SWITZERLAND: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - UEFA president Michel Platini visits Bern and Zurich stadiums

Record ID: 1530283

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - UEFA president Michel Platini visits Bern and Zurich stadiums
  • Date: 6th October 2007
  • Summary: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (OCTOBER 5, 2007) (REUTERS) PAN OF THE ZURICH "LETZIGRUND" STADIUM PAN FROM PHTOGRAPHERS TO PLATINI STANDING WITH ZURICH'S MAYOR ELMAR LEDERGERBER ZOOM OUT FROM A EURO 2008 BALL TO ZURICH'S MAYOR ELMAR LEDERGERBER AND PLATINI PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (French) UEFA PRESIDENT MICHEL PLATINI SAYING: "It's modern, it's new, it was just built, an... (LAUGHS AND JOKES WITH ZURICH MAYOR ELMAR LEDERGERBER) the wood here is new, it's a really beautiful stadium." (SOUNDBITE) (French) ZURICH'S MAYOR ELMAR LEDERGERBER SAYING: "For Euro maybe it's too small, but usually here in Zurich we're happy when we have 20,000 spectators so 30,000 will be an excellent average." PHOTOGRAPHERS PLATINI AND LEDERGERBER LEAVING THE STADIUM
  • Embargoed: 21st October 2007 02:05
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Switzerland
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVAC28L2SHSJK5U1GNHPUS0UJV6C
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Michel Platini, president of the European soccer governing body UEFA, visited Bern and Zurich stadiums on Friday (October 5), ending a two-day tour of the Swiss stadiums due to stage first round Euro 2008 matches.
    Bern's Wankdorf stadium and Zurich's Letzigrund stadium are both 30,000 seat venues and will host three matches each.
    Platini described both stadiums as being in good shape, nevertheless mentioning the artificial pitch in Bern was to be changed to grass before the beginning of the competition.
    "That will change. Artificial pitches are not allowed for final competitions of the UEFA," Platini added.
    Asked whether the small capacity of the stadiums for an event like Euro 2008 was a problem, Zurich's mayor Elmar Ledergerber admitted it might be too small for Euro 2008 although Zurich looked forward to seeing it full.
    "For Euro maybe it's too small, but usually here in Zurich we're happy when we have 20,000 spectators so 30,000 will be an excellent average", Ledergerber said.
    Switzerland's biggest stadium - Basel's St-Jakob-Park - is a 40,000 seat stadium and will stage six matches, including the Euro 2008 opening game.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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