire for their countries, after coming under a lot of criticism during the past few days.
High-flying Germans out to down Danes
After two wins already at Euro 2012, a confident Germany are aiming to beat Denmark and finish top of Group B to set up a quarter-final near their base in Gdansk.
With three goals at Euro 2012, including two against Holland and the winning header against Portugal, Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez has finally converted his impressive club form to German colours.
“The good thing with Mario is that he needs almost zero chances and still scores,” said Bastian Schweinsteiger. “We can approach the game against Denmark with a lot of self-confidence. We definitely want to win against Denmark.”
Danish winger Dennis Rommedahl will miss the game against Germany while midfielder Niki Zimling is a doubt after the pair suffered muscle injures in the 3-2 defeat to Portugal.
“We are left with the number of points we had hoped for after the first two matches,” said Danish coach Morten Olsen. “The scenario of our dreams would be to have one more point. That could have been the case, but you don’t always have it your way in football.”
(tribune.com.pk)
No team has ever reached the knockout phase at a Euro after losing their first two matches. Coach Bert van Marwijk appears to face problems with several of his most important players.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Rafael van der Vaart have both expressed anger at being left out of his starting line-up, while Arjen Robben reacted to his substitution in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Germany by jumping over an advertising hoarding and stalking angrily back to the dug-out.
The top scorers in qualifying with 37 goals, it took Holland 45 shots to find the net at the Euro but Robin van Persie’s 73rd-minute effort against Germany was ultimately in vain.
“I drew a lot of conclusions from our defeat against Germany,” said van Marwijk. “We defended carelessly and the service of both Ibrahim Afellay and Arjen Robben from the flanks was not good enough.”
Meanwhile, Portugal will be guaranteed to reach the last-eight if they win, unless Denmark beat Germany in the other game, which would invoke a three-way head-to-head comparison between those teams. The only disappointment for Portugal coach Paulo Bento was yet another mystifyingly poor performance in front of goal from his captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, who spurned two one-on-one chances to put Portugal 3-1 up.
Both teams would be hoping that their superstars Ronaldo and Robben would gain some much needed form and fire for their countries, after coming under a lot of criticism during the past few days.
High-flying Germans out to down Danes
After two wins already at Euro 2012, a confident Germany are aiming to beat Denmark and finish top of Group B to set up a quarter-final near their base in Gdansk.
With three goals at Euro 2012, including two against Holland and the winning header against Portugal, Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez has finally converted his impressive club form to German colours.
“The good thing with Mario is that he needs almost zero chances and still scores,” said Bastian Schweinsteiger. “We can approach the game against Denmark with a lot of self-confidence. We definitely want to win against Denmark.”
Danish winger Dennis Rommedahl will miss the game against Germany while midfielder Niki Zimling is a doubt after the pair suffered muscle injures in the 3-2 defeat to Portugal.
“We are left with the number of points we had hoped for after the first two matches,” said Danish coach Morten Olsen. “The scenario of our dreams would be to have one more point. That could have been the case, but you don’t always have it your way in football.”
(tribune.com.pk)
Greece and Czech Republic go to quarter-finals of Euro 2012
The Czech Republic and Greece qualified for the Euro 2012 quarter-finals on Saturday after the Czechs beat co-hosts Poland 1-0 to win Group A and the Greeks unexpectedly defeated Russia by the same scoreline.
Petr Jiracek's 72nd-minute strike meant the Czechs ended with six points and will face the second-placed team in Group B.
A goal from Giorgos Karagounis in first-half stoppage-time knocked out the fancied Russians and put Greece into a last-eight match against the Group B winners.
The Greeks, bottom of the group after two games, finished level with Russians on four points but took the qualifying spot because of their better head-to-head record. Dick Advocaat's men had been tipped as possible winners of the tournament but paid the price for a poor performance.
Why Greece go to Quarter Final and not the Russian team ?
Tie-breaking criteria
If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings (according to paragraphs 8.07 and 8.08 of the regulations, and amendment to 8.07 adopted by the UEFA Executive Committee):
- Higher number of points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question;
- Superior goal difference resulting from the matches played between the teams in question (if more than two teams finish equal on points);
- Higher number of goals scored in the matches played between the teams in question (if more than two teams finish equal on points);
- If, after having applied criteria 1 to 3 to more than two teams, two teams still have an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 3 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the two teams in question to determine the final rankings of the two teams. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 5 to 10 apply in the order given;
- Superior goal difference in all group matches;
- Higher number of goals scored in all group matches;
- If two teams which are tied in all criteria 1 to 6 play their last group match against each other (i.e., the result is a draw and the two teams have the same number of points, goal difference and goals scored), and provided no other teams within the group have the same number of points, the ranking of the two teams in question is determined by penalty shoot-out. Otherwise, criteria 8 to 10 apply in the order given;
- Position in the UEFA national team coefficient ranking system;
- Fair play conduct of the teams (final tournament);
- Drawing of lots.
Steven Gerrard confident will beat Sweden
Steven Gerrard has said he is confident England will finally gain their first win over Sweden in a competitive match.
England have failed to overcome the Swedes in seven previous World Cup or European Championship encounters ahead of tomorrow's Group D clash in Kiev.
But Gerrard is adamant that sequence should end, even allowing for the threat posed by Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
He said: "I would think the same level of performance against France will be good enough to beat Sweden.
"I would say so with all due respect to Sweden who are a good, strong team, but they are not France.
"I think we can be a little bit more bold and a little bit more ambitious and get at the Swedes a little bit more.
"We are confident if we reach the same level of performance, it will be enough for a victory."
(itv)
England have failed to overcome the Swedes in seven previous World Cup or European Championship encounters ahead of tomorrow's Group D clash in Kiev.
But Gerrard is adamant that sequence should end, even allowing for the threat posed by Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
He said: "I would think the same level of performance against France will be good enough to beat Sweden.
"I would say so with all due respect to Sweden who are a good, strong team, but they are not France.
"I think we can be a little bit more bold and a little bit more ambitious and get at the Swedes a little bit more.
"We are confident if we reach the same level of performance, it will be enough for a victory."
(itv)
Shevchenko sets his sights on Euro 2012 quarters
The sensation of the first Euro 2012 matchday, Ukraine icon Andrei Shevchenko will now seek to guide his country into the quarter-finals with victory over France on Friday.
The 35-year-old Dynamo Kiev striker rolled back the years to give the co-hosts a 2-1 win over Sweden on Monday, his headed second-half brace sending a wave of jubilation sweeping across the co-host nation.
As well as taking his international goal tally to 48, Shevchenko's match-winning intervention at Dynamo's Olympic Stadium also gave Ukraine control of Group D, as France and England drew their opening encounter 1-1.
The quarter-finals are therefore already within sight -- Ukraine will reach the last eight if they beat France in Donetsk, regardless of the result between England and Sweden in Kiev.
However, having doggedly battled knee and back problems in order to prove his fitness for his swansong international tournament, the former AC Milan and Chelsea striker does not want to look too far ahead.
"It's a great day for Ukraine, but we still have two matches to prepare for," he warned after the win against Sweden.
"Of course we're happy, but we know that we still have two very hard matches against France and England."
'Sheva' was involved in a minor car accident as he accompanied his wife to the airport after Monday's game but he was unharmed and took part in training on Wednesday evening at the Valeriy Lobanovsky Stadium in central Kiev.
"Shevchenko is a great striker," France right-back Mathieu Debuchy told the UEFA website.
"We'll have to mark him really closely because he can turn even the slightest opening into a goal. It's going to be hard because the fans will be 100 percent behind them. We'll need to be on the top of our game."
For all the nationwide euphoria, Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin was critical of his side's nervousness in the closing stages against Sweden and has attempted to dampen the excitement sparked by their victory.
"We've won one match," he said at Wednesday's press conference. "There's no reason to be euphoric. As a coach, I'm never happy.
"I don't think it was the best match in Ukraine's history. There were lots of mistakes. Some of them can be corrected, but we won't have enough time for the others."
France were left with mixed feelings after their draw against England, with pride at the manner in which they fought back to equalise tempered by disappointment that they did not exploit their dominance of possession.
There were glimpses of the slick football that yielded wins over Iceland, Serbia and Estonia in their warm-up games, but an over-reliance on shots from distance told its own story.
"It was frustrating for periods," conceded coach Laurent Blanc.
"We lacked a presence in front of goal sometimes. But we tried to play our style of football. We like playing balls in to feet and exchanging quick passes."
Blanc will be keen to turn his focus back to on-pitch matters, after showing signs of annoyance in Tuesday's press conference when he was asked about Samir Nasri's provocative goal celebration against England.
The 46-year-old coach must decide whether to grant Yann M'Vila an immediate return to his starting line-up.
The Rennes midfielder has returned to training following an ankle injury that kept him out of the game against England, but in his absence, Alou Diarra produced an assured display in the midfield holding role.
France may take heart from the fact that when they last met Ukraine, at Donbass Arena a year ago, the visitors ran out comfortable 4-1 winners, with Marvin Martin claiming a brace on his international debut.
However, with Shevchenko resurgent and the people of Ukraine expectant, Blanc is unlikely to enjoy such a comfortable evening on Friday.
(bangkokpost.com)
The 35-year-old Dynamo Kiev striker rolled back the years to give the co-hosts a 2-1 win over Sweden on Monday, his headed second-half brace sending a wave of jubilation sweeping across the co-host nation.
As well as taking his international goal tally to 48, Shevchenko's match-winning intervention at Dynamo's Olympic Stadium also gave Ukraine control of Group D, as France and England drew their opening encounter 1-1.
The quarter-finals are therefore already within sight -- Ukraine will reach the last eight if they beat France in Donetsk, regardless of the result between England and Sweden in Kiev.
However, having doggedly battled knee and back problems in order to prove his fitness for his swansong international tournament, the former AC Milan and Chelsea striker does not want to look too far ahead.
"It's a great day for Ukraine, but we still have two matches to prepare for," he warned after the win against Sweden.
"Of course we're happy, but we know that we still have two very hard matches against France and England."
'Sheva' was involved in a minor car accident as he accompanied his wife to the airport after Monday's game but he was unharmed and took part in training on Wednesday evening at the Valeriy Lobanovsky Stadium in central Kiev.
"Shevchenko is a great striker," France right-back Mathieu Debuchy told the UEFA website.
"We'll have to mark him really closely because he can turn even the slightest opening into a goal. It's going to be hard because the fans will be 100 percent behind them. We'll need to be on the top of our game."
For all the nationwide euphoria, Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin was critical of his side's nervousness in the closing stages against Sweden and has attempted to dampen the excitement sparked by their victory.
"We've won one match," he said at Wednesday's press conference. "There's no reason to be euphoric. As a coach, I'm never happy.
"I don't think it was the best match in Ukraine's history. There were lots of mistakes. Some of them can be corrected, but we won't have enough time for the others."
France were left with mixed feelings after their draw against England, with pride at the manner in which they fought back to equalise tempered by disappointment that they did not exploit their dominance of possession.
There were glimpses of the slick football that yielded wins over Iceland, Serbia and Estonia in their warm-up games, but an over-reliance on shots from distance told its own story.
"It was frustrating for periods," conceded coach Laurent Blanc.
"We lacked a presence in front of goal sometimes. But we tried to play our style of football. We like playing balls in to feet and exchanging quick passes."
Blanc will be keen to turn his focus back to on-pitch matters, after showing signs of annoyance in Tuesday's press conference when he was asked about Samir Nasri's provocative goal celebration against England.
The 46-year-old coach must decide whether to grant Yann M'Vila an immediate return to his starting line-up.
The Rennes midfielder has returned to training following an ankle injury that kept him out of the game against England, but in his absence, Alou Diarra produced an assured display in the midfield holding role.
France may take heart from the fact that when they last met Ukraine, at Donbass Arena a year ago, the visitors ran out comfortable 4-1 winners, with Marvin Martin claiming a brace on his international debut.
However, with Shevchenko resurgent and the people of Ukraine expectant, Blanc is unlikely to enjoy such a comfortable evening on Friday.
(bangkokpost.com)
Poland and Russia Supporter Clashes
Police used an arsenal of tear gas, water cannon, rubber bullets and pepper spray and detained dozens of brawling football fans ahead of a key Euro 2012 match between Poland and Russia on Tuesday.
Police said they had detained nearly 130 unruly fans on both sides while about 10 were treated for minor injuries before the match, which the authorities said posed the city’s “greatest ever” security challenge.
Tension was stoked by centuries of bad blood and suspicion between the two countries, coupled with pockets of fans on both sides with a reputation for violence.
But the 1-1 result appeared to have eased the post-match mood, with no major incidents reported after midnight (2200 GMT), as Poles celebrated their chance to advance in the 16-nation quadrennial tournament they are co-hosting with Ukraine.
Earlier, police sprayed water cannon at Polish fans near the stadium before the kick-off while tear gas was used in another area near the venue, which was encircled by a thick cordon of riot police with dogs and rubber-bullet guns.
Riot police and vans created a buffer as Russian fans began marching to the National Stadium across a central Warsaw bridge chanting “Russia, Russia” and waving white, blue and red national flags on what was also their national day.
Rubber bullets and pepper spray were also part of the anti-brawl arsenal authorities used to douse brawls, local media reported.
Some Polish fans yelled obscenities at the Russian marchers, who responded by hurling back bottles, but security forces swiftly managed to keep the situation in check.
Helicopters circled the city sky, as “vuvuzela” trumpets blared below and thousands of chanting Poland fans decked out in their national red and white also made their way in a loud but orderly fashion to the stadium.
Some 6,000 police are on duty in the capital for the duration of the tournament and Poland’s Euro 2012 organisers have said that 9,800 Russian and 29,300 Polish fans had tickets for Tuesday’s encounter.
Some 12,000 Russian fans were in the city for match day.
Before kick-off, Russia’s national anthem was met with jeers and whistles as the country’s supporters unfurled a giant flag emblazoned with a sword-wielding warrior and the words “This is Russia” from their enclosure in the stands.
Poland’s Interior Minister Jacek Cichocki had earlier said the security operation surrounding the match in the capital was the city’s “greatest-ever challenge”, as Polish newspapers played up the match with military language and historical references.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that drunken fans after the game were “a real concern”.
Tusk also hit back at claims of racism levelled at Poland, with a number of reported incidents, most notably taunts at members of the Dutch national team as they trained in Krakow.
European football’s governing body UEFA is also looking into allegations that Russian fans taunted Ethiopian-Czech player Theodor Gebre Selassie.
“Let’s be honest, racist and anti-Semitic attitudes among Polish hooligans are a fact. But I strongly protest against stigmatising Poland as a country in which this phenomenon is growing,” he said.
Before the match some Russian fans insisted the security issue was overblown.
“We won’t be provoking anything,” said Svetoslaw Sorokine, 33, who travelled 48 hours by train from Yoshkar-Ola, a city 800 kilometres (500 miles) east of Moscow, for the match.
“Our supporters come in a spirit of peace to support our team, not to play politics,” he added.
Fellow fan Ilya Koulikov, a Moscow native, said fears of clashes among fans were being “fuelled by the media who are stoking the fire. People have come for the football.”
(theborneopost.com)
Police said they had detained nearly 130 unruly fans on both sides while about 10 were treated for minor injuries before the match, which the authorities said posed the city’s “greatest ever” security challenge.
Tension was stoked by centuries of bad blood and suspicion between the two countries, coupled with pockets of fans on both sides with a reputation for violence.
But the 1-1 result appeared to have eased the post-match mood, with no major incidents reported after midnight (2200 GMT), as Poles celebrated their chance to advance in the 16-nation quadrennial tournament they are co-hosting with Ukraine.
Earlier, police sprayed water cannon at Polish fans near the stadium before the kick-off while tear gas was used in another area near the venue, which was encircled by a thick cordon of riot police with dogs and rubber-bullet guns.
Riot police and vans created a buffer as Russian fans began marching to the National Stadium across a central Warsaw bridge chanting “Russia, Russia” and waving white, blue and red national flags on what was also their national day.
Rubber bullets and pepper spray were also part of the anti-brawl arsenal authorities used to douse brawls, local media reported.
Some Polish fans yelled obscenities at the Russian marchers, who responded by hurling back bottles, but security forces swiftly managed to keep the situation in check.
Helicopters circled the city sky, as “vuvuzela” trumpets blared below and thousands of chanting Poland fans decked out in their national red and white also made their way in a loud but orderly fashion to the stadium.
Some 6,000 police are on duty in the capital for the duration of the tournament and Poland’s Euro 2012 organisers have said that 9,800 Russian and 29,300 Polish fans had tickets for Tuesday’s encounter.
Some 12,000 Russian fans were in the city for match day.
Before kick-off, Russia’s national anthem was met with jeers and whistles as the country’s supporters unfurled a giant flag emblazoned with a sword-wielding warrior and the words “This is Russia” from their enclosure in the stands.
Poland’s Interior Minister Jacek Cichocki had earlier said the security operation surrounding the match in the capital was the city’s “greatest-ever challenge”, as Polish newspapers played up the match with military language and historical references.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that drunken fans after the game were “a real concern”.
Tusk also hit back at claims of racism levelled at Poland, with a number of reported incidents, most notably taunts at members of the Dutch national team as they trained in Krakow.
European football’s governing body UEFA is also looking into allegations that Russian fans taunted Ethiopian-Czech player Theodor Gebre Selassie.
“Let’s be honest, racist and anti-Semitic attitudes among Polish hooligans are a fact. But I strongly protest against stigmatising Poland as a country in which this phenomenon is growing,” he said.
Before the match some Russian fans insisted the security issue was overblown.
“We won’t be provoking anything,” said Svetoslaw Sorokine, 33, who travelled 48 hours by train from Yoshkar-Ola, a city 800 kilometres (500 miles) east of Moscow, for the match.
“Our supporters come in a spirit of peace to support our team, not to play politics,” he added.
Fellow fan Ilya Koulikov, a Moscow native, said fears of clashes among fans were being “fuelled by the media who are stoking the fire. People have come for the football.”
(theborneopost.com)
England Coach Confidence Against France
Roy Hodgson takes his England players into their opening match of Euro 2012 against France insisting they have shown enough during his brief time in charge to convince him the low expectations surrounding the team are misplaced.
Hodgson described himself as "really quite surprised" by how confident he feels about England's chances of a successful start to the tournament, despite having so little time to prepare against a France side that has not lost a match since September 2010.
"It is a stern challenge. We are facing a team in excellent form who are 21 matches unbeaten, which at any level is a fine achievement," said Hodgson. "No one expects, after only three weeks [of being full-time], someone to have totally stamped his mark on the team. So I'm surprised really that I'm as confident as I can possibly be that the players are going to show you, and show the nation, what they can do.
"I just hope they play like they're capable of playing. We have a team full of players who are major stars in their own club sides, in one of the top leagues in Europe. I see them playing to the best of their ability at home and my only hope is that they can reproduce that form in this tournament."
Hodgson has had little more than a month to get England ready, starting as a job-share with West Bromwich Albion, and he admitted it had been a gruelling introduction. "The days have been so intensive, there have been quite a few where there has been absolutely no down time at all. But I am happy with what we have achieved. I don't think the players could have worked harder for me or tried harder in the training sessions to become a team.
"You could say we haven't had as much time as we would have liked but on the other hand these lads are used to playing with each other on many occasions so I think we are as well prepared as we can be, and I am not actually convinced that if I had had more time we'd have been better prepared."
England's preparations have not been helped by a heatwave in Donetsk that means the match could kick off in punishing temperatures. The French squad have been acclimatising to the heat since Wednesday and Hodgson, though demonstrably more confident than any other time since his appointment, added a note of caution.
"We have to make certain that if we are successful we don't let it go to our heads and that if we are unsuccessful we don't start digging graves for ourselves."
The manager added: "To the players, my message is going to be: 'I think you're ready, I think you're good enough, now have the confidence and the belief in yourself to go out there and show it – and don't get suicidal if things don't work out for you'."
Hodgson went on to identify John Terry's presence as one of the reasons why he felt increasingly confident, insisting the Chelsea player was worth the trouble that invariably seems to follow his England career. "Once again, he is coming off the back of a very good season with Chelsea, especially towards the end when he played a major part in getting to a major final [the Champions League], even though he couldn't play in the game himself.
"We all know John's qualities, what a centre-half he is. We all know what a warrior he is also. And we also know he is a player capable of taking other players with him. I'm just hoping John Terry will show in this tournament all the qualities I have seen him show over many years with England. I'm convinced that he is very determined to show these qualities. I think he feels himself this is a great opportunity to show the very best of what he can do."
As well as the heat and a renascent French side barely recognisable from the team that were knocked out of the last World Cup, England will have a more unorthodox problem to deal with in the Donbass Arena – an invasion of midges that means the players will be given insect repellent before kick-off.
"We'll deal with it as best we can," Hodgson said. "It does get hot in England from time to time and the heat is a factor for everyone playing in Ukraine, not just us. It plays a slightly bigger role in the earlier game, but the bottom line is that it's the same for both teams."
(guardian.co.uk)
Hodgson described himself as "really quite surprised" by how confident he feels about England's chances of a successful start to the tournament, despite having so little time to prepare against a France side that has not lost a match since September 2010.
"It is a stern challenge. We are facing a team in excellent form who are 21 matches unbeaten, which at any level is a fine achievement," said Hodgson. "No one expects, after only three weeks [of being full-time], someone to have totally stamped his mark on the team. So I'm surprised really that I'm as confident as I can possibly be that the players are going to show you, and show the nation, what they can do.
"I just hope they play like they're capable of playing. We have a team full of players who are major stars in their own club sides, in one of the top leagues in Europe. I see them playing to the best of their ability at home and my only hope is that they can reproduce that form in this tournament."
Hodgson has had little more than a month to get England ready, starting as a job-share with West Bromwich Albion, and he admitted it had been a gruelling introduction. "The days have been so intensive, there have been quite a few where there has been absolutely no down time at all. But I am happy with what we have achieved. I don't think the players could have worked harder for me or tried harder in the training sessions to become a team.
"You could say we haven't had as much time as we would have liked but on the other hand these lads are used to playing with each other on many occasions so I think we are as well prepared as we can be, and I am not actually convinced that if I had had more time we'd have been better prepared."
England's preparations have not been helped by a heatwave in Donetsk that means the match could kick off in punishing temperatures. The French squad have been acclimatising to the heat since Wednesday and Hodgson, though demonstrably more confident than any other time since his appointment, added a note of caution.
"We have to make certain that if we are successful we don't let it go to our heads and that if we are unsuccessful we don't start digging graves for ourselves."
The manager added: "To the players, my message is going to be: 'I think you're ready, I think you're good enough, now have the confidence and the belief in yourself to go out there and show it – and don't get suicidal if things don't work out for you'."
Hodgson went on to identify John Terry's presence as one of the reasons why he felt increasingly confident, insisting the Chelsea player was worth the trouble that invariably seems to follow his England career. "Once again, he is coming off the back of a very good season with Chelsea, especially towards the end when he played a major part in getting to a major final [the Champions League], even though he couldn't play in the game himself.
"We all know John's qualities, what a centre-half he is. We all know what a warrior he is also. And we also know he is a player capable of taking other players with him. I'm just hoping John Terry will show in this tournament all the qualities I have seen him show over many years with England. I'm convinced that he is very determined to show these qualities. I think he feels himself this is a great opportunity to show the very best of what he can do."
As well as the heat and a renascent French side barely recognisable from the team that were knocked out of the last World Cup, England will have a more unorthodox problem to deal with in the Donbass Arena – an invasion of midges that means the players will be given insect repellent before kick-off.
"We'll deal with it as best we can," Hodgson said. "It does get hot in England from time to time and the heat is a factor for everyone playing in Ukraine, not just us. It plays a slightly bigger role in the earlier game, but the bottom line is that it's the same for both teams."
(guardian.co.uk)
Prostitutions problem in Ukraine during Euro 2012
Despite public health warnings and protests from groups like Femen, prostitutes in the Ukraine are looking to cash in on the influx of soccer fans that are invading the Eastern European nation for Euro 2012. Call girls, escorts and the like will be increasing their rates throughout the tournament, even with all the risks this behavior poses – both for them and their clients. ‘They will be playing Ukrainian roulette,’ said Kostiantyn Pertsovskyi, spokesman for the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine.
Yulia, a 20-year-old call girl, is awaiting Euro 2012 with a mix of excitement and dread. She’s upped her rates in the hope of earning enough to go to college next year, but “every girl is afraid,” she admits. “Anything can happen.”
Ukraine has a booming prostitution industry — and the already high number of women scouting the streets, bars and hotels of the country’s four host cities for clients is expected to spike even further this month as hundreds of thousands of football fans converge on the country.
Experts are warning about the high risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases: Some 1.1 percent of the adult population and nearly one out of 10 prostitutes are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, according to the United Nations AIDS agency.
“They will be playing Ukrainian roulette,” said Kostiantyn Pertsovskyi, spokesman for the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine, which will be handing out nearly 1 million condoms to fans and prostitutes during the tournament. “If a fan is not using a condom, he has a very good chance of getting infected.”
La Strada, a Ukrainian women’s rights group, is particularly concerned about an increase of underage prostitution, with scores of orphaned or destitute teenagers lured — and often forced — to service clients.
Yulia, who declined to give her last name for fear of being prosecuted, has been studying basic English words, communicating with prospective clients online and assembling a new wardrobe of flashy dresses and high-heeled shoes. She’s also been learning what she calls “European manners.”
She plans to raise her hourly rate of 600 hryvna ($75; (euro) 60) to 900 hryvna ($115; (euro) 90) and hopes to save enough money to go to college next year to study music and fulfill her life dream of becoming a singer.
Yulia came to Kiev to escape poverty in her provincial hometown in southern Ukraine where both of her parents are unemployed. With no college education, few skills, no jobs around and a family to support, she became a prostitute at 18.
She now earns about 10,000 hryvna ($1,250; (euro) 1,000) per month — averaging about 2-3 clients a day — at hotels, apartments and in cars. For many that’s an enviable income compared with the national monthly average of 3,000 hryvna ($375; (euro) 300). But the money has a price.
“Physically, morally, psychologically it’s very hard. Each client needs a special approach, you need to please everyone,” Yulia said as she came to a support center on the outskirts of Kiev to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases, load up on free condoms and take a class in art therapy.
“It’s not easy, there is always fear. Every girl is afraid because she doesn’t know what she is about to see, what will happen to her, what to expect. Anything can happen.” Once, she recalled, she came to a Kiev flat, expecting one client, but instead found two who violently raped her.
“I couldn’t get out of the apartment, I couldn’t convince them, so I just closed my eyes and that was it.”
In Ukraine, underage sexual workers are rarely treated as victims of child molestation or forced labor, but instead are often punished and harassed for engaging in prostitution. Providing sexual services constitutes a misdemeanor here punishable by fines of about $20, but in practice prostitutes have to buy police protection with money and sex. Soliciting sexual workers is legal.
“In our country, children providing sexual services are not regarded as victims but as culprits,” said Mariana Yevsyukova, a legal expert with La Strada, adding that no measures have been taken to protect such teenagers ahead of the football tournament. “My heart is very angry over this. Our government did not react to this in time.”
Officials are playing down the threat, saying fans will be too busy enjoying soccer games to look for adventure on the streets.
Euro 2008 co-hosts Austria and Switzerland “also expected sex tourism, but fans didn’t have time for this: it was either football or beer,” said Oleh Matveitsov, an Interior Ministry official charged with security measures during the Euros. While some measures have been taken to get the call girls off the streets, experts say many of those women will simply go online to look for clients.
The country’s leaders have done little to alter the image of Ukraine as a top destination for sex tourists and men shopping for mail-order brides. President Viktor Yanukovych last year invited foreign investors to Ukraine to see blooming chestnut trees and observe “how women begin to take their clothes off when it gets warm in Ukrainian cities.”
Femen, Ukraine’s controversial women’s rights movement which stages topless protests, has vowed to disrupt the championship with rallies, pranks and disturbances to protest the prostitution spike.
“Today Ukraine has turned into a huge brothel, Europe’s center for sex tourism, and Ukrainian women will suffer from that, Ukrainian women will become sex slaves during Euro 2012,” said Inna Shevchenko, a top activist with the group.
Critics say Femen is itself fueling the perception of Ukrainian women as sex objects. The group protests against prostitution with half-naked activists posing in front of television cameras in erotic poses.
Yulia Tsarevska, whose advocacy group provides moral, educational and medical support to Yulia and other call girls in Kiev and around the country, says the girls have been translating their ads into English in recent weeks.
“They are waiting, they are getting ready, they are going to beauty parlors, they are raising their prices,” she said.
Yulia admits to harboring faint hopes that one of her clients may fall in love with her and take her away from Ukraine, as happened to Julia Roberts’ heroine in “Pretty Woman,” a movie she loves.
“It would be great to live in other countries, but I don’t think that people would come and would choose a wife here in Ukraine among call girls,” she says. “Although everything can happen.”
(www.nydailynews.com)
Yulia, a 20-year-old call girl, is awaiting Euro 2012 with a mix of excitement and dread. She’s upped her rates in the hope of earning enough to go to college next year, but “every girl is afraid,” she admits. “Anything can happen.”
Ukraine has a booming prostitution industry — and the already high number of women scouting the streets, bars and hotels of the country’s four host cities for clients is expected to spike even further this month as hundreds of thousands of football fans converge on the country.
Experts are warning about the high risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases: Some 1.1 percent of the adult population and nearly one out of 10 prostitutes are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, according to the United Nations AIDS agency.
“They will be playing Ukrainian roulette,” said Kostiantyn Pertsovskyi, spokesman for the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine, which will be handing out nearly 1 million condoms to fans and prostitutes during the tournament. “If a fan is not using a condom, he has a very good chance of getting infected.”
La Strada, a Ukrainian women’s rights group, is particularly concerned about an increase of underage prostitution, with scores of orphaned or destitute teenagers lured — and often forced — to service clients.
Yulia, who declined to give her last name for fear of being prosecuted, has been studying basic English words, communicating with prospective clients online and assembling a new wardrobe of flashy dresses and high-heeled shoes. She’s also been learning what she calls “European manners.”
She plans to raise her hourly rate of 600 hryvna ($75; (euro) 60) to 900 hryvna ($115; (euro) 90) and hopes to save enough money to go to college next year to study music and fulfill her life dream of becoming a singer.
Yulia came to Kiev to escape poverty in her provincial hometown in southern Ukraine where both of her parents are unemployed. With no college education, few skills, no jobs around and a family to support, she became a prostitute at 18.
She now earns about 10,000 hryvna ($1,250; (euro) 1,000) per month — averaging about 2-3 clients a day — at hotels, apartments and in cars. For many that’s an enviable income compared with the national monthly average of 3,000 hryvna ($375; (euro) 300). But the money has a price.
“Physically, morally, psychologically it’s very hard. Each client needs a special approach, you need to please everyone,” Yulia said as she came to a support center on the outskirts of Kiev to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases, load up on free condoms and take a class in art therapy.
“It’s not easy, there is always fear. Every girl is afraid because she doesn’t know what she is about to see, what will happen to her, what to expect. Anything can happen.” Once, she recalled, she came to a Kiev flat, expecting one client, but instead found two who violently raped her.
“I couldn’t get out of the apartment, I couldn’t convince them, so I just closed my eyes and that was it.”
In Ukraine, underage sexual workers are rarely treated as victims of child molestation or forced labor, but instead are often punished and harassed for engaging in prostitution. Providing sexual services constitutes a misdemeanor here punishable by fines of about $20, but in practice prostitutes have to buy police protection with money and sex. Soliciting sexual workers is legal.
“In our country, children providing sexual services are not regarded as victims but as culprits,” said Mariana Yevsyukova, a legal expert with La Strada, adding that no measures have been taken to protect such teenagers ahead of the football tournament. “My heart is very angry over this. Our government did not react to this in time.”
Officials are playing down the threat, saying fans will be too busy enjoying soccer games to look for adventure on the streets.
Euro 2008 co-hosts Austria and Switzerland “also expected sex tourism, but fans didn’t have time for this: it was either football or beer,” said Oleh Matveitsov, an Interior Ministry official charged with security measures during the Euros. While some measures have been taken to get the call girls off the streets, experts say many of those women will simply go online to look for clients.
The country’s leaders have done little to alter the image of Ukraine as a top destination for sex tourists and men shopping for mail-order brides. President Viktor Yanukovych last year invited foreign investors to Ukraine to see blooming chestnut trees and observe “how women begin to take their clothes off when it gets warm in Ukrainian cities.”
Femen, Ukraine’s controversial women’s rights movement which stages topless protests, has vowed to disrupt the championship with rallies, pranks and disturbances to protest the prostitution spike.
“Today Ukraine has turned into a huge brothel, Europe’s center for sex tourism, and Ukrainian women will suffer from that, Ukrainian women will become sex slaves during Euro 2012,” said Inna Shevchenko, a top activist with the group.
Critics say Femen is itself fueling the perception of Ukrainian women as sex objects. The group protests against prostitution with half-naked activists posing in front of television cameras in erotic poses.
Yulia Tsarevska, whose advocacy group provides moral, educational and medical support to Yulia and other call girls in Kiev and around the country, says the girls have been translating their ads into English in recent weeks.
“They are waiting, they are getting ready, they are going to beauty parlors, they are raising their prices,” she said.
Yulia admits to harboring faint hopes that one of her clients may fall in love with her and take her away from Ukraine, as happened to Julia Roberts’ heroine in “Pretty Woman,” a movie she loves.
“It would be great to live in other countries, but I don’t think that people would come and would choose a wife here in Ukraine among call girls,” she says. “Although everything can happen.”
(www.nydailynews.com)
Euro 2012 Cash Winner
The European Championship 2012 kicks off Friday boasting the numbers to back its reputation as one of world sports’ elite events.
The Union of European Football Associations will earn commercial revenues of at least euros 1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) for the 16-team tournament in Poland and Ukraine, rivaling FIFA’s 32-nation World Cup for average match value.
With each match slot expected to draw an average television audience of 150 million fans worldwide, Euro 2012 will be a near-daily diet of ratings bigger than the Super Bowl.
A 237-million audience for the Euro 2008 final was worthy of a Summer Olympics opening ceremony.
“You can see it is mega,” said David Taylor, chief executive of UEFA Events, which has contracts with 203 broadcasters. “Certainly, when we are talking to sponsors and others, they are interested in the wider global impact.”
Such global popularity allows UEFA to be a generous host and budget to get a nine-figure profit.
Teams get a bigger participation fee than at the World Cup and clubs get a bigger share than FIFA gives from World Cup revenues.
It also helps explain why six of FIFA’s major sponsors also team with UEFA for the event.
“We would never claim to be bigger than the World Cup,” Taylor told the Associated Press in a recent interview. “But you can see in certain territories, if your own national team is doing well you get some very good numbers.”
When champion Spain and semifinalist Russia starred four years ago, the national ratings set records.
UEFA’s financial figures for Euro 2012 also stack up well despite a global downturn and doubts lingering over the co-hosts.
The 31-match tournament is set to reap $51.6 million per game, compared to FIFA’s average earnings of $56.7 million from the 2010 World Cup. In South Africa, FIFA banked $3.6 billion in commercial revenue tied to its 64-match prize asset.
“It’s very robust and a good performance commercially to come up with these numbers,” Taylor said. “Particularly given the environment in which we were working and the countries concerned. At the outset we were unsure how our sponsors would react going to eastern Europe, and going to these countries in particular, but the reaction has been positive.”
UEFA gambled going behind the old Iron Curtain, even as its Champions League becomes a popular and commercial juggernaut which could ultimately undermine national team football if its growth continues as expected.
A fashionable view values the Champions League above the World Cup, and its commercial revenues will top $1.6 billion for each of the next three seasons.
Fans’ appetite for week-in, week-out drama has also made England’s Premier League a cash cow with 20 clubs sharing almost $1.54 billion in prize money last season.
Still, UEFA will profit from Euro 2012, though short of the then $394 million banked last time in risk-free Austria and Switzerland.
“The actual net left for UEFA will be less than Euro 2008, but the actual operational performance in terms of revenue will be at or about the same level,” Taylor said.
UEFA spent more than expected helping Poland and Ukraine authorities manage the Euro 2012 project. A $49,750 payment per match was also added for teams who must fly between the neighbors to games.
UEFA also chose to spread $124 million among clubs worldwide as daily-rate compensation for releasing their players to take part. FIFA will pay just $70 million to bring twice as many players to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
UEFA will pay a further $244 million in participation and prize money to the 16 national associations. A team can earn a maximum $23 million for lifting the trophy having won all three group games. Spain got $30 million from FIFA for its 2010 World Cup title.
And UEFA gives FIFA its taste of Euro 2012 revenues – a 1 percent levy on total sales of 1.4 million tickets.
That’s estimated to be worth $1.43 million for football’s world governing body, UEFA said Tuesday.
Yet for all the outlay, there’s more money looming in UEFA’s near future.
Euro 2016 will have 24 teams and 51 matches. At today’s rate, that’s a $2.6 billion tournament, adding furtherto the treasure chest for the franchise.
(dailystar.com.lb)
The Union of European Football Associations will earn commercial revenues of at least euros 1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) for the 16-team tournament in Poland and Ukraine, rivaling FIFA’s 32-nation World Cup for average match value.
With each match slot expected to draw an average television audience of 150 million fans worldwide, Euro 2012 will be a near-daily diet of ratings bigger than the Super Bowl.
A 237-million audience for the Euro 2008 final was worthy of a Summer Olympics opening ceremony.
“You can see it is mega,” said David Taylor, chief executive of UEFA Events, which has contracts with 203 broadcasters. “Certainly, when we are talking to sponsors and others, they are interested in the wider global impact.”
Such global popularity allows UEFA to be a generous host and budget to get a nine-figure profit.
Teams get a bigger participation fee than at the World Cup and clubs get a bigger share than FIFA gives from World Cup revenues.
It also helps explain why six of FIFA’s major sponsors also team with UEFA for the event.
“We would never claim to be bigger than the World Cup,” Taylor told the Associated Press in a recent interview. “But you can see in certain territories, if your own national team is doing well you get some very good numbers.”
When champion Spain and semifinalist Russia starred four years ago, the national ratings set records.
UEFA’s financial figures for Euro 2012 also stack up well despite a global downturn and doubts lingering over the co-hosts.
The 31-match tournament is set to reap $51.6 million per game, compared to FIFA’s average earnings of $56.7 million from the 2010 World Cup. In South Africa, FIFA banked $3.6 billion in commercial revenue tied to its 64-match prize asset.
“It’s very robust and a good performance commercially to come up with these numbers,” Taylor said. “Particularly given the environment in which we were working and the countries concerned. At the outset we were unsure how our sponsors would react going to eastern Europe, and going to these countries in particular, but the reaction has been positive.”
UEFA gambled going behind the old Iron Curtain, even as its Champions League becomes a popular and commercial juggernaut which could ultimately undermine national team football if its growth continues as expected.
A fashionable view values the Champions League above the World Cup, and its commercial revenues will top $1.6 billion for each of the next three seasons.
Fans’ appetite for week-in, week-out drama has also made England’s Premier League a cash cow with 20 clubs sharing almost $1.54 billion in prize money last season.
Still, UEFA will profit from Euro 2012, though short of the then $394 million banked last time in risk-free Austria and Switzerland.
“The actual net left for UEFA will be less than Euro 2008, but the actual operational performance in terms of revenue will be at or about the same level,” Taylor said.
UEFA spent more than expected helping Poland and Ukraine authorities manage the Euro 2012 project. A $49,750 payment per match was also added for teams who must fly between the neighbors to games.
UEFA also chose to spread $124 million among clubs worldwide as daily-rate compensation for releasing their players to take part. FIFA will pay just $70 million to bring twice as many players to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
UEFA will pay a further $244 million in participation and prize money to the 16 national associations. A team can earn a maximum $23 million for lifting the trophy having won all three group games. Spain got $30 million from FIFA for its 2010 World Cup title.
And UEFA gives FIFA its taste of Euro 2012 revenues – a 1 percent levy on total sales of 1.4 million tickets.
That’s estimated to be worth $1.43 million for football’s world governing body, UEFA said Tuesday.
Yet for all the outlay, there’s more money looming in UEFA’s near future.
Euro 2016 will have 24 teams and 51 matches. At today’s rate, that’s a $2.6 billion tournament, adding furtherto the treasure chest for the franchise.
(dailystar.com.lb)
England face crisis as Lampard ruled out and Parker doubtful
England are still harbouring doubts about Scott Parker's fitness for the European Championship and face entering the tournament with only one fully-fit first-choice central midfielder, after Frank Lampard's withdrawal from the squad last night.
Parker will start for Roy Hodgson against Belgium in England's last pre-tournament friendly at Wembley tomorrow and, barring any problems, will be in the XI against France as the side begin their Euro campaign in 10 days' time. But there is a feeling among coaching staff who watched the 31-year-old play against Norway on Saturday that he is some way short of his best and that his mobility is not near the level he displayed for Spurs in November, when he hit a particularly rich vein of form.
Parker has had a race against time to be fit for this tournament, having decided to take a holiday in Dubai straight after the Premier League season finished rather than stay at Spurs for work on an Achilles injury. He missed the last four games of the domestic season and played only 56 minutes in Oslo, with Hodgson's staff testing how much he could manage as he sought to shrug off the injury.
The coaching staff are unanimous in their view that he is not yet right, despite having responded well to an injection and trained fully last week. They believe he faces a battle to be restored to the level he attained last autumn.
Parker's struggle is a further blow to Hodgson, who yesterday heard the news he had deemed inevitable ever since he saw the look on Lampard's face when the Chelsea player pulled up with a thigh injury in training on Wednesday. England, who have called up Liverpool's Jordan Henderson from the standby list, knew that the two- to three-week recovery time for a thigh strain meant that the injury had come too late for Lampard to have a role in Euro 2012.
The Football Association will today approach Uefa for permission to draft Henderson into the squad for Poland and Ukraine. Though the European governing body will want to see Lampard's scans and to be assured that this is a new injury, the FA request is not expected to meet any obstacles.
With Gareth Barry's stomach injury also ruling him out, captain Steven Gerrard is the fittest midfielder at Hodgson's disposal, though even he has been careful to avoid putting undue strain on a back injury that saw him miss the last two games of Liverpool's season.
There has been a clamour for Hodgson to turn to Manchester United's Michael Carrick, and it is understood that the player is now willing to renew his international career and make himself available again, following the exit of Fabio Capello. But the 30-year-old is also aware that Hodgson has standby players ready, so only covets a return to the ranks after the European Championship.
For his part, though, Hodgson has felt that Carrick would need to be assured of a starting berth if asked to make a symbolic return to the national ranks. But that would mean telling Parker and Gerrard that there is only one central midfield position left – which is unviable. It is understood Carrick may be struggling with an Achilles problem of his own, in any case.
Hodgson may instead have to turn to the players who are cover for central midfield: Phil Jones, who has started one game in the centre for England and just seven for Manchester United, James Milner and Henderson. The manager remains phlegmatic about the litany of injuries which threaten to make the tournament very hard for England. He feels that making too much of the sick-list can only have a negative impact.
That said, he rued the loss of Lampard. "It's a huge blow for the team, especially coming after the loss of another senior player in Gareth Barry," the manager said last night. "The fact that the doctor cannot guarantee Frank could take part in any of the group matches means we have to replace him in the central midfield area.
"Apart from it being a huge blow to me and the team, I'm especially disappointed for Frank himself. He has been in very good form and was looking forward to it. He made a huge contribution towards us qualifying for the Euros so it is cruel to be forced out just before the tournament."
(http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
Parker will start for Roy Hodgson against Belgium in England's last pre-tournament friendly at Wembley tomorrow and, barring any problems, will be in the XI against France as the side begin their Euro campaign in 10 days' time. But there is a feeling among coaching staff who watched the 31-year-old play against Norway on Saturday that he is some way short of his best and that his mobility is not near the level he displayed for Spurs in November, when he hit a particularly rich vein of form.
Parker has had a race against time to be fit for this tournament, having decided to take a holiday in Dubai straight after the Premier League season finished rather than stay at Spurs for work on an Achilles injury. He missed the last four games of the domestic season and played only 56 minutes in Oslo, with Hodgson's staff testing how much he could manage as he sought to shrug off the injury.
The coaching staff are unanimous in their view that he is not yet right, despite having responded well to an injection and trained fully last week. They believe he faces a battle to be restored to the level he attained last autumn.
Parker's struggle is a further blow to Hodgson, who yesterday heard the news he had deemed inevitable ever since he saw the look on Lampard's face when the Chelsea player pulled up with a thigh injury in training on Wednesday. England, who have called up Liverpool's Jordan Henderson from the standby list, knew that the two- to three-week recovery time for a thigh strain meant that the injury had come too late for Lampard to have a role in Euro 2012.
The Football Association will today approach Uefa for permission to draft Henderson into the squad for Poland and Ukraine. Though the European governing body will want to see Lampard's scans and to be assured that this is a new injury, the FA request is not expected to meet any obstacles.
With Gareth Barry's stomach injury also ruling him out, captain Steven Gerrard is the fittest midfielder at Hodgson's disposal, though even he has been careful to avoid putting undue strain on a back injury that saw him miss the last two games of Liverpool's season.
There has been a clamour for Hodgson to turn to Manchester United's Michael Carrick, and it is understood that the player is now willing to renew his international career and make himself available again, following the exit of Fabio Capello. But the 30-year-old is also aware that Hodgson has standby players ready, so only covets a return to the ranks after the European Championship.
For his part, though, Hodgson has felt that Carrick would need to be assured of a starting berth if asked to make a symbolic return to the national ranks. But that would mean telling Parker and Gerrard that there is only one central midfield position left – which is unviable. It is understood Carrick may be struggling with an Achilles problem of his own, in any case.
Hodgson may instead have to turn to the players who are cover for central midfield: Phil Jones, who has started one game in the centre for England and just seven for Manchester United, James Milner and Henderson. The manager remains phlegmatic about the litany of injuries which threaten to make the tournament very hard for England. He feels that making too much of the sick-list can only have a negative impact.
That said, he rued the loss of Lampard. "It's a huge blow for the team, especially coming after the loss of another senior player in Gareth Barry," the manager said last night. "The fact that the doctor cannot guarantee Frank could take part in any of the group matches means we have to replace him in the central midfield area.
"Apart from it being a huge blow to me and the team, I'm especially disappointed for Frank himself. He has been in very good form and was looking forward to it. He made a huge contribution towards us qualifying for the Euros so it is cruel to be forced out just before the tournament."
(http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
Domenico Criscito out of Euro 2012
Italy defender Domenico Criscito has been ruled out of Euro 2012 as he is under investigation in the country's latest match-fixing scandal.
Italian Football Federation (FIGC) vice-president Demetrio Albertini announced on Monday afternoon that the Zenit St Petersburg player will not be included in the travelling party.
Criscito was questioned by police on Monday morning at Italy's training headquarters in Coverciano, Florence, as part of an investigation carried out by Cremona prosecutors regarding a match-fixing probe.
"Criscito will not be with us at the European Championship," Albertini said in a press conference.
"He is in a hurry to end this current situation and that is his aim.
"He is disappointed to have caused this situation although he reiterates he has nothing to do with it."
Criscito, a former Genoa player, had been expected to be in Cesare Prandelli's 23-man squad for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.
(source)
Italian Football Federation (FIGC) vice-president Demetrio Albertini announced on Monday afternoon that the Zenit St Petersburg player will not be included in the travelling party.
Criscito was questioned by police on Monday morning at Italy's training headquarters in Coverciano, Florence, as part of an investigation carried out by Cremona prosecutors regarding a match-fixing probe.
"Criscito will not be with us at the European Championship," Albertini said in a press conference.
"He is in a hurry to end this current situation and that is his aim.
"He is disappointed to have caused this situation although he reiterates he has nothing to do with it."
Criscito, a former Genoa player, had been expected to be in Cesare Prandelli's 23-man squad for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.
(source)
Switzerland 5 vs 3 Germany in friendly
Germany suffered for resting its Bayern Munich players as Switzerland forward Eren Derdiyok scored a hat-trick in a wild 5-3 victory over the European Championship contender in a friendly on Saturday.
Derdiyok exploited unusual disarray in the German defense to convert assists from the outstanding Tranquillo Barnetta in the 21st, 23rd and 49th minutes.
Defender Stephan Lichtsteiner and midfielder Admir Mehmedi added goals in the 67th and 74th to seal Switzerland's first win over its neighbor since 1956.
Germany's fightbacks were never convincing despite goals from Mats Hummels in the 45th, Andre Schuerrle in the 64th and substitute Marco Reus in the 72nd.
As a Euro 2012 pointer, the match likely has little value beyond teaching Germany coach Joachim Loew that his back-up defenders cannot yet be relied upon to play together as a group.
"The team hasn't played together in that lineup yet, but that's no excuse,'' Loew said.
Germany's coach allowed his Bayern players - including goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, defender Philipp Lahm and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger - the night off after their Champions League final loss against Chelsea one week earlier.
Switzerland's German coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said he still believed in his home country's chances in Poland and Ukraine.
"I am convinced the Germans can win the Euro,'' Hitzfeld said. "We explored some gaps in the German game. I don't think Loew is going to play such attacking football at the Euro.''
Germany is in the toughest Euro 2012 group with the Netherlands, Portugal and Denmark.
Loew gave an international debut to Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The Borussia Moenchengladbach goalkeeper scrambled across his goal in the 15th, when Derdiyok met Barnetta's free-kick with a glancing header that looped just wide of goal.
Switzerland then stunned the visitors as longtime Bayer Leverkusen teammates Barnetta and Derdiyok twice combined to score.
Barnetta burst through and passed to Derdiyok who struck his first-time shot into the net from close to the penalty spot.
Two minutes later, Barnetta floated a cross from the left and Derdiyok rose alone to head past Ter Stegen who was poorly positioned.
"I told him not to let his head hang now. I was more angry about the defense not moving back fast enough,'' Loew said of Ter Stegen's troubles.
On both goals, Arsenal defender Pet Mertesacker appeared at fault, marking no Swiss attacker yet dropping too deep to allow Derdiyok extra yards (meters) of space without fear of being offside.
The ragged German defense was almost punished again in the 30th, but Mehmedi ended a three-on-two break by curling his shot wide from the edge of the penalty area.
Central defender Mats Hummels brought Germany back into the contest by heading in Mesut Oezil's free-kick.
Loew removed both his Real Madrid midfielders, Oezil and Sami Khedira, at the break to give his lineup a yet more experimental look.
Veteran forward Miroslav Klose quickly forced a save from Benaglio, but Switzerland extended its lead controversially in the 49th.
Again, Barnetta's delivery was met by Derdiyok, with a glancing header that clipped Ter Stegen's outstretched left arm on its way into the net.
However, television replays showed the ball also struck Mehmedi's arm as he stood in front of the German goalkeeper.
Mertsesacker missed a simple chance to score when he stumbled near the goalline instead of meeting Benedikt Hoewedes's header back across the goalmouth.
Germany closed to 3-2 when Schuerrle's swerving shot from distance eluded Benaglio.
Three minutes leader, Switzerland captain Gokhan Inler chipped a delightful pass and diminutive right-back Lichtsteiner outjumped Ter Stegen to score with a 12-yard (meter) header.
Benaglio was at fault again when he tamely parried substitute Julian Draxler's shot and Reus scored from the rebound.
The goal feast ended in the 76th when Germany was fooled by a free-kick routine. Granit Xhaka ran wide of the wall and when his shot struck a post, Mehmedi collected the rebound and poked in a fifth Swiss goal.
Gerrad gets the captain’s arm-band, Ferdinand overlooked
Veteran defender Rio Ferdinand was the highest-profile casualty as England manager Roy Hodgson unveiled his squad for the European Championships.
After intense speculation about whether Hodgson would risk picking Ferdinand and Chelsea captain John Terry in the same squad, an announcement confirmed that it was the Manchester United centre-half who had been left out.
Terry had previously been tipped to miss out with Hodgson questioning whether the centre-half could exist happily in the same squad as Ferdinand, who has accumulated 81 caps since making his debut in 1997. Terry is facing a July court case on allegations he racially abused Ferdinand’s younger brother Anton during Chelsea’s Premier League clash with QPR last October, accusations he strongly denies.
Pure footballing decision: Hodgson
However, Ferdinand’s ability to withstand the rigours of a tournament campaign were called into doubt by his Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson last week, who questioned whether the defender could play two games in four days.
“It’s purely a footballing decision,” said Hodgson. “He’s a player I respect as a person and a man. But I had to make a footballing decision I had to decide on the basis of what I’ve seen in recent months. Rio’s only played once for England in the last year. On a footballing basis I wanted people like Phil Jones in the squad. It was a hard phone call to make. I can only hope that Rio accepts my decision.”
Manager justifies Terry’s inclusion
Hodgson, meanwhile, confirmed Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard would captain England at the Euro while also defending his decision to pick Terry, saying his looming court case had not figured in his calculations.
“If we take the court case first of all – we must emphasise at first that he’s an innocent man until such time as he’s been proven guilty. I was given a free hand. I realised when I selected him there would be people who would raise their eyebrows. But I think he’s played well and he’s played an important part in their FA Cup victory and reaching the Champions League final. I’m hoping he will help us win matches.”
Other notable selections on Wednesday saw Arsenal teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain earn his first senior call-up after a promising first season with the Premier League giants. Meanwhile Liverpool striker Andy Carroll’s reward for a strong finish to the season is a place among the pool of four strikers picked by Hodgson.
The squad includes Joe Hart, Rob Green, John Ruddy, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, John Terry, Joleon Lescott, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines, Theo Walcott, Stewart Downing, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Steven Gerrard, Gareth Barry, Frank Lampard, Scott Parker, Ashley Young, James Milner, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll and Jermain Defoe.
(source)
After intense speculation about whether Hodgson would risk picking Ferdinand and Chelsea captain John Terry in the same squad, an announcement confirmed that it was the Manchester United centre-half who had been left out.
Terry had previously been tipped to miss out with Hodgson questioning whether the centre-half could exist happily in the same squad as Ferdinand, who has accumulated 81 caps since making his debut in 1997. Terry is facing a July court case on allegations he racially abused Ferdinand’s younger brother Anton during Chelsea’s Premier League clash with QPR last October, accusations he strongly denies.
Pure footballing decision: Hodgson
However, Ferdinand’s ability to withstand the rigours of a tournament campaign were called into doubt by his Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson last week, who questioned whether the defender could play two games in four days.
“It’s purely a footballing decision,” said Hodgson. “He’s a player I respect as a person and a man. But I had to make a footballing decision I had to decide on the basis of what I’ve seen in recent months. Rio’s only played once for England in the last year. On a footballing basis I wanted people like Phil Jones in the squad. It was a hard phone call to make. I can only hope that Rio accepts my decision.”
Manager justifies Terry’s inclusion
Hodgson, meanwhile, confirmed Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard would captain England at the Euro while also defending his decision to pick Terry, saying his looming court case had not figured in his calculations.
“If we take the court case first of all – we must emphasise at first that he’s an innocent man until such time as he’s been proven guilty. I was given a free hand. I realised when I selected him there would be people who would raise their eyebrows. But I think he’s played well and he’s played an important part in their FA Cup victory and reaching the Champions League final. I’m hoping he will help us win matches.”
Other notable selections on Wednesday saw Arsenal teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain earn his first senior call-up after a promising first season with the Premier League giants. Meanwhile Liverpool striker Andy Carroll’s reward for a strong finish to the season is a place among the pool of four strikers picked by Hodgson.
The squad includes Joe Hart, Rob Green, John Ruddy, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, John Terry, Joleon Lescott, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines, Theo Walcott, Stewart Downing, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Steven Gerrard, Gareth Barry, Frank Lampard, Scott Parker, Ashley Young, James Milner, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll and Jermain Defoe.
(source)
Rio Ferdinand out of England Euro 2012 squad
New boss Roy Hodgson will stamp his authority on England’s 23-man squad with some high-profile casualties.
Peter Crouch, Micah Richards, Phil Jagielka and Kyle Walker will also miss out when the list is revealed today.
Asked last night if it was true that he was not in, Manchester United’s Ferdinand said: “Yes.”
There is better news for Andy Carroll, who is expected to be included.
Former skipper Terry’s hopes are improved by the absence of Everton defender Jagielka.
That is despite Terry’s bust-up with Anton Ferdinand which will see him face court in July.
Tottenham full-back Walker has an injured toe and the lack of defenders left to pick from leaves Terry in a much stronger position.
Liverpool striker Carroll looks set to get the nod ahead of Stoke star Crouch after an encouraging end to the season.
Hodgson yesterday called some players he was leaving out, although Stuart Pearce contacted Richards — who was ‘absolutely gutted’ at the news.
Ferdinand, 33, who played for United in a testimonial match last night, is now facing the end of his international career after 81 caps.
A distraught Ferdinand, veteran of four World Cups, was told by Hodgson he was being omitted in favour of younger players. Hodgson has a close relationship with Alex Ferguson and values his advice.
Fergie said this weekend: “You play something like a game every four days, Rio couldn’t do that.”
Hodgson met Chelsea players at 11am yesterday for one-to-ones with Terry, Ashley Cole, Gary Cahill and Frank Lampard.
The boss cancelled next week’s warm-up trip to Spain as he wants to rest players before friendlies against Norway and Belgium.
(source)
Peter Crouch, Micah Richards, Phil Jagielka and Kyle Walker will also miss out when the list is revealed today.
Asked last night if it was true that he was not in, Manchester United’s Ferdinand said: “Yes.”
There is better news for Andy Carroll, who is expected to be included.
Former skipper Terry’s hopes are improved by the absence of Everton defender Jagielka.
That is despite Terry’s bust-up with Anton Ferdinand which will see him face court in July.
Tottenham full-back Walker has an injured toe and the lack of defenders left to pick from leaves Terry in a much stronger position.
Liverpool striker Carroll looks set to get the nod ahead of Stoke star Crouch after an encouraging end to the season.
Hodgson yesterday called some players he was leaving out, although Stuart Pearce contacted Richards — who was ‘absolutely gutted’ at the news.
Ferdinand, 33, who played for United in a testimonial match last night, is now facing the end of his international career after 81 caps.
A distraught Ferdinand, veteran of four World Cups, was told by Hodgson he was being omitted in favour of younger players. Hodgson has a close relationship with Alex Ferguson and values his advice.
Fergie said this weekend: “You play something like a game every four days, Rio couldn’t do that.”
Hodgson met Chelsea players at 11am yesterday for one-to-ones with Terry, Ashley Cole, Gary Cahill and Frank Lampard.
The boss cancelled next week’s warm-up trip to Spain as he wants to rest players before friendlies against Norway and Belgium.
(source)
Third of Germans want total Euro 2012 boycott
A third of Germans want their football team to boycott the football European Championships in Poland and Ukraine in protest at the treatment of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
Far more (74 percent) would like to see Chancellor Angela Merkel and her cabinet stay home during the tournament, a new survey by state broadcaster ARD said, while a little over half (53 percent) want to see political and economic sanctions instead of a boycott.
On Thursday the European Commission announced that it would be boycotting the competition, in protest against the Ukrainian government of President Viktor Yanukovych. Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso announcing he had "no intention" of attending any matches.
A Ukrainian daily close to the party of President Viktor Yanukovych published a startling editorial on Friday accusing Germany of effectively still being Nazi-run.
The unashamedly anti-German article in the national daily Segodnya -- owned
by tycoon and close Yanukovych ally Rinat Akhmetov said, "Germany again wants to dictate its will over Europe."
"They have taken off their masks and it really is the case that the Berlin of 2012 is in no way different from the Berlin of the 1940s.
"Germany has not changed in the past 70 years and we are not just talking about the geopolitical ambitions of Merkel and Westerwelle."
There has also been international backlash against the planned boycott, with human rights organisation Amnesty International questioning its efficacy.
Wolfgang Grenz, general secretary of Amnesty's German branch, told the Handelsblatt newspaper that politicians and sports officials should rather "use the opportunity to draw attention to the serious violations of human rights and to call for better human rights protection from the Ukrainian government."
And a senior ally of President Yanukovych warned Germany of economic consequences of its boycott in an interview on Friday.
"German manufacturers will lose," Leonid Kozhara, the deputy chairman of Yanukovych's ruling Regions Party who is responsible for foreign policy issues, told Der Spiegel magazine.
It follows comments on Thursday by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who has taken a tough stance towards Ukraine over its treatment of Tymoshenko.
He said that EU countries had agreed to delay ratification of an association deal with Ukraine because of concerns over the 2004 Orange Revolution leader, who has been on a hunger strike since April 20 to protest her alleged beating by three prison wardens.
"Without agreement, German access to the Ukrainian market will be limited," Kozhara warned. "It seems to me that the Tymoshenko case has a very personal character for some politicians in the West."
(source)
Far more (74 percent) would like to see Chancellor Angela Merkel and her cabinet stay home during the tournament, a new survey by state broadcaster ARD said, while a little over half (53 percent) want to see political and economic sanctions instead of a boycott.
On Thursday the European Commission announced that it would be boycotting the competition, in protest against the Ukrainian government of President Viktor Yanukovych. Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso announcing he had "no intention" of attending any matches.
A Ukrainian daily close to the party of President Viktor Yanukovych published a startling editorial on Friday accusing Germany of effectively still being Nazi-run.
The unashamedly anti-German article in the national daily Segodnya -- owned
by tycoon and close Yanukovych ally Rinat Akhmetov said, "Germany again wants to dictate its will over Europe."
"They have taken off their masks and it really is the case that the Berlin of 2012 is in no way different from the Berlin of the 1940s.
"Germany has not changed in the past 70 years and we are not just talking about the geopolitical ambitions of Merkel and Westerwelle."
There has also been international backlash against the planned boycott, with human rights organisation Amnesty International questioning its efficacy.
Wolfgang Grenz, general secretary of Amnesty's German branch, told the Handelsblatt newspaper that politicians and sports officials should rather "use the opportunity to draw attention to the serious violations of human rights and to call for better human rights protection from the Ukrainian government."
And a senior ally of President Yanukovych warned Germany of economic consequences of its boycott in an interview on Friday.
"German manufacturers will lose," Leonid Kozhara, the deputy chairman of Yanukovych's ruling Regions Party who is responsible for foreign policy issues, told Der Spiegel magazine.
It follows comments on Thursday by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who has taken a tough stance towards Ukraine over its treatment of Tymoshenko.
He said that EU countries had agreed to delay ratification of an association deal with Ukraine because of concerns over the 2004 Orange Revolution leader, who has been on a hunger strike since April 20 to protest her alleged beating by three prison wardens.
"Without agreement, German access to the Ukrainian market will be limited," Kozhara warned. "It seems to me that the Tymoshenko case has a very personal character for some politicians in the West."
(source)
Hodgson: Rooney will go to Euro 2012
Roy Hodgson did not give too much away about the make-up of his England squad for Euro 2012, but he did confirm that Wayne Rooney will board the plane unless injury prevents him.
Hodgson was confirmed as the new England manager on Tuesday afternoon, signing a four-year deal with the Football Association. The long-term contract will see Hodgson guide England into two European Championships and one World Cup.
The first of those takes place in Ukraine and Poland this summer, and arguably England's most talented player, Rooney, is suspended for the opening two matches. Given the fact that England could go home after their third match if they exit at the group stage, there were doubts as to whether the Manchester United man would feature in the squad at all.
"I'm looking forward to Wayne Rooney coming to the Euros with us and looking forward to his contribution, even though he can't play in the first two games," the new England manager said, before revealing the squad would not be named until after the final day of the Premier League season.
"Hopefully I've got time on my hands to make the necessary decisions," Hodgson said. "I've been working in the country for five years so plenty of the players are well known to me. It's important after this press conference to get straight down to work.
"We're likely to put back the squad announcement until after the last game of the season."
Hodgson was less forthcoming on other issues, such as the England captaincy. His skipper at former club Liverpool was Steven Gerrard, but the new England boss would not confirm that Gerrard would lead the team into Euro 2012.
"The England captain will have to be very carefully thought out. I'll skip that in this press conference!" Hodgson said. "It's obviously one of the things I'll be addressing in the next few days."
The situation regarding Rio Ferdinand and John Terry was also raised, in relation to the allegation of Rio's brother Anton that Terry racially abused him during a Premier League game - something Terry denies. Asked if Rio Ferdinand and Terry could play in the same England side, Hodgson explained that he would be speaking to both players.
"The important thing is to speak to as many players as possible, and John and Rio are two of those," Hodgson explained. "I can't say any more than that. I need to speak to them first."
(source)
Hodgson was confirmed as the new England manager on Tuesday afternoon, signing a four-year deal with the Football Association. The long-term contract will see Hodgson guide England into two European Championships and one World Cup.
The first of those takes place in Ukraine and Poland this summer, and arguably England's most talented player, Rooney, is suspended for the opening two matches. Given the fact that England could go home after their third match if they exit at the group stage, there were doubts as to whether the Manchester United man would feature in the squad at all.
"I'm looking forward to Wayne Rooney coming to the Euros with us and looking forward to his contribution, even though he can't play in the first two games," the new England manager said, before revealing the squad would not be named until after the final day of the Premier League season.
"Hopefully I've got time on my hands to make the necessary decisions," Hodgson said. "I've been working in the country for five years so plenty of the players are well known to me. It's important after this press conference to get straight down to work.
"We're likely to put back the squad announcement until after the last game of the season."
Hodgson was less forthcoming on other issues, such as the England captaincy. His skipper at former club Liverpool was Steven Gerrard, but the new England boss would not confirm that Gerrard would lead the team into Euro 2012.
"The England captain will have to be very carefully thought out. I'll skip that in this press conference!" Hodgson said. "It's obviously one of the things I'll be addressing in the next few days."
The situation regarding Rio Ferdinand and John Terry was also raised, in relation to the allegation of Rio's brother Anton that Terry racially abused him during a Premier League game - something Terry denies. Asked if Rio Ferdinand and Terry could play in the same England side, Hodgson explained that he would be speaking to both players.
"The important thing is to speak to as many players as possible, and John and Rio are two of those," Hodgson explained. "I can't say any more than that. I need to speak to them first."
(source)
Euro 2012 volunteers training centre
The organizers of the Euro 2012 football tournament will on Saturday inaugurate a training facility here for volunteers who will be working for the June 8-July 1 event jointly hosted by Poland and Ukraine.
Besides the capital city of Warsaw, Wroclaw, Poznan, Gdansk are the other host cities in Poland while Kiev, Lvov, Kharkov and Donetsk will host matches in Ukraine.
Some 5,500 volunteers from all over the world will be engaged during the tournament and they will start working from June 1.
But a smaller number of volunteers has already been employed in the four Polish cities, where the organizers are carrying out work in war footing to create temporary structures for the tournament.
"Verification of almost 24,000 applications from 142 countries and qualifying interviews lasted until the end of December 2011. We have been signing contracts with selected volunteers since January, some groups started their training in February, but the workshops with UEFA representatives will officially commence in Warsaw and Wroclaw on Saturday and in Gdansk and Poznan on Sunday," Kamila Czerwinska, an official responsible for the training of volunteers, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
Most volunteers are from African countries, the Philippines, South Korea and Australia. The employment period will depend on a volunteer's availability and function and will range from five to 40 days. The training programme is divided into two parts: general and specialist.
Some functions will require excellent stadium topography knowledge; others will call for "diplomatic" skills, as in the case of VIP welcome team.
Volunteers will work in areas of accreditation, legal, marketing, media, VIP and representation, match organization, technical maintenance and information and access control points.
The voluntary service programme also includes integration, cultural and social events. The volunteers will be provided with meals, insurance, a set of UEFA EURO 2012 gadgets and a special certificate to confirm their involvement in the programme.
Euro 2012 Schedule
(source)
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