KIEV, Nov 1: Ukraine’s sports minister demanded an explanation from his Polish counterpart on Friday over comments by the country’s new FA president suggesting Poland could stage Euro 2012 alone or with the help of Germany.

Newly elected Polish Football Association (PZPN) President Grzegorz Lato said on Thursday that such a solution would be possible in the event that Ukraine was unable to co-host the tournament.

The former Poland international was named as president in an election called to avoid losing the right to stage the competition with Ukraine after the government suspended the PZPN board, triggering a row with FIFA.

“I have officially demanded an explanation from my colleague, the Polish minister of sports, for the statements that were made,” Sports Minister Yuri Pavlenko, quoted by UNIAN news agency, told a news conference.

He said it was not relevant whether the comments were off-the-cuff remarks or a prepared statement.

“Such comments should not be made. Poland and Ukraine are one team preparing for Euro 2012. Two states — one tournament.”

Both countries have been criticised by European football body UEFA for their slow preparations for the tournament, since winning the right to stage it last year.

UEFA President Michel Platini warned in September that if the two countries did not speed up preparation they risked losing the tournament.

UEFA said on Friday it had no comment to make regarding Lato’s statement or the Ukrainian sports minister’s response.

A German football association spokesman said the FA had received no request from UEFA to help stage the tournament and would therefore not be commenting on the matter.

In a more positive development in Ukraine, a new designer has been found to rebuild Kiev’s Olympic stadium, due to host the final, after months of legal rows and wrangling over the original winner of the tender.

A second stadium is now in doubt in the western city of Lviv after an Austrian firm pulled out, saying it could not complete the venue within budget constraints set by local authorities.

A senior official within the Ukrainian agency overseeing preparations said on Friday that the world financial crisis had brought a halt to 80 percent of projects in hotel construction.

He denied news reports on Thursday quoting him as saying that 80 per cent of construction projects in all fields were on hold.—Reuters