UEFA is monitoring the impact of the
global financial crisis on Ukraine`s and Poland`s preparations to
co-host the 2012 European Championship, AP reported.
"Naturally,
you should have fears when you`re faced with such a global financial
downturn," UEFA general secretary David Taylor told The Associated
Press on Tuesday.
"I think it`s no secret that Ukraine has the
more immediate difficulties given its IMF loan and looking at balancing
its government budgets, and these are things that are clearly of
concern to us."
Ukraine received a $16.5 billion loan from the
International Monetary Fund to help combat the crisis. The IMF expects
Ukraine`s economy to contract by at least 6 percent this year, and the
national currency has lost about 43 percent since September.
Speaking
at a UEFA anti-racism conference in Warsaw, Taylor said UEFA was in
contact with the Ukrainian government and has received assurances that
the 2012 tournament remains a "top priority" despite the economic
turmoil.
"I can imagine it is because of course it`s not just
football here, it`s infrastructure development which is required anyway
in a country such as Ukraine and perhaps at this time of crisis to find
construction projects that can be supported very directly by the
government is not a bad thing," he said.
In April 2007, UEFA
awarded Ukraine and Poland the right to co-host Euro 2012. But the
countries` preparations became dogged by construction delays with
stadiums, roads, airports and hotels, leading UEFA to warn Warsaw and
Kiev that they could lose the tournament if they didn`t pick up the
pace of preparations.
Both put construction back on track in recent months, and Taylor noted improvements on key sticking points.
At
the top of the list was the stadium in Kiev, which was slated to host
the tournament final and demands major renovation work. UEFA warned
Ukraine that without the stadium in Kiev there will be no tournament in
Ukraine.
"There`s clear progress on the stadium, there`s no
doubt," Taylor said. "They weren`t starting at base camp, but a few
steps behind. Give credit to them. They haven`t quite moved mountains,
but they certainly moved the city authorities in order to get this
project under way. And we`ve been very clear, UEFA said unless you
deliver this project it doesn`t affect just Kiev but all of Ukraine.
"They still have a long way to go. It`s a difficult project. But we`re impressed by their commitment."
