Zurich loses bid to be apart of Euro 2008

[Egan]

THE organisers of Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland dropped plans today to use a new football stadium in Zurich after a long-running battle with environmentalists in the Swiss city.

The move means that the organisers will be forced to use seven stadiums instead of the planned eight for the tournament in the two countries, the Swiss football federation (SFV) said in a statement.

"Both the organisers and UEFA are disappointed that - as the situation looks today - there will be no matches of UEFA Euro 2008 in Zurich."

No decision has been made on where the three group matches which were due to be played in Zurich will be held.

"We have taken note that the new Hardturm stadium in Zurich will not be ready on time but we remain fully confident the Local Organising Committee will run a successful tournament even though seven stadiums may be used instead of the eight initially planned," UEFA chief executive Lars-Christer Olsson said.

The SFV said it had not been able to guarantee the availability of a 30,000 seat stadium with the required transport and accommodation facilities in time because of the delays caused by opposition to planning permission.

An alternative offer by Zurich to redevelop and expand the Letzigrund athletics stadium by the summer of 2007 was regarded as "unrealistic".

Euro 2008 matches will now be played in three locations in Switzerland - Geneva, Bern and Basel - in stadiums that are either recently built or are almost completed.

The scheduled four venues in Austria are in Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Salzburg and the modernised 50,000 seat Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna, where the final is due to be held on June 29, 2008.