By David Owen
October 30 – The construction and renovation of the 10 football stadia to be used for Euro 2016 is generating a total of 20,000 jobs in the building and services sector, according to Patrick Kanner, the French Sports Minister.
Kanner told MPs that work on the venues in Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis (home of the Stade de France), Saint-Etienne and Toulouse represented an investment of €2 billion.
He said the competition – the first time that the European football Championship is to be contested by 24 teams – was expected to be watched by 2.5 million spectators and a cumulative television audience of more than two billion.
The French economy is currently struggling, with almost non-existent growth and unemployment of over 10%.
UEFA recently agreed to contribute an extra €20 million for the 10 host-cities. Former French Prime Minister Alain Juppé has estimated that, along with other measures, help provided by UEFA would probably amount to €50 million.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734847420labto1734847420ofdlr1734847420owedi1734847420sni@n1734847420ewo.d1734847420ivad1734847420