| Current press events 2007 |
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 Current press events
e.g. the hand-book of preparations to Euro 2012
Source: A mix from Polish and foreign press
The quotation “Euro 2012” comes from the press and is not used as a trade mark being the property of UEFA April 2007
It was on Wednesday, April 18th, in Cardiff, Wales, when Michel Platini - a well known footballer once and now freshly appointed UEFA President – slowly opened the envelope, waited for a while and read: Le Pologne …Wild scream drowned out everything around. Poles and Ukrainians sprang up from their seats and started dancing … And that is how it all began! A buy-out of domains connected with the European Football Cup beats all popularity records. Even 300 of them can be created eventually (as it was in the previous championships). The one you are looking at right now has been waiting for this sunny spring day since winter 2006 (just as it has the splendid idea of the Baltic Arena in Gdańsk). After the first euphoria, first calculations concerning organizational matters are being made in Poland – shall we manage on time? Possibly in a “Greek option” – right in the nick of time. The possible dates of the beginning and ending of the European Cup are announced – June 9th and July 1st 2012. Land prices begin growing in the cities organizing the European Cup. The “Barcelona effect” – a phenomenon which Poland and Ukraina are going to meet after 2012. The clue of this effect is the incredibly enlarged number of tourists following the promotion connected with the organization of a great event. The effect was recognized for the first time after the Olympics in Barcelona in 1992 and it was confirmed during the European Cup in Portugal and the World Cup in Germany. In this match tourist branch is the one who wins for sure – it can be taken for granted! Chairman of the Polish Football Association (PZPN), Michał Listkiewicz, in the interview for “Gazeta Wyborcza” revealed that as early as in 2003 Hryhorij Surkis, Chairman of the Ukrainian Football Association (UFA), suggested organizing the championships together. For Listkiewicz it sounded completely unrealistic then, but… Surkis did not resign, Listkiewicz did not withdraw and eventually – it happened! May 2007
In April Gdansk took the fourth place among Polish airports after servicing 124,000 passengers a month. In 2012, the year of the championships, the possible number of passengers is estimated for up to 20,000 a day! Building of the second terminal is already being planned. It has been revealed recently that the highway from Kiev to Odessa (600 km !!!) which was built some years ago has only one layer of asphalt, although two had been planned. Nobody knows where the money for this other one had gone. The richest Ukrainians are fanatic football fans, presidents of soccer clubs, frequently even their owners. In Dniepropetrovsk and Donieck new stadiums are already being built with the use of private money. Local authorities will give the money for the reconstruction of the stadiums in Kiev and Lvov. Despite this, mayor of Kiev and a millionaire, Leonid Czerniowiecki declares that he will add another 200 million euro if there is a need. Eh, that famous Slavic heart and soul … It is already the second month when huge amounts of PLN have been enumerated which will be necessary for sports objects and infrastructure that will enable organizing EURO 2012. As it seems, we haven’t been spending too much on sport and roads so far… Now we can show what we are really worth! In “Gazeta Wyborcza” Leo Beenhakker declares that he wouldn’t let his dog in some of Polish stadiums fearing that it would sprain its paw! That is not a malicious joke but stating the sad truth about the condition of our sport objects. Head of TVP in Bydgoszcz becomes chief of the Euro Organizational Headquarters (not to be mistaken for the Committee including mostly politicians). June 2007
Italians still curse Poland and Ukraine for the lost race to the Euro 2012.Germans are willing to help us in the organization of the event. Polish developers are dreaming their day-dream! On average 10,000 sleeping places are missing in each city going to take part in EURO 2012! This is going to be a life business! We are also lacking highways and even good transport ways from airports to hotels. Airports and public transport is another complicated area to think about, but who would care about it now?! A specific Polish institution aimed to give help in big strategic investments is called Public and Private Partnership (PPP). It is supposed to act successfully in order to promote development and cooperation of different parts of the investment market. Unfortunately, not many people even in Poland are able to understand the intricate nature of PPP. Even fewer can see any positive aspects of its existence. 515 years after Columbus’s discovery of America, the American Trade Chamber “discovered” Poland! According to its report concerning preparations to EURO 2012, in Poland it takes three times longer than in other European countries to prepare building a road. The Lvov region is planning to engage huge investments of about 3 billion dollars in EURO 2012. They also hope to receive know-how support from Japanese who are expected to share their experiences from the World Cup 2002. Over 60 Polish towns and cities would like to host footballers taking part in the European Cup. PZPN will create a list of about 30 places where players will stay and train. Within half a year before the championships national teams will be allowed to chose a place for themselves from the official UEFA list. Formal requirements for hotels are as follows: four-star standard, at least 60 rooms, possibility of exclusive reservation, infrastructure of a modern hotel (e.g. a conference hall, fitness room, etc.). Requirements for a training centre: full-sized football pitch (105m x 68m), a hotel within 20 minutes drive from the centre, two training fields including one with artificial grass, infrastructure of a modern sports centre (at least 100 m² changing rooms, a conference hall, etc.) July 2007
Polish General Management of Roads and Highways announced that during the years 2008 to 2013, 960 kilometres of highways and 2700 km of express roads will be built and 4000 km of state roads will be modernized. In order to do this, 1% of GNP should be given every year for this aim while the government plans to give the mere 0.3%. The Presidents of Poland and Ukraine created the Council for Coordinating the European Cup 2012 Organization. A database of fans with special cards is being formed at the Polish Ministry of the Interior. The cards will enable their owners to apply for the tickets for EURO 1012. An agreement between Polish and Ukrainian employers concerning EURO 2012 was signed. A coalition between the Polish Employers’ Confederation and the Union of Industrialists and Businessmen of Ukraine was established. Warsaw has the visualization of the National Stadium prepared by the APA Kuryłowicz & Associates studio. That is not such a little thing keeping in mind that only three months before we were completely taken by surprise by the decision of the EURO organizing. It will take about 1.5 year to prepare the project documents and the building of the stadium itself will last for about 2.5 years. Another few months will be taken for the necessary tender procedures. According to UEFA, the stadium should be completed in 2010… (Somebody has problems with counting, don’t they?) Only 25% out of 174 schools in Gdansk have a football pitch nearby. Thinking about sleeping places for the EURO fans – Gdynia has the largest marina in Poland. About 250 little yachts can be moored here at one time. There are plans to enlarge the port so as it can host up to 500 boats at the same time. Thus, sailors could come to EURO 2012, watch the match or matches, take a nap on their boat and … sail away. Gdansk also has a marina, although a smaller one. Maybe, if it were extended, it could help solve the accommodation problems a bit?... There is plenty of water in Gdansk. But what about the money? This subject arises no matter what you start thinking about! August 2007
The building of the stadium has started! … in the virtual world of The Second Life computer game. The whole-nation discussion is currently taking place concerning what we have done and what we have not so far. The result of this match seems not very satisfactory. Competitors and coaches are getting ready to attack. Decisions about at which goal to shoot are being made, there are different options but still we are sure to win the game! According to FIFA, Polish soccer team holds the 21st place in the world. From the marketing point of view it sounds like a miracle. Why? The average number of spectators in the league matches during the soccer season in Poland is 5,800, while say in Germany – 38,000. The only exceptions are the stadiums of Lech Poznan, Wisla Krakow and Legia Warszawa. As soon as we have stadiums for more than 40,000 fans, we will take our wife, children, mother-in-law, all the closer and further friends and relatives… and there will be still plenty of room on the grandstands. Splendid times are about to come… The first worth-noting business success of a Polish firm on EURO 2012 arenas: a private company “Green Architecture” has won tender procedures for planting grass on the pitch in Donieck (Ukraine). The owner of the stadium, millionaire Renat Achmetow, is going to pay for it 2 million dollars. In about a year and a half the first games will be played on the green. The grass will be trimmed at 3 cm (+/- 0.5 cm) and will have a warming system for autumn and spring. September 2007
A special legislation concerning preparing for the European football championship EURO 2012 was signed. It includes such points as: the list of things to do, sources of financial support, purpose-oriented companies, shorter deadlines for different items and simplified tender procedures. Gdansk is looking for a consulting company whose task will be to prepare the feasibility study, a report of the influence on the natural environment and the holistic functional and usage program for the Baltic Arena. These are the things one cannot do without in any kind of a business enterprise. Wroclaw already has such a consulting company – it’s Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. The Program of National Roads Building for the years 2008-2012 was accepted by the Government. 121 billion of PLN will be invested in building roads and highways. On average it gives over 24 billion a year. The main priorities are: Highways: A1 (Gdansk – Gorzyczki), A2 (Swiecko – Warszawa), A4 (Zgorzelec – Korczowa) Express roads, especially those connected with the Baltic Arena, e.g. S-5 (Nowe Marzy – Gniezno – Poznan), S-7 (Gdansk – Krakow). According to this plan, 620 km of highways, 1,973 km of express roads and 58 city bypasses are going to have been built by the year 2012. October 2007
A purpose-oriented company, National Sports Centre Ltd. was created in Warsaw. It will take care especially of the National Stadium building. A contest for the design of the Wroclaw stadium was settled. The winner project is prepared by a German firm J.S.K. The stadium will have the sitting capacity of 44,000 people, the estimated cost is about 466 million PLN. The building should set off in the middle of 2008 and should be completed within 2.5 years. A National Treasury Partnership “PL 2012” was created by the Minister of Sports. Its aim is to coordinate preparatory works for EURO 2012 and to organize the whole event. According to the Government, four main stadiums and two “standby” ones will be the main enterprises of EURO 2012. It has been declared that Gdansk is going to spend 3.5 billion PLN for EURO 2012. The cost of the Baltic Arena – 660 m PLN gives a mere 15,000 PLN for one seat. Polish Club of Sports Investments and Union of Polish Cities organized the first Congress of Sports Infrastructure. A well worth praising business initiative! A purpose-oriented firm – the Office of Investment Euro Gdansk 2012 Ltd. was established in Gdansk. It will deal especially with the building of the Baltic Arena. November 2007
Highways are a mere 0.15% of all Polish roads. The problem is that most of “normal” Polish roads are not much worthy either… It is said that in 2009 we will have new roads - 1,072 – meters? kilometers?... nobody knows. We will not mention the percentage of highways in Western Europe – November is lousy enough without that… In Warsaw they are still thinking deeply over the choice of a firm whose task will be to design the National Stadium. When the choice is done, everything will go fast and easy! The project designing will take maximum 7 months. Then – tender procedures for the whole work – another 6 months. The building itself will take maximum 2.5 years and … the stadium is ready! No breaks or delays are assumed, of course. On the contrary, in Donieck a Turkish building company is working literally day and night all the week round on the new stadium! The stadium will cost 250 m dollars and will be ready in 2008. December 2007
A formal deal between J.S.K. and the City Council was signed in Wroclaw for the whole work connected with designing and fully monitoring the investment of the stadium building. According to this deal, the building will start in autumn 2008 and will last for about 2.5 years. A building project for the Lvov stadium was already made. A project of rebuilding the Olympic Stadium in Kiev is ready. The sitting capacity of 70,000 spectators is planned. A stadium for about 50,000 people is being built in Donieck. It is going to be one of the most modern objects of that kind in Europe. The stadium in Dniepropetrovsk has already achieved its crude shape. It is supposed to be finally completed in summer 2008. About 35,000 of fans will be able to get on this stadium. Franz Beckenbauer expressed his will to help Poland and Ukraine organize EURO 2012. This former football champion and a former chairman of the European Cup Committee in 2006 was one of the main authors of the organizational success of EURO 2006 in Germany. There are plans to launch in 2008 a large project called “2012 Football Pitches for EURO 2012”. Only in 2008 300 new football fields will be built in Poland. They are supposed to be modern little sports centres that will include a football field (60m x 30m, with artificial grass) and a multifunctional playing field for basketball and volleyball. Additionally – changing rooms, showers, a room for the coach. |