POLAND: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Michel Platini congratulates Poland on hosting a successful Euro2012 championship

Record ID: 859888

  • Title: POLAND: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Michel Platini congratulates Poland on hosting a successful Euro2012 championship
  • Date: 14th February 2013
  • Summary: WARSAW, POLAND (FEBRUARY 14, 2013) (REUTERS) POLAND'S PRESIDENTIAL PALACE POLISH FLAG PRESIDENT OF THE POLISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, ZBIGNIEW BONIEK, POLISH PRESIDENT, BRONISLAW KOMOROWSKI AND UEFA PRESIDENT MICHEL PLATINI WALKING DOWN CORRIDOR TO NEWS CONFERENCE KOMOROWSKI, PLATINI AND BONIEK ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMEN (SOUNDBITE) (French) UEFA PRESIDENT MICHEL PLATINI SAYING: "It was an honour for European football Mr President, thank you." (off camera Polish translation) "What I say to the French authorities is be aware because the example set by Poland and Ukraine was great."
  • Embargoed: 1st March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Poland
  • City:
  • Country: Poland
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA2NC7D7RQFOUWH2Q4BNXOCV5N0
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  • Story Text: UEFA President Michel Platini returned to Warsaw on Thursday (February 14) seven months after the Euro 2012 football championships to thank Poland's President and the head of the Polish Football Association for a job well done.
    Poland and Ukraine jointly hosted the world's second largest international football tournament which saw, for the last time, 16 teams from around the continent fight it out to become champions.
    The next European Championship will be held in France in 2016 with an extra 8 teams featuring, taking the number up to 24.
    During a lively news conference Platini, Komorowski and the Frenchman's old Juventus team mate Zbigniew Boniek exchanged pleasantries with each other and gave a friendly warning to the next hosts of the tournament.

    "It was an honour for European football Mr President, thank you," Platini said before turning his attention to his fellow countrymen, "What I say to the French authorities is be aware because the example set by Poland and Ukraine was great."
    Platini went on to wish France well and say how much he had enjoyed the past summer's championships, with one host country having made his job a little easier than the other.

    "And I hope that you (the French) do an equally good job. That's what I wanted to say. In any case I spent three marvelous weeks in Poland and Ukraine. It was a bit complicated with Ukraine but in Poland was a lot easier." he remarked.
    At the end of the conference the top goal scorer of the 1984 tournament had a surprise for the Polish president whose nation's team failed to qualify from the 2012 group stages.

    "I have a small gift for you. Since you didn't manage to win it on the pitch I'll present it to you as a souvenir," said Platini as President Komorowski was presented with a small replica of the European Championship cup.
    UEFA voted in December 2012 to stage the Euro 2020 tournament in thirteen European cities across the continent in a bid to give some smaller countries a chance to host the championship.
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