Fears Mount Over European 2012 Championship Preparations

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian officials have assured UEFA that their preparations for co-hosting Euro 2012 remain on course.

Kiev Olympic Stadium: Delay in renovation.
A dispute between the country's President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has resulted in a political split which requires urgent attention.

Should a new coalition not be formed in the coming weeks then Ukraine will hold its third parliamentary election in as many years.

The political unrest, along with fears regarding the construction of stadiums and the modernisation of the country's infrastructure, has seen Uefa lose faith in the project.

Responsibilities

A decision is set to be made next week regarding whether or not to take the European Championship away from Ukraine and co-hosts Poland.

However, a Ukrainian delegation has held discussions with UEFA officials in an attempt to appease the growing concerns.

"The deputy Prime Minister (Ivan Vasyunyk) said Euro 2012 became the first project in the history of Ukraine that united all political forces," said a statement released by the country's football federation.

"This will ensure that the political situation will not impact the country's preparations for hosting the championship in 2012 and on the government's responsibilities as promised to UEFA."

Renovation

UEFA are set to discuss the issue further at an executive meeting on 25th September.

The main area of concern at present centres around the renovation of the Kiev Olympic Stadium, where the final of the tournament is due to be held.

Construction was delayed by a year because of legal wrangling over an adjoining shopping centre which violated safety rules.

That centre is now due to be taken down, but concerns remain regarding whether too much time has already been lost.

Source: Sky Sports