Can Ukraine upgrade in time?

Hosting the world’s second largest football tournament is a huge responsibility. Failing to be ready in time for Euro 2012 would be a major blow to Ukraine’s development

When addressing a UEFA Executive Committee meeting in September 2008, UEFA president Michel Platini had some damning words for the infrastructure preparations in Ukraine – and those of co-host Poland – ahead of the 2012 European Football Championships.

Donetsk is developing its infrastructure to European standards

In his speech, Platini noted that back in January 2008: “The national bodies overseeing the project erred because of a lack of experience and rigour, and the development of necessary infrastructures was practically at a standstill.”

Such words instantly bring to mind the chaos in Athens, Greece, in the lead up to the 2004 Olympic Games, when the Greeks failed to keep to agreed time scales on several projects provoking an enormous last-minute effort. Could Ukraine be heading down a similar slippery slope of disorganisation and complacency?

It’s all to play for
Platini did have some words of cheer for the Ukrainians. His team of experts visited the country this summer to assess developments. The UEFA report prompted the president to announce that: “Progress has been achieved in the last six months at an organisational level and in the advancement of the infrastructure elements,” before, rather ominously, adding, “although progress is neither uniform nor constant”.

So, despite the reaffirmation from UEFA that they intend to hold the tournament in Ukraine, the country is not out of the woods yet. Platini has set a number of targets to be achieved, and he wants to see rapid results – otherwise Ukraine could still lose the right to stage the event, as could Poland. Or even both countries. In Ukraine, completion of the Olimpiysky National Sports Complex (Olympic Stadium) in Kiev is one of the most crucial issues.

In short, Ukraine needs to speed up. Euro 2012 will bring a predicted USD 7.7bn to the Ukrainian economy and give the country a chance to showcase itself to the rest of Europe and the world. As an emerging nation that is aspiring to become a full member of the European Union, they can't afford to lose this chance.

Four cities will play host to matches during the tournament – Kiev, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Lviv. Each will host three group games, with Kiev and Donetsk also hosting quarter-finals, a semi-final (Donetsk) and the final (Kiev). The cities of Kharkiv and Odessa wait in the wings should one of the other cities be deemed unsuitable to play host.

Host City spoke to the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU) regarding Platini's comments and the pressures they now face. Head of the FFU's information policy department, Serhiy Vasylyev told us that: “The federation is making every endeavour to coordinate the work involved in the preparation of Euro 2012,” but stressed that the responsibility lay with the host cities themselves in regard to hitting UEFA's targets. “Mr Platini has set them tasks to be achieved. We are monitoring the situation, but we can only follow UEFA.”

So what do Ukraine's hosting cities need to do to prepare their infrastructure? There is plenty of work ahead in the key areas of transport, traffic and accommodation.

Transport transformation
Kiev planned to revamp its transport systems regardless of whether they were awarded Euro 2012. A new terminal at Borispol Airport is at the centre of the work, at a cost of EUR 185m, which will increase the airport's throughput capacity almost twofold. Temporary Passenger Terminals (TPT) are the proposed solution for dealing with the number of passengers wanting to travel between Ukraine and Poland during the event. A new subway line will link the airport with the city centre, shortening journey times. A major USD 384m effort to improve public roads and an additional USD 384m plan to build two new bridges over the Dnieper river will keep Kiev busy between now and 2012.

Dnipropetrovsk is spending USD 858m on an overhaul of its transport system, featuring new roads, a new railway station, a renovated airport, new underground lines and additional bus lines. Donetsk is also modernising, notably its pedestrian subways and the quality of transport services on offer. In Lviv, modernisation plans are tempered by the city's listing on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Nonetheless it is still spending several hundred million euros on improvement of the road system, new bus lines, and improved connections to motorways. With regards to rail links, the country is investing in electrification of railways on a national scale, fast passenger trains and the purchase of new rolling stock.

Managing mass traffic
The big traffic concerns are that there won't be enough spaces in city centres, as well as inadequate methods for dealing with cars that violate parking laws. Kiev authorities do not envisage major problems, but they must get it right as these are the sort of glitches that will remain indelibly printed in visitors' memories if conditions are not optimal.

Dnipropetrovsk will tackle jams on its main boulevard by restricting access to the city centre for private cars, thus increasing the number of parking spaces, aiding traffic management and encouraging the use of public transport. Donetsk and Lviv should not encounter any notable traffic problems.

Extending hospitality
Kiev's accommodation resources will be stretched by the volume of visitors during the tournament, and so they will resort to some creative measures to cope with demand: 25,000 youth hostel rooms will be available; 5,000 people will camp on Trukhanov Island in the middle of the Dnieper river; floating hotels on boats will provide 900 rooms; and another 5,000 will stay at private lodgings.

Dnipropetrovsk will make use of dormitories owned by state institutions, universities and academies – boosting its capacity by 11,205 beds. To a lesser extent, Donetsk will follow suit, although some people may not be happy at having to stay up to 75km away from the stadium. Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk did not meet UEFA's accommodation standards at bid submission time, and this needs to be addressed. Lviv has a sleeping capacity of at least 30,000.

A chance not to be missed
And so with three-and-a-half years to go, and with UEFA yet to see convincing evidence from many of the above mentioned infrastructure developments to suggest that they will be ready on time, it is clear that Ukraine has much to do. Ukraine has even been compared to Colombia when it lost the 1982 World Cup due to poor preparations. Platini has particular concerns about Kiev, and Lviv has been warned that it is lagging behind. The two reserve cities are “breathing down Lviv's neck” according to Yevhen Chervonenko, the head of the National Agency for Euro 2012.

Euro 2012 is vital to kick-start the nation as it looks to really establish itself in Europe. A successful tournament would do wonders for national prosperity, and go a long way to countering the negative publicity the country has received ever since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 – the worst nuclear power plant accident in history. Ukraine has a chance to reap the rewards that are to be had from basking in the glow of a hugely successful football tournament. Platini's words are ringing in their ears. They must deliver. If they do – and if the football is half as good as at Euro 2008 – the chances are that Ukraine will enjoy a bright future.