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Emotions stirred by draw |
| Theallineed.com |
UEFA General Secretary David Taylor reflected the enthusiasm and anticipation of millions of football fans when he spoke at the UEFA EURO 2008™ final-round draw in Lucerne, Switzerland, on Sunday.
Expect Emotions
"The official tournament motto is Expect Emotions, and this now really begins to have meaning," he told the audience. "For the organisers, our efforts will now intensify as the final preparations are made to stage this wonderful tournament.
UEFA congratulations
"Congratulations must go to the 14 teams who have qualified for the final round – and a special mention also to the national teams of the host nations Austria and Switzerland. On behalf of UEFA, I would like to thank the football associations of Austria and Switzerland, and their national and regional governments, and countless others who have worked hard to make [UEFA] EURO 2008™ a success.
Best on show
"At the end of the day, as any coach will tell you, football is about players, and we're going to see the very best next summer," he concluded.
Preparations on track
In an interview with uefa.com ahead of the draw, Mr Taylor said that preparations for the finals were on track. "We're very pleased with the co-operation we've had from the Austrian and Swiss football associations, communication is good. We can never be complacent about these things; these are major international events, very high profile and nobody is resting on their laurels. We've got a long way to go, but where we are now we are definitely on track".
Showpiece event
Mr Taylor said he was looking forward to savouring the atmosphere in Austria and Switzerland. "It will be a major showpiece event, and we are going to see that in terms of the presentations within the stadiums, we're going to see fan park concepts, we're going to see city promotions, we're going to have a welcoming fan-friendly festival of football. We're just hoping for good weather, and then everything can be perfect."
Co-host advantages
The UEFA General Secretary spoke of the advantages of two countries staging a EURO final round. "The advantage is that smaller countries can host a tournament of the magnitude of [UEFA] EURO 2008™," he explained. "Austria on its own, or Switzerland on its own, could not do that. That's the main benefit. It spreads the football message and the football development experience to more countries.
Great progress
"Of course, we then have to make sure that they both work in the same way, but Austria and Switzerland are great co-operators, and it has not been too difficult to make this work. In fact, with the support of the football associations, we have made great progress in all the areas we have had to work in."
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