Artem Chobanian


When Poland and Ukraine were awarded the right to host the 2012 European Championships, many expressed surprise. Surely these two Eastern European nations were far off being able to stage such an event? Much better to choose a tried and tested Western European country? Now, just over two years before Euro 2012 will kick-off, both seem in a better state to answer the question: Are they ready?

While Poland is considered a country close to Western European standards and should be able to deliver what is expected, Ukraine is still seen as a former republic of the USSR. And this is at least partially true, for Ukraine has not yet adopted all the attitudes of the western world.

When Ukraine was presented with the chance to host Euro 2012 there were hundreds of skeptical opinions expressed within the nation, and only a small group of enthusiasts who felt their country could be transformed and ready to host UEFA’s showcase international event. Barely a year ago however, Ukrainian politicians and football officials were doing more arguing than anything else. Back then too the challenges looked daunting: Ukraine needed new stadia, improved roads, new hotels and all manner of other infrastructure, and all had been agreed with UEFA.

At first four cities were chosen in the former Soviet state to host games: Kyiv, Donetsk, Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk. And whilst 12 months ago it was hard to find anyone on the street in Ukraine who actually believed those cities would see Euro 2012 matches, much has indeed changed.

Kyiv, the capital, was always going to take the main spot amongst the lucky four hosts. In this there was never really any hint from the Euro 2012 committee would cross the city from the list. Despite this, there have still been concerns expressed by UEFA at the speed of improvements and especially the speed at which the Olympiyskiy Stadium was being renovated.

Over in the east of the country, Donetsk had the same guaranteed immunity as Kyiv, especially as the city completed the construction of what is easily one of the most finest football arenas in all Europe. The driving force behind this was Shakhtar Donetsk’s owner Rinat Akhemtov. The oligarch will also make sure his cradle has the roads and hotels to cope with the thousands of expected fans. From the Donetsk of five or six years ago the city has been somewhat transformed.

The situation with the other cities in the running is clear now, much clearer than it was. Lviv, in the West, has the advantage of a location right against the border with Poland, that should make it a prime candidate for fans flitting between the two countries. However, here the problem is the city’s stadium, where the authorities are still searching for a company to actually build it. Lviv has two clubs that have experience of playing in the Ukrainian Premier League, but neither possess stadia suitable for the hosting of Euro 2012 matches. At least one of these stadia could be reconstructed, but at present all that is ready is the accommodation, which has been agreed with UEFA. A number of hotels may only be located in suburban towns close to the city, but this it seems is enough.

Dnipropetrovsk can boast a stadium almost equal to that in Donetsk, but that sadly is where the progress ends. The city has awful roads, and the routes in and around the centre do not conform to European standards. On the hotel front the situation is not too much better, with just two, which themselves have barely a few deluxe rooms. Neither the airport nor the bus station is in any state to handle an influx of supporters from across the continent. All this meant there was little by the way of surprise expressed when UEFA dropped Dnipropetrovsk as a host city and instead chose Kharkiv.

That city recently increased its chances of hosting at least two or more games at Euro 2012. 16 months ago Kharkiv had nothing that could really have caught the attention of UEFA, but in the spring of 2008, the owner of the city’s Premier League side, Metalist Kharkiv, decided to do whatever it took to win a host city spot, sensing Dnipropetrovsk troubles. Alexander Yaroslavsky directed the reconstruction of Metalist’s ground, investing millions. One of the most up to date features the Metalist Arena now boasts is round "anti-vandal" seats. These are impossible to rip apart.

Alongside the stadium reconstruction, Yaroslavsky purchased Kharkiv airport and completely rebuilt it. The transport hub has now been turned into a modernised portal, capable of dealing with the largest aircraft and accommodating thousands of visitors. The only thing left to build remains an extra runway. The Metalist owner continues to work hard on improving the training facilities across the city and the accommodation on offer. Indeed, Yaroslavsky can take a huge slice of the credit for Kharkiv pipping Dnipropetrovsk as a host city.

The 5th December became Kharkiv’s big day. As the new Metalist Stadium was officially opened, UEFA made the decisive move of presenting Yaroslavsky with an official certificate and the European football masters stated that the arena was "another great Ukrainian stadium that the visitors of Euro 2012 will love".

UEFA’s comments aroused fury in Dnipropetrovsk. The city was still pushing hard to be one of the hosts for Euro 2012 at the time, but alas it was to no avail.

After much fear over just how Ukraine would be ready to host Euro 2012 concerns are easing. The last big task to overcome appears to be the state of the roads, in particular the intercity highways. A stand-off of sorts is ensuing, as Ukrainian Football Federation president Hryhory Surkis believes that as the roads belong to the country this issue should be addressed by the government. However, with Ukraine having suffered badly from the worldwide economic downturn, with a contraction of 15%, it seems unlikely that the government will come riding to the rescue here.

The last 12 months have changed Ukrainians’ attitudes towards a successful Euro 2012. With just over two years left to go, it seems certain that come the kick-off of the tournament Ukraine will be prepared and looking better than ever.

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