You're reading: Lubkivsky: Lviv not to be deprived of right to host Euro 2012 matches

Kharkiv, May 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – UEFA will not deprive Lviv of the right to host matches of the Euro 2012 European Football Championship because of the clashes seen during the celebration of Victory Day on May 9, Euro 2012 Tournament Director for Ukraine Markiyan Lubkivsky has said.

"I would not like the Communist Party (CPU) to [decide] which cities are worthy to host the Euro 2012 and which are not. The CPU is not an institution that can choose the format of the tournament.

The only structure that decides on the format is UEFA. The UEFA agenda currently does not include the issue of a format change [for the tournament]," Lubkivsky said at a press conference in Kharkiv on Tuesday, commenting on the CPU statement that Lviv could be deprived of the right to host the Euro 2012 matches.

In addition, the Euro 2012 tournament director said that currently on other city in Ukraine is ready to host the tournament at the same level as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, and Donetsk.

"Neither Dnipropetrovsk nor Odesa at present are ready [to host Euro 2012], and they will not be able in a year to prepare for hosting the tournament."

At the same time, Lubkivsky noted that the May 9 events in Lviv were considered and analyzed by UEFA, as the union "thoroughly monitored the problems of security on the territory of Euro 2012."

Numerous clashes and fights took place on the Victory Day in Lviv.

In particular, at the Hill of Glory a group of young people broke through a police cordon and attempted to prevent the unfurling of the red flag.

A total of 14 people were injured from the clashes on May 9.

Nine people were detained for disorderly conduct.

A criminal case was also opened on a shooting in which a member of the Svoboda Association was wounded in the leg.