Wednesday 30 May 2012

Full Squad List with Pictures – Euro Cup 2012








Euro 2012 Stadiums

Euro 2012 Stadiums

Official UEFA Euro 2012 website
Stadium: Arena Lviv
Country: Ukraine
City: Lviv
Capacity: 33500
Address:
Map: Arena Lviv map

Stadium: Donbass Arena
Country: Ukraine
City: Donetsk
Capacity: 51504
Address:
Map: Donbass Arena map

Stadium: Municipal Stadium (Poznan)
Country: Poland
City: Poznan
Capacity: 43098
Address:
Map: Municipal Stadium (Poznan) map

Stadium: Municipal Stadium (Wroclaw)
Country: Poland
City: Wroclaw
Capacity: 42771
Address:
Map: Municipal Stadium (Wroclaw) map

Stadium: National Stadium (Warsaw)
Country: Poland
City: Warsaw
Capacity: 58145
Address:
Map: National Stadium (Warsaw) map

Stadium: Oblast Sports Complex Metalist
Country: Ukraine
City: Kharkiv
Capacity: 38633
Address:
Map: Oblast Sports Complex Metalist map

Stadium: Olimpic National Sports Complex
Country: Ukraine
City: Kiev
Capacity: 70050
Address:
Map: Olimpic National Sports Complex map

Stadium: PGE Arena
Country: Poland
City: Gdansk
Capacity: 40818
Address:
Map: PGE Arena map

EURO 2012 GROUPS

The 16 teams that have qualified for the Euro 2012 Finals now know their opening round opponents and what challenges they face when the tournament begins on June 8.



Group A

Poland (Co-Host) Russia Greece Czech Republic
Jakub Blaszczykowski Poland Roman Pavlyuchenko Russia Sotiris Ninis Greece Petr Cech Czech Republic

Group B

The Netherlands Germany Portugal Denmark
Wesley Sneijder Netherlands Manuel Neuer Germany Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Nicklas Bendtner Denmark

Group C

Spain Italy Croatia Ireland
David Villa Spain Gianluigi Buffon Italy Darijo Srna Croatia Robbie Keane Ireland

Group D

Ukraine (Co-Host) England Sweden France
Andriy Shevchenko Ukraine John Terry England Zlatan Ibrahimovic Sweden Patrice Evra France

Oceana - Endless summer, lyrics - Euro 2012 Song

Lyrics to Endless Summer :

Endless summer, oh, oh, oh, oh,
yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh
Endless summer, oh, oh, oh, oh,
yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh

Moving up, moving down, keep on turning up the sound
We gonn party in the sun
Catch the feeling have some fun
Moving up, moving down, let your love shine all around
You're gonna be my number one
Make my heart beat like a drum
Like a drum, drum,
Moving up, moving down
You make me jump, jump
Let your love shine all around
Like a drum, drum,
Make my heart beat like a drum
Like a drum, drum,


Endless summer, oh, oh, oh, oh,
yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh
Endless summer, oh, oh, oh, oh,
yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh

Like a drum, drum,
Moving up, moving down
You make me jump, jump
Let your love shine all around
Like a drum, drum,
Make my heart beat like a drum
Like a drum, drum,
You're gonna be my number one
Make my heart beat like a drum
Like a drum, drum,

Endless summer, oh, oh, oh, oh,
yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh
Endless summer, oh, oh, oh, oh,
yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh X 2

Tuesday 29 May 2012

euro 2012 schedule excel

The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012, will be the 14th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. The final tournament will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine between 8 June and 1 July 2012. It is the first time that either nation has hosted the tournament.
We announce the release of UEFA EURO 2012 Final Tournament Schedule, a free Excel spreadsheet with a schedule of all tournament games. It automatically calculates the position of each football team according to game scores and UEFA rules and generates the schedule, thus enabling the football fans to keep track of the tournament.
Now that a great football event is approaching, an accurate schedule is what the fans need. The principle of operation is the following: the user enters the results of the games into the corresponding fields, EURO 2012 Tournament Schedule indicates the winner and changes the position of each team. The algorithm is able to manage cases of equal score, so that teams are always sorted correctly and fully automatically, without manual sorting (unlike in other similar calendars).
The layout of the spreadsheet is designed to be clear and convenient, so that the current situation would be obvious. Being an Excel project, EURO 2012 Final Tournament Schedule does not use macros.
Football fans will definitely appreciate that UEFA EURO 2012 Final Tournament Schedule allows calculating the game outcome, which would bring their favorite team to the next round. It is also possible to make predictions on the basis of 2012 EURO Cup Final. Fans from all over the world can use it due to multilingual interface and support of different time zones.
Schedule in Excel (400Kb)

Euro 2012 Schedule, Fixtures,Timetable,Matches, Results

Uefa Euro 2012 Schedule, Fixtures, Dates of Matches, Timetable, Games and Results.
UEFA approved the schedule of European Football Championship in Minsk, Belarus on October 4, 2010.
Poland is in UTC+2.
Ukraine is one hour ahead in UTC+3 (Eastern European Summer Time), so their local kick-off times are 19:00 and 21:45 instead
Euro 2012
Dates
MatchTime Stadium Stage Team 1 Result Team 2
Friday,
June 8
1
19:00
National Stadium, Warsaw A Poland Greece
2
21:45
City Stadium, Wrocław Russia Czech Rep
Saturday,
June 9
319:00 Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv B Netherlands Denmark
4
21:45
Lviv New Stadium, Lviv Germany Portugal
Sunday,
June 10
519:00 PGE Arena Gdańsk, Gdańsk C Spain Italy
6
21:45
City Stadium, Poznań Rep Ireland Croatia
Monday,
June 11
719:00 Donbass Arena, Donetsk D France England
8
21:45
Olimpiysky National Sports Complex, Kyiv Ukraine Sweden
Tuesday,
June 12
919:00 City Stadium, Wrocław A Greece Czech Rep
10
21:45
National Stadium, Warsaw Poland Russia
Wednesday,
June 13
1119:00 Lviv New Stadium, Lviv B Denmark Portugal
12
21:45
Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv Netherlands Germany
Thursday,
June 14
13
19:00
City Stadium, Poznań C Italy Croatia
14
21:45
PGE Arena Gdańsk, Gdańsk Spain Rep. Ireland
Friday,
June 15
15
19:00
Olimpiysky National Sports Complex, Kyiv D Sweden England
16
21:45
Donbass Arena, Donetsk Ukraine
France
Saturday,
June 16
17
21:45
City Stadium, Wrocław A Czech Rep Poland
18
21:45
National Stadium, Warsaw Greece Russia
Sunday,
June 17
19
21:45
Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv B Portugal Netherlands
20
21:45
Lviv New Stadium, Lviv Denmark Germany
Monday,
June 18
21
21:45
PGE Arena Gdańsk, Gdańsk C Croatia Spain
22
21:45
City Stadium, Poznań Italy Rep Ireland
Tuesday,
June 19
23
21:45
Donbass Arena, Donetsk D England Ukraine
24
21:45
Olimpiysky National Sports Complex, Kyiv Sweden France
Wednesday,
June 20
No games will be held
Thursday,
June 21
25
21:45
National Stadium, Warsaw Euro 2012
Quarter
finals
1A 2B
Friday,
June 22
26
21:45
PGE Arena Gdańsk, Gdańsk 1B 2A
Saturday,
June 23
27
21:45
Donbass Arena, Donetsk 1C 2D
Sunday,
June 24
28
21:45
Olimpiysky National Sports Complex, Kyiv 1D 2C
Monday,
June 25
No games will be held
Tuesday,
June 26
Wednesday,
June 27
29
21:45
Donbass Arena, Donetsk Euro 2012
Semi
finals
1A/2B 1C/2D
Thursday,
June 28
30
21:45
National Stadium, Warsaw 1B/2A 1D/2C
Friday,
June 29
No games will be held
Saturday,
June 30
Sunday,
July 1
31
21:45
Olimpiysky National Sports Complex, Kyiv Euro 2012
Final
Winner of #29 Winner of #30

EURO finals schedule confirmed

The finals schedule has been confirmed with Poland starting the tournament against Greece and other opening games including Germany v Portugal, Spain v Italy and England v France.
EURO finals schedule confirmed
The draw is displayed at the Palace of Arts, Kyiv ©Getty Images

The schedule for UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine has been confirmed following the draw in Kyiv.
Poland will launch the tournament on Friday 8 June at 18.00CET against Greece in Warsaw followed by the other Group A opener between Russia and the Czech Republic at 20.45CET.  The next day the Netherlands face Denmark in Kharkiv and Germany take on Portugal in Lviv to begin Group B, and on 10 June Group C starts as holders Spain play Italy and the Republic of Ireland are matched with Croatia.
Ukraine are involved in the last of the opening set of fixtures, meeting Sweden in Group D in Kyiv after England tackle France in Donetsk. The group stage runs until 19 June, then, after a rest day, the quarter-finals take place over four consecutive nights. The semi-finals are on 29 June in Donetsk and the following evening in Warsaw, before Kyiv stages the 1 July decider.
Match scheduleAll kick-offs CET, Ukrainian time is one hour ahead
Friday 8 June 2012
#1: POL v GRE, 18.00CET, Warsaw
#2: RUS v CZE, 20.45CET, Wroclaw
Saturday 9 June 2012
#3:
NED v DEN, 18.00CET, Kharkiv
#4: GER v POR, 20.45CET, Lviv
Sunday 10 June 2012
#5: ESP v ITA, 18.00CET, Gdansk
#6: IRL v CRO, 20.45CET, Poznan
Monday 11 June 2012
#7: FRA v ENG, 18.00CET, Donetsk
#8: UKR v SWE, 20.45CET, Kyiv
Tuesday 12 June 2012
#9: GRE v CZE, 18.00CET, Wroclaw
#10: POL v RUS, 20.45CET, Warsaw
Wednesday 13 June 2012
#11: DEN v POR, 18.00CET, Lviv
#12: NED v GER, 20.45CET, Kharkiv
Thursday 14 June 2012
#13: ITA v CRO, 18.00CET, Poznan
#14: ESP v IRL, 20.45CET, Gdansk
Friday 15 June 2012
#15: SWE v ENG, 20.45CET, Kyiv
#16: UKR v FRA, 18.00CET, Donetsk
Saturday 16 June 2012
#17: CZE v POL, 20.45CET, Wroclaw
#18: GRE v RUS, 20.45CET, Warsaw
Sunday 17 June 2012
#19: POR v NED, 20.45CET, Kharkiv
#20: DEN v GER, 20.45CET, Lviv
Monday 18 June 2012
#21: CRO v ESP, 20.45CET, Gdansk
#22: ITA v IRL, 20.45CET, Poznan
Tuesday 19 June 2012
#23: ENG v UKR, 20.45CET, Donetsk
#24: SWE v FRA, 20.45CET, Kyiv
Wednesday 20 June 2012
No matches
Thursday 21 June 2012
#25: 1A v 2B, 20.45CET, Warsaw
Friday 22 June 2012
#26: 1B v 2A, 20.45CET, Gdansk
Saturday 23 June 2012
#27: 1C v 2D, 20.45CET, Donetsk
Sunday 24 June 2012
#28: 1D v 2C, 20.45CET, Kyiv
Monday 25 June 2012
No matches
Tuesday 26 June 2012
No matches
Wednesday 27 June 2012
#29: W#25 v W#27, 20.45CET, Donetsk
Thursday 28 June 2012
#30: W#26 v W#28, 20.45CET, Warsaw
Friday 29 June 2012
No matches
Saturday 30 June 2012
No matches
Sunday 1 July 2012
#31: W#29 v W#30, 20.45CET, Kyiv

Euro 2012 Football On TV

Euro 2012 On TV will be shown on both BBC and ITV. Both broadcasters will share live coverage during the group stages and Quarter Finals. However the BBC will show both Euro 2012 Semi Finals exclusively live. The Euro 2012 Final will be shown live on both BBC1 and ITV1.
England V France On TV will be shown live on ITV1 / ITV1 HD, England V Sweden On TV will be shown on BBC1 / BBC1 HD and England V Ukraine On TV will be shown live on ITV1 / ITV1 HD. Should England reach the Quarter Finals, it is likely that this match will be shown by BBC as they have 1st pick of the Quarter Finals.
The 2012 UEFA European Championships will take place in Poland and Ukraine, where Spain will look to defend their title won in 2008 and try to become the first team to win 3 major international tournaments in a row.
Date Fixture Competition Kick Off Channels
Friday 8th June 2012
Fri 8th Jun Poland v Greece UEFA Euro 2012 Group A 17:00 BBC1  /  BBC1 HD
Fri 8th Jun Russia v Czech Republic UEFA Euro 2012 Group A 19:45 ITV1  /  ITV1 HD
Saturday 9th June 2012
Sat 9th Jun Netherlands v Denmark UEFA Euro 2012 Group B 17:00 BBC1  /  BBC1 HD
Sat 9th Jun Germany v Portugal UEFA Euro 2012 Group B 19:45 BBC1  /  BBC1 HD
Sunday 10th June 2012
Sun 10th Jun Spain v Italy UEFA Euro 2012 Group C 17:00 ITV1  /  ITV1 HD
Sun 10th Jun Republic of Ireland v Croatia UEFA Euro 2012 Group C 19:45 ITV1  /  ITV1 HD
Monday 11th June 2012
Mon 11th Jun France v England UEFA Euro 2012 Group D 17:00 ITV1  /  ITV1 HD
Mon 11th Jun Ukraine v Sweden UEFA Euro 2012 Group D 19:45 BBC1  /  BBC1 HD
Tuesday 12th June 2012
Tue 12th Jun Greece v Czech Republic UEFA Euro 2012 Group A 17:00 ITV1  /  ITV1 HD
Tue 12th Jun Poland v Russia UEFA Euro 2012 Group A 19:45 ITV1  /  ITV1 HD
Wednesday 13th June 2012
Wed 13th Jun Denmark v Portugal UEFA Euro 2012 Group B 17:00 ITV1  /  ITV1 HD
Wed 13th Jun Netherlands v Germany UEFA Euro 2012 Group B 19:45 BBC1  /  BBC1 HD
Thursday 14th June 2012
Thu 14th Jun Italy v Croatia UEFA Euro 2012 Group C 17:00 BBC1  /  BBC1 HD
Thu 14th Jun Spain v Republic of Ireland UEFA Euro 2012 Group C 19:45 ITV1  /  ITV1 HD
Friday 15th June 2012
Fri 15th Jun Ukraine v France UEFA Euro 2012 Group D 17:00 ITV1  /  ITV1 HD
Fri 15th Jun Sweden v England UEFA Euro 2012 Group D 19:45 BBC1  /  BBC1 HD
Saturday 16th June 2012
Sat 16th Jun Czech Republic v Poland UEFA Euro 2012 Group A 19:45 BBC1  /  BBC1 HD
Sat 16th Jun Greece v Russia UEFA Euro 2012 Group A 19:45 BBC HD  /  BBC3
Sunday 17th June 2012
Sun 17th Jun Denmark v Germany UEFA Euro 2012 Group B 19:45 ITV4  /  ITV4 HD
Sun 17th Jun Portugal v Netherlands UEFA Euro 2012 Group B 19:45 ITV1  /  ITV1 HD
Monday 18th June 2012
Mon 18th Jun Croatia v Spain UEFA Euro 2012 Group C 19:45 BBC HD  /  BBC3
Mon 18th Jun Italy v Republic of Ireland UEFA Euro 2012 Group C 19:45 BBC1  /  BBC1 HD
Tuesday 19th June 2012
Tue 19th Jun England v Ukraine UEFA Euro 2012 Group D 19:45 ITV1  /  ITV1 HD
Tue 19th Jun Sweden v France UEFA Euro 2012 Group D 19:45 ITV4  /  ITV4 HD
Thursday 21st June 2012
Thu 21st Jun Winner Group A v Runner Up Group B UEFA Euro 2012 Quarter Final 19:45 TBC
Friday 22nd June 2012
Fri 22nd Jun Winner Group B v Runner Up Group A UEFA Euro 2012 Quarter Final 19:45 TBC
Saturday 23rd June 2012
Sat 23rd Jun Winner Group C v Runner Up Group D UEFA Euro 2012 Quarter Final 19:45 TBC
Sunday 24th June 2012
Sun 24th Jun Winner Group D v Runner Up Group C UEFA Euro 2012 Quarter Final 19:45 TBC
Wednesday 27th June 2012
Wed 27th Jun TBC UEFA Euro 2012 Semi Final 19:45 BBC1  /  BBC1 HD
Thursday 28th June 2012
Thu 28th Jun TBC UEFA Euro 2012 Semi Final 19:45 BBC1  /  BBC1 HD
Sunday 1st July 2012
Sun 1st Jul TBC UEFA Euro 2012 Final 19:45 BBC1  /  BBC1 HD  /  ITV1  /  ITV1 HD

Euro 2012 rooms rip-off: Hotels in Ukraine and Poland hike rates by 1,000 per cent ahead of football championships

Loyal England fans are facing an extreme price hike for Euro 2012 accommodation this summer, making some supporters wish they were staying on home turf.

While most luxury hotel rooms in Poland and the Ukraine are sold out, some basic hostels have upped their rates by as much as 1,000 per cent, taking advantage of those who are still yet to book.
As one of the biggest tournaments in world football, 100,000 England fans are expected to visit host cities Warsaw, Donetsk and Kiev during June and July.
A room inside Hostel Downtown in Kiev, Ukraine where a single room on 15 June when England play Sweden in their second group game is £689.98
A room inside Hostel Downtown in Kiev, Ukraine where a single room on 15 June when England play Sweden in their second group game is £689.98
If England were to get to the final, a fan hoping to see every one of their six games could be facing accommodation costs of over £4,000, excluding the price for staying in-between match days.
According to Expedia, the one star V. Hostel in Warsaw have upped their usual rate for May of £28.54 per night, to charge £814.95 for a double room on 8 June, the date of the tournament's opening game between Poland and Greece.
Some rooms feature bunk or camping beds and guests have to use a shared bathroom.
The Bonbon Hotel in Donetsk, Ukraine where a deluxe room for two people on 11 June when England play their first group game against France is priced at £597.98 for the night
The Bonbon Hotel in Donetsk, Ukraine where a deluxe room for two people on 11 June when England play their first group game against France is priced at £597.98 for the night

General view shows a room inside the V. Hostel in Warsaw, Poland where on 8 June, the date of the tournament's opening game between Poland and Greece, one night in a double room costs £814.95
General view shows a room inside the V. Hostel in Warsaw, Poland where on 8 June, the date of the tournament's opening game between Poland and Greece, one night in a double room costs £814.95
The slightly more upmarket Babaka Tower Suites, which usually charge between £90-£100 for a one-bedroom apartment on the edge of Warsaw's city centre, are now priced at £976.43 to stay on the opening night through Booking.com.

Similarly if England should make the semi finals, one of which will be played in Warsaw on 28 June, it will cost fans £371.19 for one night in a single room at the Dedek Park, increased to £547.02 if they choose a complimentary breakfast.
According to Booking.com, the month before, the same rooms, including breakfast, are available for £37.12.
The restroom inside the Agat Hotel in Donetsk, Ukraine where a twin room on 11 June when England play France and on 18 June when England play Ukraine is £984.37 per night
The restroom inside the Agat Hotel in Donetsk, Ukraine where a twin room on 11 June when England play France and on 18 June when England play Ukraine is £984.37 per night
A room inside the V. Hostel in Warsaw, Poland where in May (before Euro 2012) a double room is £28.54 for one night. On 8 June, the date of the tournament's opening game between Poland and Greece, one night in a double room costs £814.95
A room inside the V. Hostel in Warsaw, Poland where in May (before Euro 2012) a double room is £28.54 for one night. On 8 June, the date of the tournament's opening game between Poland and Greece, one night in a double room costs £814.95.
The picture is just as costly during England's group games. For their first match in Donetsk on 11 June against France, as well as their third against the Ukraine on the 18th, some hotels in the area are upping their rates by 1,000 percent in order to get more cash from traveling supporters. 
A twin room at the Agat Hotel on either night costs £984.37 through Booking.com, but a superior double room the week before the Euros start is priced at only £84.33.
The accommodation features tired blue and green decor but claims to offer views of Donbass Arena, one of the Euro 2012 venues.

Likewise in Donetsk, the boutique Bonbon Hotel have a section on their website dedicated to the Euro 2012 price increases. They are charging almost five times as much for a room on match days.
A deluxe room for two people on the night of England's first game is priced at £597.98 on Booking.com, but in May, even the honeymoon suite costs less than £100 for one night.
The Partner Guest House Baseina in Kiev, Ukraine where a one bed apartment costs £1839.96 to stay for one night on Sunday 1 July, the night of the Euro 2012 final
The Partner Guest House Baseina in Kiev, Ukraine where a one bed apartment costs £1839.96 to stay for one night on Sunday 1 July, the night of the Euro 2012 final
It is a similar story in Ukraine's capital Kiev, where England play their second group game on 15 June against Sweden. The city also hosts one of the quarter finals and the grand final on Sunday 1 July.
Hostel Downtown, which Expedia award a one star rating, is advertising a single room at £689.98 on both 15 June and the night of the final. The following week, once the tournament is finished, the same room costs £38.33.

Even more pricey, a one bed apartment in the Partner Guest House Baseina in Kiev will set England fans back £1839.96 to stay on the night of the final via Booking.com. The following Sunday it is priced at £66.62.
The Agat Hotel in Donetsk, Ukraine where a twin room on 11 June when England play France and on 18 June when England play Ukraine is £984.37 per night
The Agat Hotel in Donetsk, Ukraine where a twin room on 11 June when England play France and on 18 June when England play Ukraine is £984.37 per night

Euro 2012 Host Cities

Poland will host the games in the cities of Poznan, Gdansk, Warsaw and Wroclaw. Donetsk, Kiev, Kharkiv and Lviv will be the host cities in Ukraine.

Ukraine's Euro 2012 hotel crisis eases, a little

Slammed by UEFA chief Michel Platini for allowing Euro 2012 hotel prices to sky-rocket, embattled co-host Ukraine has tried to make good on a pledge to try to ease the burden on fans' pockets.
"We've seen that there is now more on offer, so prices have gone down," UEFA spokesman Thomas Giordano told AFP. "It's clear that there is still overpriced accommodation out there but nobody's going to book it," he added.
Just four weeks ago, during an assessment visit by European football's governing body, Platini lashed out at "crooks" in Ukraine's tourist sector for trying to make easy money.
In some cases, hoteliers took advantage of the mismatch between supply in the ex-Soviet republic and demand from fans to increase prices as much as eighty-fold.
Chastened, Ukrainian authorities vowed to take action within 30 days, with Prime Minister Mykola Azarov even threatening to introduce state control of hotel tariffs.
Swollen prices have stoked fears that a slice of the 700,000 fans Ukraine is hoping to draw will stay away -- tarnishing the first-ever edition of the tournament behind the former Iron Curtain.
That was underlined by the unprecedented failure to sell out matches to England's normally ardent fans for their group games in the eastern city of Donetsk.
According to Markian Lubkivsky, head of Ukraine's organising committee, a total of 25,000 tickets remain unsold for matches there, against 50,000 three weeks ago.
Games in co-host Poland in contrast have sold out.
Prices remain far from perfect compared with previous, west European editions of the 16-nation tournament, where fans could also get better quality for their cash.
For example, two berths in a vast tent in Donetsk are selling online for 126 euros ($161) for the June 27 semi-final, and a double room with shared bathroom in a youth hostel for a staggering 962 euros on the same date.
But cheaper solutions have come onto the market, with youth hostel dormitory beds at around 20 euros, and a four-person apartment at 192 euros.
Official tournament travel agent TUI meanwhile lists options on its www.accom2012.com site including double rooms in a university hall of residence for 72 euros a night for a minimum three-night booking.
Organisers say they have mustered an extra 23,000 hotel rooms in Ukraine's four host cities, plus 15,000 camping berths.
"The situation is now adequate," Lubkivsky told AFP.
Ukraine's prices still remain higher than those in Poland, however.
According to figures from UEFA, the average price for a night in a Ukrainian three-star hotel during the tournament is 191 euros, compared with 155 in Poland and, in a four-star, 263 euros against 205 euros.
Some in the travel sector remain pessimistic.
"Things have got a little better in Donetsk, but there are no decent three-star rooms left for less than 300 euros," said a French travel agent used to dealing with fans heading to tournaments, on condition of anonymity.
France will play their group matches in Donetsk and the capital Kiev.
In the western host city of Lviv, where teams including Germany will play, there is nothing available for less than 430 euros, apart from youth hostels, he said.
Tournament organisers in Poland say many German fans plan to stay on the Polish side of the border and travel to Lviv on match days.
Ukraine's fourth host city is Kharkiv, in the northeast.
Euro 2012 kicks off in the Polish capital Warsaw on June 8 and ends with the final in Kiev on July 1.

UEFA EURO 2012 ticket sales

UEFA has reopened the UEFA EURO 2012 ticket portal where fans can review their orders and check to see if any further tickets for this summer's tournament are available.

Nervous atmosphere around the match between Poland and Russia

Euro 2012 draws nearer and nearer and the atmosphere around the match between Poland and Russia is getting more and more nervous.
There is more and more talk about Russian fans who announce “maximum of activity” during the tournament; on the other hand, publications in Russian newspapers have been warning of “big brawls”. Are Polish security forces ready to ensure a peaceful course of the tournament? I opinion of Polish Minister of the Interior Jacek Cichocki, they are “prepared for the worst.”

Russian national team, crowds of fans and… Smolensk demonstration

The Russian national team will be staying during EURO 2012 at the Bristol hotel in Warsaw that is situated in the direct neighborhood of Polish President’s Palace. In the course of the tournament many Russian fans will surely be coming to Warsaw’s downtown district called Krakowskie Przedmieście in order to support their team with a loud cheering. Also Russian journalists will be present there.
At the same location, on the 10th day of every month, the so called “Smolensk demonstrations” have taken place for two years. People who critically assess the course of investigation concerning the catastrophe of the plane with Polish president on board gather in front of President’s Palace bringing with them banners with slogans such as “Putin – a murderer”, or inscriptions in English “Has Russia killed the Polish president?”, “What happened on April 10, 2010? We demand an international investigation”.
That demonstration will also take place on June 10, 2012. It can arouse a special interest of Russian fans and journalists gathered in the same street, since it will be held two days before the very important match between Poland and Russia. That match, played in the National Stadium in Warsaw will be watched by many officials, among others by the Russian president Vladimir Putin who will be sitting in one of the VIP boxes.
“Location of Russian national team headquarters at EURO 2012 is also a problem for the Polish security forces,” admitted Minister of the Interior Jacek Cichocki at the conference on Tuesday concerning security issues during the tournament.
Russians are aware of the existing situation. “We have been suggesting them some solutions, that could restrict prospective events impacting the atmosphere which is not too good,” added Cichocki, but without revealing any details concerning those matters.

Russians announce „maximum of activity”

Within the last few days there was lots of information in the Polish mass media concerning football fans of Zenith Sankt Petersburg and Spartak Moscow who are going to come to Poland to watch EURO 2012 matches. According to the „Ogoniok” weekly, they announced their „maximum of activity” during the tournament.
“We have whole arsenal of pyrotechnic devices that will be used by us in Warsaw and Wrocław stadiums. We manage to smuggle them through cordons of Russian police, so we don’t think cheating the Poles will be a problem. Besides, you can buy firecrackers and flares in Warsaw. It will be a real fire show,” revealed an anonymous Spartak Moscow fan.
Oleg Mosfilmowski, the chief of Spartak fan club also joined the discussion, stating that “based on experience from the latest match with Legia within the framework of European Cup, we can tell that the attitude towards Russian fans in Warsaw is negative.”
After EURO 2012 groups draw, when it turned out that Poland and Russia will be playing in one group, the „Moskowskije Nowosti” daily warned that „UEFA received a match at the highest level of explosiveness,” and the meeting on June 12 „can end with serious brawls”.

How does the Ministry of the Interior treat that kind of announcements?

„We don’t have any information concerning the fact that a group of Russian fans are coming to Poland with the sole aim to confront Polish fans. I know that similar announcements appeared on Russian Internet forums, but no information of that kind have reached us by “branch channel” yet”, admitted Minister Jacek Cichocki.
“When we receive such information, we will contact our Russian partners and do our best to prevent such fans from coming to Poland,” he promised.

No surprises in Poland’s Euro 2012 squad

Poland coach Franciszek Smuda produced no surprises when he named his 23-man squad for Euro 2012 on Sunday.
It was largely expected that Smuda would drop midfielder Tomasz Jodlowiec and striker Michal Kucharczyk, who had fared poorly in a friendly win against Latvia, as well as defender Kamil Glik from his provisional group of 26.
“I would like to thank them because they gave it their best, they worked at full capacity and I hope they stay in contention for squads in the future,” Smuda told a news conference.
On Saturday, Poland’s number two goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was officially ruled out of the tournament after injury his shoulder at Poland’s training camp in Austria.
“I never was so frightened as during yesterday’s game (against Slovakia). I never felt like that before in my life. I was just thinking please make sure nobody gets injured,” Smuda added after his side came through the 1-0 win unscathed.
Poland are due to play their last friendly on June 2 against Andorra.
The European Championship, being co-hosted with Ukraine, kicks off on June 8 when Poland face Greece in the opening match at Warsaw’s newly built National Stadium. Czech Republic and Russia are also in Group A.
“All four (in the group) have a chance, but Russia is the favourite. The first match against Greece will set the pace,” Smuda said.

Poland Euro 2012 Squad

Goalkeepers: Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal), Przemyslaw Tyton (PSV Eindhoven), Grzegorz Sandomierski (Jagiellonia Bialystok)
Defenders: Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund), Marcin Wasilewski (Anderlecht), Jakub Wawrzyniak (Legia Warsaw), Marcin Kaminski (Lech Poznan), Grzegorz Wojtkowiak (Lech Poznan), Sebastian Boenisch (Werder Bremen), Damien Perquis (Sochaux)
Midfielders: Eugen Polanski (Mainz), Dariusz Dudka (Auxerre), Adam Matuszczyk (Fortuna Duesseldorf), Adrian Mierzejewski (Trabzonspor), Jakub Blaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund), Ludovic Obraniak (Bordeaux), Maciej Rybus (Terek Grozny), Kamil Grosicki (Sivasspor), Rafal Murawski (Lech Poznan), Rafal Wolski (Legia Warsaw)
Forwards: Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund), Artur Sobiech (Hanover), Pawel Brozek (Celtic)

Polish stadiums in 45 points angle view

Google made ​​a very large aerial upgrade in Poland. You can now see Polish stadiums in nice 45 points angle view in google maps.

National Stadium Warsaw


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PGE Arena Gdansk


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Municipal Stadium Poznan


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Municipal Stadium Wroclaw


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Monday 28 May 2012

iUkraine - The Whole Ukraine Is in Your Hands!

Today 'Discover Ukraine' is excited to bring to your attention a unique product that will make your trip to Ukraine an easy and pleasant experience. We worked hard to create an ideal assistant for those who come to our remarkable country for the first time. In doing so we tried to show you all its best and most interesting sides - everything that rouses a burning desire to rediscover Ukraine's wonders over and over again. Please meet an application specially developed for your iPad - the travel guide  iUkraine!
This unique iPad application is already available in App Store and is created for those who are coming to Ukraine to watch the European football championship or just planning to visit our amazing country for the first time. The iUkraine travel guide contains the most complete information about the country and its fascinating landmarks, varied recreation activities, and unforgettable events. It also gives suggestions for original tours around Ukraine at large, as well as around individual towns and regions.
The iUkraine travel guide is particularly noteworthy for it offers useful information about obtaining a Ukrainian visa, rules of entry into the country, and costs of accommodation and catering. Furthermore, it answers plenty of other questions that a tourist planning a trip to Ukraine for Euro-2012 may have. You will also have an opportunity to learn more about Ukraine's tough history, marvelous nature and original culture, to discover inimitable Ukrainian cuisine and to realize friendliness, optimism and hospitality of its people.
 Ukraine's most famous landmarks, as well as other noteworthy places, are presented in our application iUkraine. All sights are shown on a map with detailed instructions on getting to the destination, and illustrated with vivid pictures. Not to be overlooked is the constantly updated program of Ukraine's most interesting events: concerts, exhibitions, festivals and more.
The fact that it contains a significant list of restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs makes iUkraine travel guide a truly unique assistant for independent travelers. You will have an opportunity not only to read about chosen facility and find it on a map, but also to find out about its cuisine, hours of operation, and prices. Moreover, the travel guide offers information about a huge number of opportunities to relax in more active ways: from original adventures and cycle tours, to skydiving and white-water rafting experiences. The iUkraine application is your best assistant in finding appropriate facility and in proper planning of your vacation.
Its availability for foreign users is among iUkraine's prime advantages. The application is available in App Store in five languages - English, German, Russian, Spanish, and French. Travel guide's another advantage is the opportunity to interact with the application's content and to make individual 'want to visit' lists. On top of that, iUkraine features a stylish design, a convenient, user-friendly interface, and an absolute absence of annoying advertisements.
It is important to note that the first version of the iUkraine travel guide is not final. We are constantly adding new features and useful information to our guide. For example, a large number of Ukraine's hotels will soon be available for you, with an online booking option. The guide's users will have the opportunity to take advantage of partner hotels' special offers, and to book rooms at lowest rates available. In the near future, we are also going to add a list of useful phrases and expressions in Ukrainian and Russian that will make your trip around Ukraine an easy and pleasant experience. Moreover, 'Discover Ukraine' will constantly increase the number of interesting places, restaurants, and hotels, and renew the lists of upcoming events.
We firmly believe that the iUkraine travel guide will help to make your trip to Euro-2012 as comfortable and as vividly impressionable as possible! We will be glad to hear your comments and suggestions, sent by e-mail or posted on our Facebook page. We are sure that with your help, we will be able to make the iUkraine application even more useful and interesting!

Euro-2012 Main Fan-Zone: Vareniki, Elton John and Boar-Foreteller

The official fan-zone will be equipped in the very heart of Ukraine's capital in the run up for the European football championship and will be ready to host tournament's first fans on June 7. Kievan fan-town's organizers assure that it won't be just about football and promise eventful entertainment and cultural program for continental championship's guests.
In June, thousands of aficionados are expected to gather in Kiev's center in order to follow Euro-2012 matches and root for their favorite teams. The organizers created all necessary conditions for that: thanks to huge screen in the center and six additional perimeter screens, it'll be possible to watch European Championship's games from any official fan-zone's point.
Souvenir shops, numerous cafes and quality fast-food spots with affordable prices will function inside the fan-zone. The organizers promise high-class service, perfect safety and advanced perimeter guarding.
Separate VIP-zone will be equipped for those aficionados, who value comfort above all. Perfect territory overview, cupola that will protect against the rain in case of bad weather, stand-up meal service included in ticket price and separate entrance are among its advantages. Preliminary price for VIP-zone admission ticket is from 400 to 1500 UAH (40-150 Euros) depending on match.
Various events, aimed not only to entertain Euro-2012 guests, but to introduce most interesting Ukrainian culture and traditions to them, will be carried out in the fan-zone daily. "Our fan-zones will have the most eventful program in the European Championships' history," says PR-director of Kharkiv's and Kiev's official fan-zones Svetlana Bovkun. "Every day we'll organize concerts by Ukrainian performers, different craftsmen will carry out masterclasses - for example, in pottery - we'll arrange the Varenik's Day, where everyone will be able to learn making vareniki."
According to organizers, championship's guests will be entertained by acrobats, live mannequins, rollers, skaters, different contests with prizes. Moreover, world stars will perform for Euro-2012 aficionados: Elton John and Georgian singer Nino Katamadze have already confirmed their participation.
Kievan fan-zone's main pride, however, is its unusual inhabitant - 200-kg boar Foreteller who, after the example of octopus Paul, will predict European Championship's matches results. The boar, which will live in specially equipped house on fan-zone's territory, has already proved to be a good foreteller, having predicted Ukrainian Championship's winner correctly. "Plates with team names were stuck into two bowls with food and put in front of him and Foreteller guessed who will win," shares Svetlana Bovkun. "He will predict duel winners during Euro-2012 the same way, but the bowls will be marked with team's national flags instead of team names." The boar will guess the winner before each match at 4 p.m. sharp.
It'll be reminded that admission to Kievan fan-zone will be free of charge, but security officers will strictly control that aficionados don't bring alcohol and other objects, which contradict safety rules, with them.
Tags: Euro 2012, Ukraine, fan-zone, aficionados, Kie

First High-Speed Trains Will Start Running between Euro-2012 Host Cities on May 27

High-speed railway operation that was organized in Ukraine for fans' faster and more convenient traveling between the European Championship's host cities will start functioning on Sunday.
It is reported that interregional electric trains Hyundai will start running between Kiev and Kharkiv, and Kiev and Lviv on May 27.  Other trains in Lviv and Donetsk directions will start operating in the first half of June. "The longest section is the hardest one. I think that we'll launch the first train [from Kiev] to Donetsk on June 5. It'll happen before Euro-2012 in any case," promised the Ukrainian Vice-Prime-Minister - Minister of Infrastructure Boris Kolesnikov.
The high-speed trains' schedule is yet to be adjusted, but at first they'll run as follows. Hyundai will depart from Kharkiv at 6.50 a.m. and 6.45 p.m., and arrive in Kiev at 11.30 a.m. and 11. 15 p.m. respectively. The trains will depart from the capital back to Kharkiv at 6.15 p.m. and 6.15 a.m., and arrive at 10.50 p.m. and 10.45 a.m. respectively. Hyundai's departure time from Lviv is 7 a.m.  and arrival at Kiev time is  11.55 a.m. Regarding reverse direction, the train will depart from Kiev at 6.20 p.m. and arrive in Lviv at 11.15 p.m.
At the same time, according to Boris Kolesnikov, Hyundai trains drop behind the schedule on some routes. ”Currently we face a little problem - new trains run slower than expected. We promised 45 minutes faster operation than it turned out to be. So far, we didn't make it anywhere except Lviv: neither in Kharkiv, nor in Donetsk. Therefore, the railwaymen's main short-term task is to keep within the declared schedule," noted the official.
High-speed trains' price will depend upon the day of the week. Thus, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday it'll be: 423 UAH (around 42 Euros) per first class ticket and 276 UAH (around 27 Euros) per second class ticket for railway service between Kiev and Kharkiv; 475 UAH (around 47 Euros) per first class ticket and 307 UAH (around 30 Euros) per second class ticket for railway service between Kiev and Lviv. A ticket from Kiev to Donetsk (and in reverse direction) will cost 565 UAH (around 56 Euros) in the first class and 368 UAH (around 36 Euros) in the second class. On Thursday and Saturday the price will be 10% lower and on Friday and Sunday - 10% higher. When booking round trip, a 10% discount will be given.
It is possible to book tickets for interregional high-speed trains in Internet through new automatic on-line system. The service is available on the official 'Ukrzaliznytsia's website www.uz.gov.ua under menu section 'Passengers' or by following direct link http://booking.uz.gov.ua. There you may also check seats' availability for needed date and pay the fare.