Hoping nothing kicks off as Euro 2012 kicks off

EURO 2012:Uefa have taken a risk on the hosts and will pray the beautiful game claims all the headlines

FEW OF those who made it along to see the opening game of Euro 2004 would have dreamt as they left the Dragao Stadium in Porto they had just witnessed the opening chapter of one of the game’s great fairytales. Greece beat the host nation that day, and then did it again in Lisbon three weeks later to complete one of the most unlikely successes in the history of European football.

This evening in Warsaw, where this year’s event kicks off, they will attempt to start repeating the trick, when they play Poland.

Fellow underdogs, including the Republic of Ireland, will take inspiration from what was achieved eight years ago. Some semblance of order was restored four years ago when Spain beat Germany in the final and only Russia came close to springing a major surprise.

This time around Dick Advocaat’s team are viewed as one of the stronger outside bets but few neutrals would object to the Spanish becoming the first nation to win three consecutive major international titles.

For Uefa president Michel Platini and the two host nations the quality of the football produced over the next few weeks will be only one part of the story, and there will be apprehension about whether the event will end up being judged a success.

Giving the finals to Poland and, in particular, Ukraine was always a risk and Uefa have already lost some of what they had staked on the hosts with the controversy over former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s imprisonment in Ukraine prompting a boycott of games there by leading European politicians that has caused significant embarrassment to the organisation and its leadership.

Hugely inflated hotel prices or simple lack of availability combined with concerns over possible violence has, meanwhile, deterred many ordinary fans from travelling to games in the country with tickets still available for many of the matches there.

It is a major blow to the government of a financially stricken nation that has spent €5 billion on stadiums and infrastructural projects, mainly in the area of transport.

As much again has been invested by the country’s private sector and cheques for roughly twice that total have been written in Poland which is at least on course to emerge afterwards with a lot of international goodwill.

Much, though, will depend on whether the tournament is marred by significant instances of violence. Senior politicians and public figures in both countries have described reports like the one broadcast by the BBC last week into football and race related trouble in the two countries as greatly exaggerated, but there is fairly glaring evidence of problems.

In Ukraine, there have been high-profile attacks on ethnic minorities, while Poland’s cup final last year descended into mayhem as hooligans went on the rampage. Events in Krakow yesterday, when black Dutch players claimed they were subjected to monkey chants, do not bode well.

Some governments have, as a result, recommended caution to those travelling, especially members of their African or Asian communities.

Anti-Semitism is widely said to be a problem in both countries too, even if Poland’s Chief Rabbi, Michael Schudrich, has suggested the difficulties have been overstated. And Joe Palmer, a Londoner who is a director of Ukraine club Shakhtar Donetsk, told a newspaper he finds his adopted city “incredibly safe”.

Certainly the welcome received by the Irish here in and around Gdansk has been extremely warm. There is a huge sense of excitement and anticipation about the tournament.

The importance of continued local involvement means the hosts are likely to have a fairly international following for the next week or so as well.

Look much beyond that and it is difficult to see them, or us, still being involved but all are entitled to dream and Greece’s success is a healthy reminder of how they dreams do sometimes come true.

The progress made by Joachim Löw’s young German side in the two years since they were well beaten by the eventual champions in a World Cup semi-final has generated huge expectation back at home, though, while the Dutch will look to tweak a formula that got them to the final in South Africa and France will arrive hopeful of being serious contenders again.

Not for nothing are Vicente Del Bosque’s men favourites to successfully defend their title but Barcelona’s disappointments during the season just finished are an indication of the way in which even the greatest of teams can ultimately come up short.

England, rated so highly by many before their terrible World Cup campaign, arrive this time almost entirely unburdened by expectation and, who knows, perhaps that will be the break they need, although the chaos that has characterised most of their build up would make that too some story.

The prize is, it appears, Spain’s to lose but, regardless of what team actually triumphs, if this tournament produces anything like the football we were treated to during the one they won and half the atmosphere locally that visitors to Portugal enjoyed the time before that, then there will be little cause for complaint come July 1st.