UEFA upbeat about Euro 2012 co-hosts' progress

NYON, Switzerland (AP) -- The preparations by Poland and Ukraine to host the 2012 European Championship appear back on track.

Government and sports officials from the two countries gave updated reports to UEFA on Wednesday after a troubled year in which their hosting rights were threatened because building work at stadiums, airports, hotels and roads fell behind schedule.

"We have full confidence in Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine," UEFA president Michel Platini said after the meetings.

The parties reported progressing from talks about ideas and problems to making detailed plans. They will meet again at UEFA headquarters on Jan. 29.

They agreed that Poland should stage the draw, likely in January 2010, for qualifying to decide which 14 countries join the co-hosts at the tournament.

Platini has invested his reputation in the two Eastern European nations since they were awarded the event -- the third most-watched sports event after the World Cup and Summer Olympics -- in April 2007.

But after visiting the two countries in July, he warned they could be stripped of Euro 2012 because essential infrastructure work was lagging.

"I found the experts' reports better than the previous ones," Platini said. "There is a very, very good chance that all will happen like they decided 18 months ago."

The Polish delegation was led by Grzegorz Lato, the new president of the national football federation. His election six weeks ago ended a tense dispute with the government that had angered UEFA and led Poland to the brink of being kicked out of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup by FIFA.

"Michel told me we can ask for his support any time," Lato told The Associated Press through a translator. "We have a very big task and we will do it together. To change the image of Polish football takes time, but we will do it."

Ukrainian football federation president Hryihoriy Surkis, a member of UEFA's executive committee, said lessons will be learned from Austria and Switzerland, which co-hosted a successful Euro 2008 last June.

"We have full knowledge of the difficulties," Surkis said through a translator. "We do not feel ashamed of asking and learning from others."

Ivan Vasyunyk, Ukraine's deputy prime minister with responsibility for Euro 2012 preparations, said construction work would be under way at six airports and 200 hotels in 2009.

However, the highest risk project is renovating Olympic Stadium in Kiev, with UEFA insisting that Ukraine cannot stage the tournament without its capital city being involved.

"All will be OK, the final match will be in Kiev," Vasyunyk said. "All the reports were more optimistic."

While Poland and Ukraine must continue to impress UEFA officials scheduled to visit in the next few months, their most important deadline comes later. UEFA says it will decide next May which eight cities will host the tournament's 32 matches.

Either country could be asked to provide as many as six venues, or be ruled out of the running. Germany is reportedly ready to offer two cities in support of co-hosting with neighboring Poland.

Platini has also told Poland it must complete its new National Stadium. Marcin Herra, president of the Polish Euro 2012 organizing committee, said the first phase of building work in Warsaw is ahead of schedule.

Herra said UEFA asked if the global financial crisis could affect construction work.

"We don't have a problem regarding the money for investments," he told The AP, with Poland set to receive $87 billion in European Union funding from 2007-13.

"We are going to invest this money and this clear deadline of Euro 2012 helps us a lot. But at the same time, we are fully aware of the challenges ahead of us."

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