The first clause of the agenda of Saturday FFU Executive Committee session had to do with the football-social project of prime importance of the coming years − UEFA EURO 2012. In regard to this, the members unanimously approved the offer of forming in Ukraine a Local EURO 2012 Organizing Committee. Besides, FFU President informed about the latest news concerning the EURO 2012 preparation, and also announced the program of visits to Ukraine scheduled by Michel Platini.
Ukraine-Poland precedent
“Taking a decision on organizing model of every European competition, UEFA are first of all trying to consider the specific features of every single country or countries hosting the tournament,” Grgioriy Surkis noted. “For instance, in Portugal in 2004 UEFA established a joint company with local association named Euro 2004 SA, in 2008 Austria-Switzerland tournament was totally supervised by the UEFA subsidiary Euro 2008 SA. However, considering that Ukraine and Poland occupy a large territory, they speak different languages, their legislative norms vary from the European ones, UEFA ventured for a certain precedent.”
FFU subsidiary
“We offered an original model called House. It suggests that UEFA department based in Lyon will be monitoring the tournament. This department will patronize two local Organizing Committees located in Lyiv and Warsaw”, FFU manager explained. “These committees should be totally subordinate to national associations, and they will hold the championship staging in terms of their functions. One shouldn’t confuse them with the preparation to the EURO 2012 infrastructure which in Ukraine is carried out by Government, local authorities and FFU”.
House of Football to roof the Committee
“UEFA delivered us the materials disclosing the structure of Local Committee, its staff and professional requirements to every position”, Grogoriy Surkis informed. “At present we are trying to come up with the Statute of this structural item alongside with UEFA. UEFA management met our proposition to temporarily locate the Local Organizing Committee in the House of Football during 2009. At that time the Committee will have a 23-man staff, and it will be ruled by an experienced professional who was successfully interviewed by UEFA as well as by Ukraine authority”.
Ten days term
“The head of the local Organizing Committee will have a post of the director of the Tournament and till 2012 there will be 200 specialists working under its supervision. As a matter of fact, beginning from the next year this structure will rent an individual office. I want to mention that the activity of the committee will completely be financed by the UEFA”, Grigoriy Surkis summed up. So, after listening to the information from the president of FFU, the Executive Committee entrusted EURO 2012 Executive direction together with the company Ukraine Football International to elaborate the statute of the local executive committee of Ukraine, to coordinate it with UEFA and to submit for registration due course of law in ten days term.
April visit of Platini
“Several days ago I had a meeting with UEFA president Michel Platini, who personally confirmed that four cities both from Ukraine and Poland will hold the matches of European championship. The proportionality principle will be followed!”, FFU head laid the stress on. Also he mentioned that on the 14-17 of April Michel Platini plans to visit both countries. During this visit UEFA president will meet the highest officials of the country in order to get a new signal that the authorities will go on with their common and stable work over realization of the project 2012.
Parliamentary hearings
“During my last meeting with UEFA leaders the question about Ukrainian political situation influence on preparations for EURO 2012 was discussed again,” Grigoriy Surkis went on. “I assured my European colleagues that all the highest Ukrainian officials unanimously show glowing wish to hold EURO 2012 on the necessary level. The evidence of this is that on the 11th of March there will be parliamentary hearings in Verkhovna Rada connected with Ukrainian preparation for holding European championship final in 2012”.
Platini to visit regions too
Besides all that, Grygoriy Surkis reported that during the period from July 26 till August 1 Michel Platini will visit all Ukrainian cities chosen to be the hosts of EURO 2012 matches. And on the 2nd of August UEFA president will visit EURO 2009 (U-19) final match, which will take place in Donetsk. “In this connection we all have to be more active in speeding up the rate of preparation for 2012 championship. We shouldn’t also forget that UEFA expert and inspection groups will continue their work in Ukraine and they will go on with informing operatively the European Football Union about the dynamics of infrastructural changes in our country”.
Airports question
President of Football Federation of Ukraine mentioned, now it is very important to pay special attention to the airports: “According to the resolutions of UEFA delegation which visited our country not long ago, the terms of airports’ reconstruction are being broken. There are almost no claims as to the airports of Kyiv and Kharkiv, but the other cities substantially declined from the schedule. On the other hand the situation with the stadiums is more optimistic. The experts mentioned the progress of the Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa arenas. And the projects of the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Kharkiv stadiums even weren’t reviewed as problem ones”.
Trust in Ukraine
“In general we can make a conclusion that UEFA trusts in Ukraine, in ability of our hosting cities and regions. UEFA believes that in 2012 we altogether will hold European championship on the highest level. Such ideas were expressed by the UEFA General Secretary David Taylor, UEFA Operating Director Martin Kallen and other authoritative specialists”, Grigoriy Surkis summarized.
