Russian officials today unveiled their bid to host the Euro 2012 Football tournament. They’ve left it so late to bid because of the traumatic experience of their 2008 bid:
"We didn’t want to make fools of ourselves by submitting an unprepared bid like we had the last time," outgoing Russian soccer chief Vyacheslav Koloskov told Reuters.
On the plus side of their bid, I guess, is that they seem to have reasonably advanced plans to build new stadiums and, with the amount of money currently being invested in Russian football, I’d say they probably will be built.
But, can UEFA seriously consider giving its showpiece tournament to a country whose sacked football federation chief has recently claimed that the Kremlin forced him out and that he feared for his life?
{ 9 comments }
Tim Newman 02.01.05 at 10:26 am
My guess is they’ll get Roman Abramovitch to run the show from his headquarters in Stamford Bridge.
Andy 02.01.05 at 11:16 am
If we’re lucky, they’ll hold the final there too…
Alexei 02.01.05 at 1:56 pm
Everyone should know — UEFA being no exception — that Koloskov is incompetent and corrupt and has made up the death threats to cover his rear. Suffice it to say that none else than Vyacheslav Fetisov — a much-respected former NHL star and Russia’s top sports official — called for his resignation. Koloskov should have gone years ago.
MosNews is a Web tabloid, nothing but.
Andy 02.01.05 at 5:03 pm
Most probably Koloskov’s remarks were, as you say, made to cover his rear.
The point I was trying to make is that I - and probably most in the UEFA committee - had no problem in believing that his claims *could* be true in Russia today. True or false, the very fact that he seriously thought it was worthmaking the claim says a great deal about the current climate in Russia - I simply can’t imagine the chief of the English, French, German, Greek, etc Football Associations hinting that they quit because of death threats.
UEFA would - rightly - be castigated for taking the tournament to Russia today.
Alexei 02.03.05 at 4:58 pm
How about Italy twenty years ago then? Or Mexico — didn’t it host a world championship in 1986? Koloskov’s statements may say something meaningful about the way corrupt soccer bosses feel in Russia, but UEFA’s concern should be the safety of the players and fans. In this respect, Russia is hardly inferior to Greece or England.
Andy 02.03.05 at 7:35 pm
I agree - fans would be pretty much as safe in Russia as they would in the UK or Greece, although I’d say that the increased risk of a terrorist attack on such a prestige event in Russia has to be considered.
But they key reason I believe Russia shouldn’t get Euro 2012 (or the Olympics for that matter) is that Russia today is sliding *away* from democracy and the rule of law. If Russia was consolidating its democracy, but still not fully there yet, that would be a different matter entirely.
To take a tournament of this magnatude to a country which is sliding towards authoritarianism sends out powerful signals. And Putin (or whoever leads Russia in 2012) would without doubt claim that winning such a tournament is a vindication of their policies.
Alexei 02.08.05 at 3:29 pm
You are suggesting that UEFA should place political concerns ahead of purely sports-related considerations. I’m not sure it should. Besides, I rather doubt that Russia is sliding away from the rule of law, even if it might have a problem with democracy.
Andy 02.08.05 at 10:02 pm
Yes, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting. I’m not sure that UEFA would take my advice, but that’s the advice I’d give.
As for the law, it is true that Russian law is much stronger in many ways than it was a decade ago. But I’d say it is weaker than it was two years ago, midway through Putin’s first term.
The Yukos affair, in my opinion, demonstrates that the law is there only as long as it is convenient to those in power. If they can find a way to achieve their aims legally, they will. But if they want something strongly enough, the law will not impede them.
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