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| November 30, 2003 | Sunday | Shawwal 5, 1424 |
Outstanding Euro 2004: UEFA chief
LISBON, Nov 29: The presence of all eight former champions coupled with smooth progress on the organisational front should make for an outstanding Euro 2004, UEFA chief executive Gerhard Aigner said on Saturday.
“I’m very satisfied with the progress,” Aigner said on the eve of Sunday’s draw for the finals in Lisbon next year.
“Looking ahead to the competition, with all the former winners in the draw, we will have a marvellous tournament.”
Holders France, who won the tournament for the second time three years ago, are joined in Sunday’s draw by three-times winners Germany and former champions Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Russia, the Czech Republic and Spain.
The other teams in the draw are Bulgaria, Croatia, England, Greece, Latvia, Sweden, Switzerland and hosts Portugal.
The finals will be played in imposing new or renovated stadiums in Oporto, Faro, Leiria, Aveiro, Coimbra, Guimaraes, Braga and Lisbon between June 12 and July 4.
Aigner, who steps down from his post at the end of the year, said tournament organisers had risen to a tough challenge in ensuring Portugal would be ready to host the finals and said that the tournament would provide a legacy for the country as a whole.
“It’s four years since the Portugal bid was accepted by the executive committee,” Aigner said. “I was aware that this was a great challenge for us, for the Portuguese Football Association and for the country.
“We were right to put our trust in the Portuguese candidature. Today we can see that our colleagues from the Portuguese Football Association have been totally up to standard.
“I’m sure this event will be extremely beneficial for Portuguese football and for the country. The infrastructure will bring an uplift to Portuguese football over years to come.”—Reuters
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