Well, dear readers, after waiting to see if my home city would host the tournament for well over a month since my last post on the subject of UEFA 2012, a final decision was due to be announced yesterday by UEFA.
As I have previously stated, I had little hope……..due to the politics involved……..Odessa would host the tournament……..and I was right.
However, the definitive answers as to who would host the tournament……as expected yesterday……were only half answered.
Kyiv, so far is the only city which will definitely host the tournament in the group, quarter final and semi final stages. If Kyiv is still to host the final then there has to be considerable improvement in stadium, airport, transport and hotels by 30th November 2009.
So Kyiv will definitely host the tournament……..but maybe not the final, as planned.
The other cities expected to be named……..were named…….and they are:
Donetsk, Lviv and Kharkiv………but only if the get their finger out of their arses and have made significant progress in the improvement of their hotels, airport infrastructure, regional transport and stadiums by 30th November 2009.
It may well be that Kyiv will still be the only Ukrainian city to host the tournament on 1st December…….however I am fairly certain Donetsk and Kharkiv will achieve enough to ensure their confirmations.
Lviv, however, is a different matter, as although the new stadium is well under way, there are legal issues regarding the contract which may well cause either delays or political heads to roll…….before 30th November 2009.
Sadly, Odessa will miss out on hosting this tournament…….but we have enough over a million tourists every summer alone…….without adding another 30-40,000 drunken football supporters……although some may well still come here for the sun and sea after their team have been eliminated from the competition.
So……..you will have to check back here on 1st December, dear readers, to get a full list of the host cities in Ukraine…….or it may be you already have the full list……..of one…….being Kyiv!!
The good news is, the new Chernomoretz Stadium will continue to be built regardless of this decision. Well it was being paid for 100% by Odessa anyway, it’s not like Kyiv or the Government every spent a Kopek or a minute here they don’t have to…….the twats!!
