Euro 2012 - Is it right that Poland and Ukraine are Hosting?

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Whiteside of Red said:
The awarding of tournaments isn't just about the quality of the teams - it's about investing in the infrastructure of the game.
Poland and Ukraine have both had to upgrade their stadiums and transport networks in order to host the tournament.
One of the reasons we suffer in hosting bids is that all this stuff is already in place.

The Pot 1 thing is to ensure that the host countries play their games at home and also give them a theoretically better chance of getting to the next round which is supposed to improve the tournament atmosphere.
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Poland managed to upgrade stadiums and infrastructure. Ukraine? Not so much...
 
I've got no problem with them hosting, it should be spread around.

I do think that the countries should be seeded more realistically though so that the groups can be more even. Theyy have already been put into Pots A and D (which is fair enough, they should be guaranteed to play their games in front of their home fans), but I don't see why they can't be put into those pots as Third of Fourth seeds within them instead of as top seed! Surely making sure they are in the right group is the only tweeking necessary?
 
Donkey Toon said:
I've got no problem with them hosting, it should be spread around.

I do think that the countries should be seeded more realistically though so that the groups can be more even. Theyy have already been put into Pots A and D (which is fair enough, they should be guaranteed to play their games in front of their home fans), but I don't see why they can't be put into those pots as Third of Fourth seeds within them instead of as top seed! Surely making sure they are in the right group is the only tweeking necessary?
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Agree with DT here (as usual!) But would add that I think it's a good idea to spread around where the tournaments are hosted otherwise you're at risk of making it an elitist type tournament with the same core countries qualifying and therefore the tournament being held in the same countries bar a few exceptions.

Giving the lesser developed countries and the smaller/lesser successful countries (in football terms) tournaments can only widen European interest in football which is surely good for the game as a whole.
 
I can't believe these almost medievil countries are hosting yet the Scotland/Ireland bid failed a few years ago. A celtic hosting would be amazing. I guess at the time we just weren't corrupt enough!!!
 
I don't think it's any worse than Austria and Switzerland to be honest. Austria had a dreadful squad when they hosted. Imo it's a good thing the hosting is being shared around. Imagine if it just rotated between England, France, Italy and Spain every year?
 
Ameobi's Apprentice said:
The only thing that really worries me greatly, is that Poland have a bad hooligan culture and racism is still prevalent there.
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Indeed but you could argue that football is a good way of helping to overcome these kinds of issues. There is no doubt that in hosting major sporting competitions, that the host country has to look closer at their policies which govern these kinds of things, and the way its enforced. It will also focus the government minds on clamping down on the hooligans/racism etc. For the fans themselves it is a good way to broaden their horizons too, although I'm sure many would argue that people holding these kinds of opinions are in a minority. Obviously I'm aware that the eastern block still has issues with racism and hooligans, I just don't feel you should ever use those things as a consderation of whether to take a tournament there. The only way to break down these outdated problems is to tackle them head on.

I think that although they have struggled to qualify down the years, they should still be allowed to host provided they can give the relevant guarantees on infrastructure. Big tournaments are excellent way of furthering the game in the countries you hold them in. If this goes some way to helping Poland and the Ukraine further develop the game in their country, I think that is great.
 
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