By David Gold
April 22 – UEFA President Michel Platini has unveiled the Board for the European Championships in 2016, the first tournament in the competition’s history being funded entirely by the continent’s governing body, and which is being held in France.
Jacques Lambert, the former director general of the French Football Federation (FFF) and of the country’s organisation for the 1998 World Cup, is the chairman of the eight person committee.
He is joined by FFF chairman Fernand Duchaussoy, Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno and a yet to be named representative of the nine host cities.
It will be the first European Championships to have 24 teams, as well as being the first time that UEFA take on all the funding for the tournament, rather than the host nation.
Platini said: “This will be the political arm of Euro 2016, where all the decisions are made.
“There will be no financial risk for the French Federation.”
The venues for the tournament are yet to be announced, with 11 in the running: Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nancy, Nice, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse.
Paris has put two stadiums forward – Stade de France, which hosted the 1998 world Cup final, and Parc des Princes.
UEFA has extended the deadline for a decision until September because of the election of a new FFF team.
Building has started on stadiums for the tournament, including a new home for Lille, though Lyon’s new stadium is yet to begin work due to a legal appeal, and Jouanno hopes that the obstacle can be overcome.
“We are generally on schedule, it is difficult to envisage that the Euros take place without Lyon,” said Jouanno.
The draw for the qualification phase of the tournament will take place on March 9, 2014 in Nice.
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