AUSTRALIA: SOCCER / FOOTBALL - Mayors of Austrian Euro 2008 cities sign host charter

The signing of the charter by the mayors of Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg and Klagenfurt was marked by a ceremony featuring an ice show in front of Vienna's historic town hall and fireworks. Austria has qualified for the finals of the Europe's soccer championship for the first time, although only because it is co-hosting the event with Switzerland, not due to recent performances on the pitch. No matter how they fare on the field, Austria is well advanced in organisation for the three-week soccer frenzy, which kicks off in the Swiss city of Basle on June 7, 2008, and ends with the final in Vienna on June 29. Austrian Soccer association President Friedrich Stickler told a news conference in Vienna that the stadiums would be finished this summer. "The progress in building of the stadiums is as we expected it, so we will have our stadiums ready almost a year ahead of the European Championship," said Stickler. Chief Operating Officer for Euro 2008 Martin Kallen told reporters that preparations were at an advanced stage. "This is the first time that we are so early in most of the activities. In the last four Euro's we were not on the same level 500 days before the first match," he said. As in Germany which hosted the 2006 World Cup, public viewing will be a big part of the tournament. In Vienna, a major boulevard will be blocked in the city centre to allow 100,000 or more fans to gather and watch matches on giant outdoor screens. The European soccer body UEFA is expected to present details of public viewing concepts within the next days.

ITN Source | January 26, 2007

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