Remember the old Mike Myers line from SNL "If it's not Scottish, it's crap?" Well, in the case of Euro 2012 it could be "If it's crap, it might become Scottish." Allow me to explain.
The co-hosts of Euro 2012, Poland and Ukraine, have been making less than impressive progress on infrastructure upgrades and stadium construction. UEFA boss Michel Platini and his crew will be heading to Eastern Europe sometime after Euro 2008, and if he doesn't like what he sees, there's a genuine chance the tournament could get moved.
Enter Scotland, whose officials have already been in touch with Platini about the possibilities of serving as Plan B. Despite their willingness to host, Scotland seems like a long shot. The country has four stadiums that meet international standards, but three of those four are in Glasgow. Organizers typically frown upon more than two stadiums being used in a single city for international tournaments. Scotland would have to get a lot of stadium upgrades done in a short time frame if they were to serve as hosts.
The more likely back-up plan? Plantini's home country of France hasn't hosted the Euros since 1984, and with the venues from the 1998 World Cup still in place, they could easily accommodate the tournament on short notice. Same goes for 2006 World Cup host Germany, which last hosted the Euros in 1988.
No comments:
Post a Comment