UEFA Euro 2008 bids

The bidding process for UEFA Euro 2008 ended on 12 December 2002, when a joint bid from Austria and Switzerland was selected as the host.^[1]

History

By June 2002, seven bids representing twelve countries were formally submitted:^[2]

• Austria–Switzerland (joint bid)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina–Croatia (joint bid),
• Greece–Turkey (joint bid)
• Denmark–Finland–Norway–Sweden (joint bid titled Nordic 2008)
• Hungary
• Russia
• Scotland–Ireland (joint bid)

On 12 December 2002, UEFA's National Teams Committee made a recommendation based on technical evaluation of the six candidates and concluded that only four bids had the capability of organising the tournament, ranked as follows:^[3]

• 1. Austria–Switzerland
• 2. Hungary
• 3. Greece–Turkey
• 4. Nordic countries (Denmark–Finland–Norway–Sweden)

Later that day, members of the UEFA Executive Committee voted on the bids, and chose Austria-Switzerland as the winning bid.

Bids

Bosnia–Herzegovina–Croatia

Eight venues in eight cities in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina were proposed to host Euro 2008 matches. According to Croatian football executive Ivan Brleković, the stadiums could have been renovated, with a promised 50 million euros investment earmarked by both countries' governments, while more funding had been secured, for upgrading road infrastructure linking host cities.^[4]

Croatia

• Zagreb – Maksimir Stadium (capacity 45,000; planned to be expanded to 60,000)
• Split – Poljud Stadium (capacity 34,374; planned to be expanded to 40,000)
• Osijek – Gradski Vrt Stadium (capacity 19,220; planned to be expanded to 30,000)
• Rijeka – Kantrida Stadium (capacity 12,000; planned to be expanded to 30,000)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Sarajevo – Koševo Stadium (capacity 37,500; planned to be expanded to 50,000)
• Mostar – Bijeli Brijeg Stadium (capacity 15,000; planned to be expanded to 30,000)
• Banja Luka – Banja Luka Municipal Stadium (capacity 15,000; planned to be expanded to 30,000)
• Zenica – Bilino Polje Stadium (capacity 20,000; planned to be expanded to 30,000)

Nordic 2008

Four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) had submitted a joint bid titled "Nordic 2008". Eight venues selected for the bid included capitals of all four nations:^[5]

• Copenhagen – Parken Stadium (38,065)
• Copenhagen – Brøndby Stadium (29,000)
• Helsinki – Olympic Stadium (40,600)
• Tampere – Ratina Stadium (17,000)
• Oslo – Ullevaal Stadion (25,572)
• Trondheim – Lerkendal Stadion (21,116)
• Gothenburg – Ullevi Stadium (43,000)
• Stockholm – Råsunda Stadium (36,608)

Scotland–Ireland

In February 2002, the Scottish Football Association (SFA), and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), officially confirmed their joint bid to host the 2008 European Championship.^[6] SFA's chief executive David Taylor said that the bid envisioned Scotland hosting the opening match, three group stages, three quarter finals, one semi-final and the final match, with Ireland hosting one group stage, one quarter-final, and one semi-final.^[6] In June 2000, the SFA refused to rule out an bid consisting Scotland–Northern Ireland–Wales–Ireland.^[7] In July 2000, David Taylor announced the bid would enhance if England failed to secure the 2006 FIFA World Cup.^[8]

The eight venues would have been:^[9]

• Hampden Park, Glasgow (52,063)
• Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow (51,082)
• Celtic Park, Glasgow (60,832)
• Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh (67,200)

Two of the following three:

• Easter Road, Edinburgh (20,42134,880)
• New Aberdeen Stadium, Aberdeen (31,400)
• New Dundee Stadium, Dundee (31,400)

Two of the following three:

• Croke Park, Dublin (82,300)
• Lansdowne Road, Dublin (36,00051,700)
• New Dublin Stadium (Stadium Ireland), Dublin (80,000)

References