UEFA President Michel Platini arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday to formally thank the leadership of Ukraine and the country's football federation for the successful organization of the Euro 2012 European Football Championship.
“It was pleasure for me to come back here two months after this great
tournament. I came to officially thank Ukrainian President Viktor
Yanukovych and his team, FFU President Hryhoriy Surkis and his team,
[Euro 2012 Director] Martin Kallen and his team,” he told reporters
after meeting with Yanukovych in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Platini said that it was not convenient for him to express gratitude
after the final match of the tournament, which took place in Kyiv on
July 1.
The UEFA president said that he was receiving positive reviews on Euro 2012 in Ukraine and Poland from around the world.
“It was a beautiful Euro, [with] excellent players, goals, matches and referees,” he said.
Platini said that Ukraine faced difficulties over the period of its
preparations for Euro 2012 and that questions were raised about the
possibility of moving the championship to other countries, but after
assurances of the Ukrainian authorities and the FFU it was finally
decided to hold Euro 2012 in the planned format.
“And it was the right decision,” he said.
The UEFA president also gave Yanukovych a copy of the European cup
“as compensation” for the failure of the Ukrainian national team to win
the trophy.
