March 1 – Technical problems today overshadowed the launch of ticket sales for Euro 2012 as the official website crashed under the weight of heavy traffic.
Supporters from across the world were able to register to purchase a ticket, but they were unable to chose which matches they wanted to attend.
“There are currently too many people trying to access the UEFA EURO 2012 ticket portal,” the website said when users attempted to register.
A spokesman for UEFA in Poland said the technical glitch was caused by heavy traffic after thousands accessed the website when they launched the ticket selection option at midnight.
Organisers said fans had until March 31 to select which matches they wanted to attend.
They appealed for fans to not rush all at once as a lottery would be conducted if demand exceeded supply for a particular match and category for the tournament due to be co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine.
Ceremonies are due take place today in Kiev and Warsaw later to officially mark the start of ticket sales.
Michel Platini, the President of UEFA, will be at Warsaw’s Copernicus Science Centre for an event starting at 4 pm that will also be attended by Polish Football Federation (PZPN) President Grzegorz Lato and tournament ambassadors Zbigniew Boniek and Andrzej Szarmach.
With demand outstripping supply, a lottery will select the 600,000 lucky fans who will get to watch the tournament live after they apply exclusively at the UEFA.com web site.
From a total of 1.4 million tickets, the rest will be earmarked for special guests, sponsors, partners and sports activists, UEFA, the Polish football association, alongside other national football associations.
Registration for tickets will be open until 31 March, with tickets allocated in April.
The tickets are available in three price categories, with the cheapest selling for €30 (£25/$41) for group-stage matches to €600 (£510/$829) for the final.