LISBON, Sept 27: Hosting the 2004 European championships will cost Portugal about 5.0 billion euros ($4.87 billion), the head of the organizing body said.

Gilberto Madail said Portugal would be spending on hospitals, airports, rail connections, security and roads for the tournament’s estimated one million spectators. Portugal also is building or overhauling 10 stadiums.

“The package, everything that was forecast, would be a value of about five billion euros,” Madail, who also is the chairman of the Portuguese Soccer Federation, told reporters at a briefing.

He estimated that up to three million people could come to Portugal for the tournament when those accompanying spectators were included. Portugal is about the size of the U.S. state of Indiana and has about 10 million residents.

Hotels should be able to handle the crush of visitors since the three-week tournament finals will end on July 4, before the tourist season really gets going, Madail said.

“A lot of people who are going to spend their holidays in (neighbouring) Spain can come to Portugal,” he said.

Portugal would be able to control the entry of soccer hooligans since it was an “island” with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Spain on the other three, Madail said.—Reuters