UEFA president Michel Platini said that a crunch decision on whether Poland and Ukraine will host the 2012 European Championship will take place in September amid fears that the capitals Warsaw and Kiev may be unable to provide adequate stadiums.
Football's European governing body has already instructed the two co-hosts to speed up work on building stadiums and improving roads and transport infrastructure, and a 12-man delegation will visit the two nations next week for an update. Platini said UEFA is still backing Poland and Ukraine to stage the tournament but, if there are no guarantees that Warsaw and Kiev will have completed the stadiums in time, it could be moved.
"We have already sent lots of experts in the past few months to Ukraine and Poland, and September at Bordeaux we will take a final decision," Platini said Saturday, one day before the Euro 2008 final between Germany and Spain in Vienna.
"This will answer all the questions that you have. At the last meeting of (executive committee) in Zagreb, we asked the two countries to wake up and we gave them four months to show us progress. In September, we will examine the situation again."
Platini said a decision on whether the number of teams will be increased from 16 to 24 after Euro 2012 will also be made at the Sept. 23 meeting.
"Decisions will be taken in Bordeaux about 24 teams or not and other decisions regarding the next Euros," he said. "I think that this will give me more of a headache than having too much to drink."
Poland and Ukraine were surprisingly awarded the championships ahead of Italy and a co-hosted bid by Croatia and Hungary in April last year. Warsaw is set to stage the opening game in a new national stadium, but work has not yet started. Kiev will hold the final in its redeveloped Olympic stadium, but similar construction delays have led to repeated speculation that UEFA has plans for a backup host, possibly Italy, Germany or Scotland.
"I repeat: the executive committee of UEFA awarded the 2012 Euros to Poland and Ukraine and we will do everything that we can and more to see that it's held in Poland and Ukraine," Platini said.
"There is no backup plan. We have had no second thoughts and we respect our decision to go to Poland and Ukraine. The only thing that would make us decide not to go to Poland and Ukraine would be if there were no stadiums in the two capitals, Warsaw and Kiev. That would be the only decision to make us decide not to have the tournament in Poland and Ukraine. If no stadiums, no tournament.
Platini blamed the rumors of a backup plan on the Ukrainian media.
"There are no rumors coming from UEFA," Platini said. "It's the Ukrainians who have said they will not be ready and that causes rumors.
"People in (Ukraine) are perhaps talking a bit too much and should be a bit more restrained. We are taking a decision in September. We will do everything to hold the tournament in Poland and Ukraine. It's a decision of our (executive committee) and we will respect that decision unless there's a disaster."
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