You're reading: About 3/4 polled Ukrainians believe Ukraine hosted Euro 2012 well

Seventy-three percent of Ukrainians say the country hosted the Euro 212 European football championship well, according to results of a nationwide public opinion survey conducted by Research & Branding Group. 

According to the results of the survey, which were announced by the company’s head, Yevhen Kopatko, on Monday at a press conference hosted by Interfax-Ukraine, 12% believe that Ukraine was not able to properly host Euro 2012, while 16% found it difficult to answer this question.

Some 64% of Ukrainians have positive impressions of the football championship, 10% – in general negative impressions, and 26% of respondents found it difficult to answer.

As Kopatko reported, 65% of respondents believe that the holding of Euro 2012 had more positive sides, 11% of polled said that the event had more disadvantages, and 24% were undecided. Meanwhile, the most positive response to the tournament was received from the residents of Western Ukraine, while people in the center and south-east of the country were less optimistic.

Twenty percent of respondents believe that the positive side from the Euro 2012 in Ukraine is, above all, “recognition of the country’s image and prestige by Europe”, 5% see it in the development of tourism, and the same number of polled – in increasing the population’s income, economic profit and investment. Four percent emphasized hospitality and goodwill as a positive side of the championship, another 4% – in the most successful organization of the championship and the implementation of commitments to the UEFA, and an equal number in improving the road infrastructure, while 3% saw advantages in the construction of stadiums and sports development. At the same time 17% of Ukrainians saw positives in some other feature, 13% did not see any positives from Euro 2012, while 38% found it difficult to say.

At the same time, 44% of respondents believe that Ukraine’s football team played at Euro 2012 as well as it could, 11% believe that the team of Oleh Blokhin did better than expected, 19% below its capacity, 26% were undecided.

Moreover, 66% of Ukrainians believe that the organization of Euro 2012 has shown the ability of country to put on large-scale sporting events, 26% were not sure, and 8% do not think so. Some 65% of respondents believe that the European football championship has improved the international image of Ukraine, and 27% are not sure, and 8% disagree.

According to the poll, 51% of respondents expect that after Euro 2012, the country will significantly increase its inflow of foreign tourists, 36% were not sure and 13% in general do not agree.

Sixty percent of Ukrainians believe that calls to boycott the Euro 2012 made in several countries in Europe did not achieve their goal, 15% think they acheived their goal, and 25% could not answer.

“It’s more of an emotional evaluation of people of a past event. For the country these are extremely positive results. And there are authorities to decide how to make use of them,” said Kopatko.

The survey was conducted from June 26 to July 12, 2012 via personal interviews in all regions of Ukraine. Respondents were selected by a quota sample representing the adult population by place of residence (region), gender and age. The volume of sample was 3,101 persons. The poll’s margin of error is 2%.