Euro 2012 hosts given September deadline by Platini

Speaking ahead of Sunday's Euro 2008 final in Vienna between Germany and Spain, the French football legend said Poland and the Ukraine must meet the criteria which insists the capital cities of Warsaw and Kiev have stadiums fit to host matches.

UEFA have set a stringent criteria which include the construction of new stadiums, thousands of kilometres of European-standard roads plus the building of hotels from scratch. And Soviet-built airports, train stations and public transport must all be modernised.

"Next Wednesday, a 12-man UEFA delegation will meet with ministers and other relevant parties (from Poland and the Ukraine) and in September in Bordeaux we will make a final decision," said Platini.

"At the last meeting of the Executive Committee (at the UEFA Congress in Zagreb) we told the countries to wake up and gave them four months," he continued. "We will do everything we can to ensure Poland and Ukraine host it and there is no backup plan.

"The only reason for us to decide not to have the tournament in Poland and Ukraine would be if there were no stadiums in the two capitals."

Meanwhile, Platini also said a possible expansion of the tournament from 16 to 20 or even 24 teams is under consideration.

"Today, technically-speaking, teams like England, Denmark, the Ukraine or Bulgaria have the talent to take part in an expanded Euro.

"I think there are teams which could be here and would have benefitted the Euro... "I do not think it would be a problem for the quality of the tournament if there were more teams. It is necessary to look at the quality of the tournament, but also to look at what that means for the stadia."

Platini said he would meet the presidents of the 53 Federations which make up UEFA to discuss the issue of widening the tournament for the 2016 tournament. A decision over expansion could be made when UEFAs executive committee meet in Bordeaux at the end of September.

Photo: AFP