Coming months crucial for Ukraine´s Euro 2012 plans, Platini
July 4, 2008
KIEV (AFP) - Ukraine’s ability to co-host Euro 2012 depends on what the country can achieve over the coming three months, UEFA president Michel Platini said here on Thursday.French football legend Platini has issued repeated warnings to Ukraine and co-hosts Poland, who in April 2007 were UEFA’s surprise pick to host the 2012 edition of the quadrennial, 16-nation championships, beating Italy and joint bidders Hungary and Croatia.
Platini has set the two countries a September 24 deadline to prove they are on target with their preparations.
"The coming three months will be very important for Ukraine," Platini told reporters at the end of a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. "Things can advance in a very, very positive manner," he added.
Platini, who described his impressions as "superb" after talks with the president and Prime Minister Yulia Timochenko, said he had received "oral guarantees" on the start of preparations.
"We now have meetings with all the experts in three months. And the final, final, final decision will be taken in Bordeaux at the end of September at the UEFA executive committee meeting.
"We still have the intention of doing the maximum so that conditions are met to go and play in Poland and Ukraine."
The Ukrainian leaders also moved to ease concerns over the country’s potential readiness.
"Ukraine guarantees that in 2012 we will organise this event at the highest level," Yushchenko said after talks with Platini.
Timochenko added: "We will do everything, even the impossible, so it becomes a great party for the whole world and Ukraine be a good partner."
Euro 2012 marks UEFA’s first major foray into the former communist bloc, where the challenges are massive.
Besides new stadiums, Poland and Ukraine have to bring their air, rail and road transport services and hotel sectors up to scratch to cope with the influx of fans.
Amid concerns about Poland and Ukraine’s capability, other nations have already begun pitching themselves as alternative hosts.
But Poland received a thumbs up from the 10-strong UEFA delegation on Wednesday.
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The top 10 FIFA World Ranking
July 3, 2008
Spain are the new leaders of the FIFA World Ranking after their successful European Championships campaign. Previous leaders Argentina drop to sixth place.
The Spanish began Euro 2008 in fourth place and gained another 254 points, enough to surpass Argentina, Brazil and Italy and take the top spot.
Italy, who reached the quarter finals at Euro 2008, move up one spot into second place and Germany climb two spots to third place.
Biggest climbers in the top ten are the Netherlands, from tenth to fifth place, and Croatia who went from fifteenth to seventh place.
The top 10 as of July 2nd, 2008
1. Spain 1557
2. Italy 1404
3. Germany 1364
4. Brazil 1344
5. Netherlands 1299
6. Argentina 1298
7. Croatia 1282
8. Czech Republic 1146
9. Portugal 1104
10. France 1053
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Sweden captain Ljungberg retires from internationals
June 28, 2008
STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Sweden captain Fredrik Ljungberg has announced his retirement from international football, the country’s TT agency reported on Friday.
The 31-year-old former Arsenal midfielder said it was becoming physically too difficult to play for both West Ham and the national team. Ljungberg played his first match for his country back in 1998.
"I have decided to concentrate on my football with West Ham. This is where my priority now lies," Ljungberg said.
He competed in three European championships and two World Cups with the Swedes, before being named captain after the 2006 World Cup.
"The moment has come to let some other player take the number 9 jersey. Sweden has a lot of talented players and I am sure my place will be taken by someone who has the same passion for sport as me," he added.
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Russia Euro 2008 Squad
May 29, 2008
Russia coach Guus Hiddink named his final 23-man squad for Euro 2008 and dropped newcomers Alexander Pavlenko and Oleg Ivanov.
Pavlenko, who plays for Spartak Moscow, and fellow midfielder Ivanov, who plays for Krylya Sovietov Samara, were included in a provisional 25-man list but had a little chance of making the final selection.
The Russians are in Group D along with European champions Greece, Spain and Sweden.
Russia Euro 2008 Squad
Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeyev (CSKA Moscow), Vyacheslav Malafeyev (Zenit St Petersburg), Vladimir Gabulov (Amkar Perm)
Defenders: Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Alexei Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Vasily Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Alexander Anyukov (Zenit St Petersburg), Denis Kolodin (Dynamo Moscow), Renat Yanbayev (Lokomotiv Moscow)
Midfielders: Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Yuri Zhirkov (CSKA Moscow), Igor Semshov (Dynamo Moscow), Dmitry Torbinsky (Lokomotiv Moscow), Vladimir Bystrov (Spartak Moscow), Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Shirokov (Zenit St Petersburg), Sergei Semak (Rubin Kazan)
Forwards: Andrei Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Spartak Moscow), Dmitry Sychev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Roman Adamov (FK Moscow), Ivan Saenko (Nuremberg).
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Italy Euro 2008 Squad
May 29, 2008
Italy coach Roberto Donadoni has named his 23-man squad and Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo has been cut from Italy’s Euro 2008 squad.
Montolivo, who has one cap, had been expected to be the unlucky player having been a surprise pick in the initial squad. Udinese striker Fabio Quagliarella and AS Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani were the other likely contenders.
The world champions face Belgium in a friendly in Florence on Friday ahead of their Euro 2008 Group C matches against the Netherlands, Romania and France.
Italy Euro 2008 Squad
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Marco Amelia (Livorno), Morgan De Sanctis (Sevilla)
Defenders: Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Marco Materazzi (Inter Milan), Christian Panucci (AS Roma), Andrea Barzagli (Palermo), Gianluca Zambrotta (Barcelona), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Fabio Grosso (Lyon)
Midfielders: Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Massimo Ambrosini (AC Milan), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Simone Perrotta (AS Roma), Alberto Aquilani (AS Roma), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus)
Forwards: Luca Toni (Bayern Munich), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Marco Borriello (Genoa), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Antonio Cassano (Sampdoria, on loan from Real Madrid)
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