Over 1.4 million people attended the 31 UEFA Euro 2012 matches in Poland and Ukraine, with a tournament average of 46,471. The largest single attendance was 64,640 at Kiev's Olympic Stadium for England-Sweden on June 15 (UEFA). In London, Matt Hughes writes, “The amount of football to be played during the next tournament in France will be almost double that we have witnessed in the past 3 1/2 weeks because of UEFA’s decision to increase the number of finalists from 16 to 24.” There is “widespread suspicion” UEFA has put “quantity ahead of quality in order to maximise the tournament’s ancillary benefits: broadcasting revenue, ticket sales, sponsorship and the political support from member associations that led to Michel Platini being re-elected UEFA president unopposed 15 months ago” (LONDON TIMES, 7/3). In Newark, Frank Giase wrote, “In soccer, bigger never seems to be better, unless by bigger you mean more profitable. And let’s face it, that’s what this is about. Increasing the number of games from 31 to 51 will be a huge windfall for UEFA.” While ’12 co-hosts Poland and Ukraine had to “construct a number of stadiums and improve infrastructure, money spent that was not recovered in many venues, France has everything in place, so the profit margin will be enormous” (NJ.com, 7/2).
DON’T GET COMFORTABLE: In London, Henry Winter notes Platini wants the tournament to be “scattered around 12 countries” beginning with the ’20 championship. Platini “argued the cost of hosting an expanding Euros was too prohibitive for most aspiring hosts.” Platini said, “We have talked about 12 or 13 host cities all over Europe because it could be 24 or 32 nations. We won’t need to build airports and stadiums especially at this moment in time when we have the economic crisis.” Platini: “It’s just an idea but it is an idea I really feel passionately about. The majority of the executive committee think it’s a good idea. We will have a great debate and we’ll see what the executive committee decide in January” (London TELEGRAPH, 7/1). In a separate piece, Winter wrote, “What most football people craved was status quo. Why change a winning formula?” Platini’s “vision is blurred.” Winter: “Off the pitch, Euro 2012 has probably been the most unexpectedly enjoyable ever. So why pollute a clear and beautiful stream?" Having a tournament in one or two nations “allows visitors to immerse themselves in the culture, to learn about the history and people” (London TELEGRAPH, 7/1).
