France wins bid to host the 2016 European Football championship
May 29, 2010 // 0 CommentsFrance beats out rivals Italy, Turkey and Poland for the right to host one of soccer’s main events
France will be the host country of the 2016 European football championship. France squeaked by Turkey by one narrow vote, as well as Italy and Poland for the coveted chance to host one of the world’s biggest and more prestigious sporting events, 18 years after its 1998 hosting — and winning– the World Cup. Poland and esp[ecially Turkey submitted very ambitious plans that included massive infrastructure upgrades, but in the end it was the more sensible and modest bid of France that won the day. France was able to rely on the quality of its existing infrastructure, notably with regard to its public transport system and well-developed security.
New upgrades, new jobs
But the win means more than bragging rights for host country France. A lot of money is involved, with billions pledged to upgrade France’s stadiums, and tens of thousands of new jobs associated with the reconstruction projects across the country. The 2016 event will be the first European championship to include 24 countries, compared to the 16 nations taking part in previous Euro tournaments. In order to properly accommodate the new arrivals to the field, France will need to reexamine some key parts of its winning dossier. Despite their success in winning over the judges, UEFA still criticized the French football authorities on the antiquated state of many French stadiums.
Football event a kick in the pants for an ailing European economy, says Sarkozy
Repairing the structures will allow for the creation of some 15,000 temporary jobs and another 4,000 permanent positions to ensure they are in top shape for 2016. A few minutes before the judges began their deliberations, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was invited to speak at the end of France’s presentation. Sarkozy spoke of the need to make Euro 2016 part of the “solution to the (economic) crisis” plaguing many of the competing countries. In any case, today’s win should give French football clubs the chance to build new sports venues. And the results should be tangible: more spectators, more revenue.
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