Ukraine gets Euro 2012 green light, final in Kiev

UEFA on Friday ratified the four Ukrainian cities chosen to host the 2012 European championships with the final to take place in Kiev.

The four cities – Kiev, Donetsk, Karkov and Lviv – will host games with the final taking place in the capital on July 1, 2012.

Ukraine is co-hosting the competition with Poland where games will be held in four venues at Warsaw, Wroclaw, Poznan and Gdansk.

UEFA president Michel Platini, giving Ukraine the green light, said: “Around three years ago we entrusted the organisation of the Euro to Poland and Ukraine.

“This wasn’t merely a whim but a strategic plan to open up our flagship competition to Eastern Europe.

“We knew it was going to be a difficult undertaking, that there would have to be investment in infrastructure, in the stadiums, in transport and hotels.

“Poland and Ukraine have done all that despite the global economic crisis which has hit them hard.”

Platini added: “Today, thanks to their enormous efforts and sacrifices, we can give the green light to a symetric tournament with four venues in Poland and four in Ukraine with the final in Kiev.”

Platini added that the UEFA report on the co-hosts’ planning for Euro 2012 had been “very reassuring”.

Friday’s thumbs up for Ukraine came after doubts had been raised about their readiness to stage an event of this size and after what was perceived as an ultimatum by UEFA in May when only Kiev of the four Ukraine venues was approved.