Vienna - UEFA president Michel Platini cut a relaxed figure at
his last Euro 2008 press conference in Vienna ahead of Sunday's final
between Germany and Spain.
He covered a host of issues on Saturday, not least the problems surrounding the next event in Poland an Ukraine in 2012.
Platini said Saturday that while a UEFA delegation would visit both
countries next week, a decision on their capability to co-host the
event would be made at UEFA's next Executive committee meeting in
September in Bordeaux.
"We will do everything we can to ensure Poland and Ukraine host it and there is no backup plan," he said.
"The only reason for us to decide not to have the tournament in
Poland and Ukraine would be if there were no stadiums in the two
capitals."
A decision on whether to increase the numbers of teams
participating in the Euro 2016 finals from 16 to 20 or even 24 - as
first requested by Scotland and Ireland - would also be made by a vote
of the national federations in Bordeaux, he revealed.
"The question today is whether in technical terms, teams like
England, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, Scotland, Ukraine and Bulgaria have
got the technical ability to enhance the Euro. I believe that yes they
would.
"I'm not worried about it affecting the quality of the tournament.
I won it (as a player with France in 1984) when there were eight teams.
I'm not sure whether the quality was better then than it is now with 16
teams."
Platini said the feedback for the current Euro had been "very
positive" and singled out the host countries Austria and Switzerland,
the players and fans for praise.
"The host cities and countries have been outstanding," said the 53-year-old.
"You have before you a happy president, a very pleased president, because the atmosphere here has been wonderful."
Platini also revealed that he had invited former Spain goalkeeper
Luis Arconada, who the Frenchman scored against in his side's 2-0 win
in the 1984 European Championship final to Sunday's decider at the
Ernst Happel stadium in Vienna.
"I took it away from the Spanish 20 years ago but I might be giving it back to them on Sunday night," he said. (dpa)
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