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Italy may eliminate itself from hosting Euro 2012
FIFA & UEFA - 12 March, 2007
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UEFA's executive committee will meet on April 18 in Cardiff, Wales to choose where the 2012 European Championship will be played.
The committee will have to decide between Italy and joint bids from Poland/Ukraine and Hungary/Croatia.
Unfortunately, Italy's bid may be disregarded after a series of incidents, including Inter Milan's fracas with Valencia after the club was eliminated from the Champions League.
Last year, Juventus was stripped of its title and demoted to Serie B for the first time ever in its history because of involvement in a match-fixing scandal. This year a policeman was killed at a match in Sicily and the government closed stadia and brought in new rules on crowd control.
Each bid has its pros and cons and the winning bid is often decided, after months of campaigning, in a final keynote speech or presentation to UEFA.
The Italians do have experience in the bidding process and since World War II, the country has hosted the Summer and Winter Olympics, the World Cup, and two European Championships.
There is a concern within UEFA that Italy should not be allowed to host the European Championship for a third time in 2012 because it would look as if UEFA is condoning all the incidents that have ruined the game there recently.
UEFA had trouble with Poland because of administrative issues that affected Poland's relationship with FIFA, but a reconciliation took place and an arrangement between Poland and UEFA was made.
UEFA's newest president, Michel Platini supports an end to the domination of the Champions League by clubs competing from the biggest countries in Europe and he claims that it is time for football to return to its more romantic, sporting roots.
Rather than four clubs from England, Italy, Spain and Germany playing in the Champions League, Platini would rather see three clubs from each of those countries taking part, which would give the champions of middle-ranking nations a more realistic shot in Europe's premier club competition.
"When I was a player, you would have European Cup games in Iceland or Romania or Albania," said Platini. "Now those countries have none or little chance of hosting the big teams. It is time that changed."
The committee will have to decide between Italy and joint bids from Poland/Ukraine and Hungary/Croatia.
Unfortunately, Italy's bid may be disregarded after a series of incidents, including Inter Milan's fracas with Valencia after the club was eliminated from the Champions League.
Last year, Juventus was stripped of its title and demoted to Serie B for the first time ever in its history because of involvement in a match-fixing scandal. This year a policeman was killed at a match in Sicily and the government closed stadia and brought in new rules on crowd control.
Each bid has its pros and cons and the winning bid is often decided, after months of campaigning, in a final keynote speech or presentation to UEFA.
The Italians do have experience in the bidding process and since World War II, the country has hosted the Summer and Winter Olympics, the World Cup, and two European Championships.
There is a concern within UEFA that Italy should not be allowed to host the European Championship for a third time in 2012 because it would look as if UEFA is condoning all the incidents that have ruined the game there recently.
UEFA had trouble with Poland because of administrative issues that affected Poland's relationship with FIFA, but a reconciliation took place and an arrangement between Poland and UEFA was made.
UEFA's newest president, Michel Platini supports an end to the domination of the Champions League by clubs competing from the biggest countries in Europe and he claims that it is time for football to return to its more romantic, sporting roots.
Rather than four clubs from England, Italy, Spain and Germany playing in the Champions League, Platini would rather see three clubs from each of those countries taking part, which would give the champions of middle-ranking nations a more realistic shot in Europe's premier club competition.
"When I was a player, you would have European Cup games in Iceland or Romania or Albania," said Platini. "Now those countries have none or little chance of hosting the big teams. It is time that changed."
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