Barcleys Premiership: Fixtures

[James]

Wednesday, 18 April 2007

Blackburn v Watford, 20:00
Liverpool v Middlesbro', 20:00
West Ham v Chelsea, 20:00

[James]

The decision over who will host the 2012 European Championship finals will be announced on Wednesday at 1030 BST.
Italy are favourites to win the Uefa vote in Cardiff, but they are up against two joint bids - from Hungary and Croatia, plus Poland and Ukraine.

The recent problems with violence at matches in Italy looked to have dented their chances of hosting the finals.

But Luca Pancalli, the extraordinary commissioner for the Italian Football Federation, said: "I am optimistic."

All professional and amateur football was suspended in Italy in February after a policeman was killed at a Serie A match between Catania and Palermo.

There was also violence during Manchester United's Champions League quarter-final at Roma's Stadio Olimpico.

But Pancalli is confident that measures to prevent more trouble are now in place.

Italy is a football powerhouse but I hope this race will be won by the candidate with the best bid."

Hungary's Euro 2012 project manager Tamas Gyarfas

Stewards will take charge of security inside stadiums and leave police in control of fans outside.

"Paradoxically, I would have had many more doubts if what has happened had not taken place," added Pancalli.

"We have never doubted. Firstly, because violence is not a problem inherent only in Italian football. There have been problems elsewhere.

"Added to that, the political classes, the Olympic Committee (Coni) and the federation have responded seriously and quickly, like never before."

Poland and Ukraine's bid has also been hit by problems - with Ukraine in the midst of a political crisis and Poland's football authorities recovering from a corruption scandal.

"The events in Kiev certainly don't help us but there's no need to panic. Ukraine will have democratic elections and the situation will become stable again," said Poland's Sports Minister Tomasz Lipiec.

"The fact that we have launched an anti-corruption campaign can only work in our favour.

"You can also talk about unstable governments in Italy, as well as corruption in football. Plus they have a hooligan problem.

"Hungary also has political stability issues, while there's a problem with stadium security in Croatia."

And Hungary and Croatia remain confident about their chances.

"I am certain we will win the right to host," said president of the Croatian Football Association Vlatko Markoviction.

"I was there at the previous presentations of bids and we fared the best. While we arrived with one thousand pages of material, others only had a thin booklet to show."

Hungary's Euro 2012 project manager Tamas Gyarfas added: "Italy is a football powerhouse, they are world champions, but I hope this race will be won by the candidate with the best bid."