Monday,
April 23,
Italy Snubbed by European Soccer Board. 2012 Games given to Poland and Ukraine
The
ANNOTICO Report
The
Azzurri had not hosted the World Soccer Cup since 1980 and had been the Favorites for 2012.
However the Warsaw bloc (Poland/Ukraine)
countries captured 8 of the 12 votes, with Italy receiving 4, and the last bid,
Croatia/Hungary, none at all.
It
is thought that this Vote was an attempt to extend Soccer's popularity
beyond the conventional powers Western European Powers and tap into the
"emerging" Eastern Europe.
Italians
Pole-Axed by Joint Eastern Bid
SevenDays
United Emirate Republics,Dubai
Thursday, 19th April, 2007
ITALIAN football
was dealt a huge slap in the face yesterday as Euro 2012 was awarded to the
joint bid of Poland and Ukraine.
The Italians had been red-hot favourites to host the
European Championship but the 12-man UEFA executive committee decided to back
the Eastern bid....
In spite of its
troubled past and present the Italians remained confident that their country
would host the tournament for the first time since 1980. A
confidence that was shattered by yesterdays surprise announcement.
UEFA president
Michel Platini said: Poland/Ukraine has been
chosen by the UEFA executive committee to host Euro 2012 and they are surely a
worthy winner. I cannot speak highly enough of the effort that has been
made, and the passion for football we have seen in all three bids. Despite
Platinis diplomacy, Italian football is reeling
from the decision...
There has been a
match-fixing scandal in Poland,
and the government was also warned by FIFA and UEFA about political
interference in the Polish FA. Add to this the well-known hooligan
problem in the country and it is clear to see why the favourites
might have been shocked by the result. The victory for Poland and Ukraine
certainly signifies the first step in new UEFA president Michel Platinis plan to spread the benefits of football
throughout Europe and not just the big
nations. And Polands
Dutch head coach Leo Beenhakker said the decision was
hugely important for the game in the winning countries.
Beenhakker said: Eastern Europe has a great history in sport and in
football and they still have great players but what they have been missing has
been good infrastructure, stadiums and training facilities. Now the
governments and the football federations are obliged to realise
all their promises within the next five years and make these improvements.
As it turned out, the former Warsaw Pact countries won eight of the 12 votes
available of the members of the UEFA executive committee meeting in the Welsh
capital Cardiff, with Italy taking four and the last bid, Croatia/Hungary, none
at all.
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