By Duncan Mackay
December 7 – Ukraine and Poland, co-hosts of the 2012 European Championship, have said that they are confident that UEFA will accept the four Ukrainian cities put forward to host matches.
European football’s governing body demonstrated their confidence in Poland in May by confirming four Polish cities as host venues.
However, Kiev was the only Ukrainian city approved by UEFA in what was seen as an ultimatum for the former Soviet state to get their delay-plagued preparations in order.
The $70 million (£43 million) 40,000-capacity Metalist Stadium opened in Kharkiv last Saturday and is expected to be approved by UEFA.
Donetsk and Lviv are Ukraine’s two other candidate cities.
Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister Ivan Vasyunyk has held meetings with the three cities and is confident that UEFA will rubber-stamp the decision to let them host games during Euro 2012.
He said: ”Ukraine has fulfilled almost all the obligations, and may expect positive decision on conducting the championship in four cities and the final match in Kiev.
“Ukraine has successfully passed the test for ability to realise the project of this magnitude.”
UEFA’s Executive Committee will make its final decision on the number of Ukrainian host cities at a meeting in Funchal, Portugal, starting on Thursday.
Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko was among those who attended the opening ceremony of the Metalist Stadium (pictured), which was followed by a Premier League match between Metalist and Obolon.
He said: ”Michel Platini and the UEFA Executive Committee have, in my opinion, followed a brilliant, appropriate and modern policy-integrating all the countries of Europe through sports by taking these games to the East.
“For us, this is one of the components of our integration into Europe.”
Oleksandr Yaroslavskiy, the President of Metalist FC and one of Ukraine’s wealthiest men with an estimated value of $3.5 billion (£2 billion) thanks to his business interests in banking and construction, has helped pay for the new stadium.
He said: ”For all of Ukraine, this is yet another sign that this country is ready to host the Euro-2012 games at the highest level.
“In the future, people who want to feel like their in Europe will be able to simply visit Kharkiv.
“Here, they can find Vienna and London and Paris.”
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