15 Apr 2009Platini: Kiev Olympic Stadium 'will be ready' for Euro 2012

Football Technology and Stadia

Uefa president Michel Platini has expressed his confidence that the Olympic Stadium in Kiev will be ready in time for the start of the European Championships in 2012, Earth Times reports.

The Frenchman arrived in Ukraine today (April 15th) in order to compile information on the 11 candidate host cities he must consider for staging games during the tournament.

He revealed that "six to eight cities" are likely to be selected across Ukraine and co-hosts Poland, hinting that the showpiece arena in the former country's capital is set to be a strong contender.

"It is true, right now there is more destruction going on there than construction," he was quoted by the news provider as saying, alluding to the ongoing removal of a shopping centre next to the stadium.

"But based on assurances made to me at the highest levels of the Ukrainian government, I have every confidence it will be ready."

The Uefa executive committee will convene on May 12th in Bucharest to decide which cities get the green light, but Platini confirmed that "some … will not get games" as it is "not logical … and too expensive".

Platini has also reiterated that Ukraine will not lose its host status despite suffering a number of organisational problems in preparing for the competition, the Associated Press reports.

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