Tuesday, February 19, 2008

UEFA Euro 2008

The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, will take place in Austria and Switzerland, from 7 to 29 June 2008. It is the second in a series of three successful joint bids in the competition's history, alongside the UEFA Euro 2000, hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands and the 2012 competition in Poland and Ukraine.
A total of 16 teams will participate in the tournament. Austria and Switzerland will automatically qualify as hosts; The remaining 14 teams have been determined through qualifying matches which started in August 2006. Austria and Poland will be making their first appearance in the tournament. The winner of Euro 2008 will represent the UEFA at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Bid process
The two countries jointly bid to host the games, and faced major competition from Greece/Turkey, Scotland/Ireland, Russia, Hungary, Croatia/Bosnia-Herzegovina and a 4-way Nordic bid from Norway/Sweden/Denmark/Finland. Austria had already bid with another country before, which was Hungary for Euro 2004. They had eventually lost to Portugal.
Austria/Switzerland, Greece/Turkey, and Hungary were recommended before the final vote. Greece and Turkey were rejected and let Hungary and Austria/Switzerland battle for the win.

Venues
Switzerland will play all of its group-stage matches at Basel, and Austria will play all of its group-stage matches at Vienna.
In 2004, the Zürich venue became a problem for the organisers. Originally, the Hardturm stadium was to be renovated and used as the city's venue, but legal challenges delayed the plan to a point that would not have allowed the ground to be used in 2008. This created a problem, as the agreement between UEFA and the organizers stipulated that four venues would be used in each country. The problem was solved when the organizers proposed renovating Letzigrund instead; UEFA approved the revised plan in January 2005. The Letzigrund stadium hosted its first football match on 23 September 2007.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Where the Decisive Goals are Scored: Ernst Happel Stadium

On June 29, 2008, the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna will be the center of international soccer. During the final game of the UEFA EURO 2008, the new European soccer champion will be decided.

For EURO 2008, the seating capacity will be increased to 51,000. The field has been equipped with new lawn heating, and two ultra-modern video walls have been installed. A media center of 1,600 square meters for TV teams and other media has been installed under the stands and there are four new panorama interview boxes for television.

For events, the new air-conditioned VIP club for 900 persons is available. With an electronic access control system, video surveillance, and two security rings, the safety arrangements of the Ernst Happel Stadium have been optimized. Nearly 37 million Euro in all has been invested by the City of Vienna and the Austrian federal government in the improvement of the stadium.

Matches at the Ernst Happel Stadium:

Sun June 8, 6 p.m. Austria - Croatia
Thu Jue12, 20.45 p.m. Austria - Poland
Mon June 16, 20.45 p.m. Austria - Germany

Quarter-Final
Fri June 20, Sun June 22
Semi-Final
Thu June 26
Final
Sun June 29


Good news for owners of tickets to Euro Cup matches: the tickets for the matches double as tickets for free transport of the long-distance trains of the Austrian Federal Railroads and the entire local public transportation within the host cities - the entire day of the match through 12 noon the following day.

Did you know that the Ernst Happel Stadium was the venue of many exciting and crucial football matches? In 1995, Ajax Amsterdam won the UEFA Champions League at Ernst Happel Stadium, and Inter Milan (1964), FC Porto (1987), and AC Milan (1990) won the European Cup, the predecessor to the UEFA Champions League. ... that in 1995, the water polo competition of the European Swimming Championships was held at the Ernst Happel Stadium – in a specially installed pool?

Euro 2008 Turnament Travel Guide

The European Football Championships of 2008 will be held in Austria and Switzerland. Matches will run from June 7th – June 29th.

Prepare
Tickets
Tickets are on sale in March 2007. For more information ask your Nation's football association or go to the official tournament website.

Tickets are sold from 1 March till 31 March. There are several types of ticket packages. The first is by match, the second is follow your team for the first round (first 3 games), and the third and last option is following your team as long as it's in the tournament.
Ticket applications will be analyzed in April 2008, if the number of applications per match exceeds the size of the stadiums. Since there was an overwhelming number of ticket buyers, UEFA will not be holding a random draw.

Accommodation
UEFA EURO 2008 Accommodation Agency, Route de St-Cergue 9, CH-1260 Nyon 1, Switzerland, phone: +41 (0)22 707 22 30 fax: +41 (0)22 707 22 31

Get in
By air
Switzerland has few airport : Zurich (in Kloten exactly), the most important, then Basle (its airport is outside Switzerland: in France, shared with Mulhouse) and Geneva. Then some other minors as in Bern, Lausanne, Lugano & Sion. To get directly to the Zurich airport by train the station is called : Zurich Flughafen. For Bern there is no direct fly connection but you can get there by train in 1 hour flying in Zurich or Basel airport. You can find cheap fly tickets to Switzerland, mainly in Geneva in www.easyjet.com .
Each of the four Austrian host cities has its own international airport, though depending on where you're flying from it may be easiest to arrive via Vienna and continue by train to the other host cities.

By train
You can get into Switzerland easly by train. Chek your trip in the official website of Swiss railways www.ffs.ch . There you can find time, trip, cost. From North you can reach easly Basel to get into Switzerland, from South you should reach Chiasso.
Austria is also well served by trains, and all four Austrian host cities have good national and international rail connections. Vienna is the largest hub of the four.

By bus
Geneva and Zurich (in Switzerland) and Salzburg and Vienna (in Austria) are on the Eurolines bus network, with services to/from other major European cities. You can also get there with a private bus.

Get around
Switzerland has a very good train network, allowing you to travel almost everywhere by train. The Swiss train fares, however, are the most expensive in the world when comparing Euro per km. More information for trips inside or into Switzerland is available in the website www.ffs.ch. Don't forget that Switzerland is an Alpine country, not flat, and travelling a few kilometers through the Alps can sometimes take hours.
All 4 Swiss venue cities have tram systems within the city, and shuttle bus connections to the stadiums will be organized for EURO 2008, Swiss efficency. If you drive a car, be aware that the Swiss police will fine you for driving infractions in Switzerland, even if you live outside the country.
Three of the Swiss city venues (Basel, Zurich, Bern) are connected by a triangle of train and highway connections. For Geneva it will take many hours of time to get there from the other venue cities.

Host Cities
The following eight cities will be hosting all the matches for the tournament. For information about travel, accommodation, restaurants and other activities in the cities, please see the individual city guides.

Austria
Location of venues across Switzerland and Austria
Vienna Ernst Happel stadium, capacity 50,000. Will host Austria's three group matches, two Quarter-Finals, Semi-Final and Final.
Klagenfurt Worthersee stadium, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.
Salzburg Wals-Seizenheim stadium, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.
Innsbruck Tivoli NEU stadium, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.

Switzerland
Basel St Jakob stadium, capacity 42,500 Will host Switzerland's three group matches (including the opening match and opening ceremony), two Quarter-Finals and a Semi-Final.
Berne Stade de Suisse Wankdorf stadium, capacity 32,000. Will host three Group Matches.
Geneva Stade de Geneve, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.
Zurich Letzigrund stadium, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.

Buy
Be aware that Switzerland is the most expensive country in the world. 4 of its cities - the 4 venue cities - are in the Top 10 most expensive cities in the world. So, take a lot of money with you. Don´t miss Switzerland; it is beautiful. Buy some Swiss souvenirs such as: Swiss chocolate, Swiss cheese, Swiss army knife, Swiss watch, Swiss fondue or open a new Swiss bank account.

Do
Visit the beautiful Canton Ticino in southern Switzerland. Canton Ticino is the heart of tourism in Switzerland, with Locarno and Lugano as top destinations known worldwide for their beauty. In June 2008 there will be sun; the region in the South of the Alps is the sunniest of Switzerland.
For EURO 2008, Canton Ticino will host the National Teams of Germany and Italy. Germany will stay in Ascona, close to Locarno, in a top Hotel, and training in the national Sport Center in Tenero-Contra. Italy will stay in Lugano, in Villa Sassa Hotel, and training in Cornaredo Stadium, home of AC Lugano. For the month of May Lugano will host the National team of Switzerland. Ticino will also host all the referees for the competition.
Ticino has good train and highway connection to Zurich, Basel and Bern. THe official language in the canton is Italian.

Stay Safe
Switzerland is the safest country in the world. With the lowest crime rate in the world. There you will be safe.

Get out
Switzerland shares borders with Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. Transportation from North and South are easy by Highway from Basel (North) or Chiasso (South). There are also good train connections inside Switzerland.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Free EURO Experience Tour

UEFA commercial director Philippe Margraff declared the Geneva leg of the EURO Experience Tour a success after more than 5,000 people visited the exhibition during its three-day stay in the Swiss city.

Tickets up for grabsFour hundred school children in the Geneva area attended the event where they were able to watch a film of the competition's 48-year history, have their photo taken alongside the Henri Delaunay trophy, enjoy the interactive multimedia zone and win tickets in a quiz for one of the group games to be played in Geneva.

'Exceptional tournament'
"Through the EURO Experience Tour we hope to give a flavour of the party that awaits us at UEFA EURO 2008™ and a taste of more than 40 years of history of this exceptional tournament," Margraff said. "The impressive images on the big screen and the presence of the Henri Delaunay trophy create an atmosphere charged with emotion and not only for football fans."

Zurich next
The EURO Experience Tour is free and takes place in the world's biggest inflatable tour tent, which contains a 140-seat cinema. Geneva was the second stop on the tour after Basel, where 10,000 people attended the event two weeks ago and where UEFA EURO 2008™ kicks off on 7 June. The EURO Experience Tour will visit a number of locations in Austria and Switzerland, co-hosts for this summer's tournament, including all eight host cities. The next stop is Zurich from 21 February.

EURO Experience Tour dates

Zurich : 21-24 February
Berne : 28 February - 2 March
Lausanne : 6-9 March
Innsbruck : 20-23 March
Linz : 27-30 March
Klagenfurt : 3-6 April
Salzburg : 10-16 April
Graz : 24-27 April
Lugano : 1-4 May
Lucerne : 8-11 May
St Gallen : 15-18 May
TBC : 23-27 May
Vienna : 5-29 June

©uefa.com 1998-2008. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2008™: "EURO Experience Tour" kicks off

Nyon – On 28 January, at 13.00 hours, the "EURO Experience Tour" gets under way at the Rosentalanlage in Basel. Until the start of UEFA EURO 2008™ on 7 June, the European Championship trophy and a multimedia cinema will be making 13 stops in the two host countries, Austria and Switzerland, including in all eight host cities. The event is part of an extensive promotional programme and is intended to get the fans into the right mood for the forthcoming main event.

UEFA President, Michel Platini, comments "The EURO Experience Tour gives football fans of all ages the opportunity to be part of this exciting European Football Championship. The Tour will be groundbreaking in its size, technology and its ability to bring a wonderful football experience to thousands of football fans."

For this purpose, the biggest inflatable tour tent in the world will be erected in the city centres (height: 14m; width: 40m; length: 60m, weight: 10t). One of the two domes contains an interactive action zone and the other a multimedia cinema. Entry is free for the fans to see a 25-minute film showing the spectacular action from the last 12 UEFA European Football Championships, the original Henri Delaunay trophy and an interactive multimedia area. The "EURO Experience Tour" should appeal to fans of all ages and will be open to the public from 09.00 to 18.00 every day.

The day before the tour opens in each of the cities concerned, the official UEFA EURO 2008™ hot-air balloon (height: 34.5m, volume: 3,440m3) will ascend to signal the countdown.

For more information about the EURO Experience Tour, contact:
Dominik Känel
Tel.: +49 895 454 7740
Email: dominik.kaenel@gloeckner-company.com


For more information about UEFA EURO 2008™, contact:
Euro 2008 SA, Media Desk
Tel.: +41 (0)22 707 2001
Email: media@euro2008.com

Facts and figures about the "EURO Experience Tour"

Tour calendar (13 stops)
January/February
Basel 28.01.2008 – 03.02.2008
Geneva 07.02.2008 – 10.02.2008
Zurich 21.02.2008 – 24.02.2008
Bern 28.02.2008 – 02.03.2008
March
Lausanne 06.03.2008 – 09.03.2008
Innsbruck 20.03.2008 – 23.03.2008
Linz 27.03.2008 – 30.03.2008
April
Klagenfurt 03.04.2008 – 06.04.2008
Salzburg 10.04.2008 – 16.04.2008
Graz 24.04.2008 – 27.04.2008
May
Lugano 01.05.2008 – 04.05.2008
Lucerne 08.05.2008 – 11.05.2008
June
Vienna 05.06.2008 – 29.06.2008

Programme
Generally, the tour is open to the public from 09.00 to 18.00. Depending on the time of day, however, different groups of visitors will be catered for in particular.
Morning: Schools, associations and clubs, other public institutions
Afternoon: General public
Evening: The tour can be used by UEFA EURO 2008™ partners, the host cities and media organisations for private events.

Tent structure
• Biggest inflatable tour tent in the world (14m high, 40 x 60m)
• 10,000m² of canvas will be used
• 2,000 panels, each unique
• Each dome weighs 5 tonnes

Transport and logistics
• 3 articulated lorries for transport
• About 10 tonnes transported
• Staff/number of people: 20

Hot-air balloon
• Height: 34.5m
• Volume: 3,440m³
• Diameter: 16.5m
• Weight: 240 kg
• Flight time: 2 hours
• Capacity: max. 3 people

European Championship trophy
• Named after the former UEFA general secretary Henri Delaunay
• Brand-new trophy for UEFA EURO 2008™
• Weight: 8kg
• Height: 60cm
• Material: Sterling silver
• Names of the European champions engraved on the back
• Value: about CHF 25,000/EUR 15,400

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Mascots of Euro 2008


So who are the UEFA EURO 2008™ mascots

Trix and Flix? euro2008.com’s research took us to a magical valley in the mountains of Austria and Switzerland. It was there that the talented twins’ fantastic football skills were first revealed. The inseparable pair stumbled upon the valley when they were running through the mountains playing football. And from that day on, their lives changed forever. Suddenly something special and strange happened: in the same way that nature worked in perfect harmony in the valley, so too did the brothers. Their football skills were perfectly complementary: skill and teamwork in a magical mix.

Matching masks
Not much else is known about the talented twins but whispers about their supreme skill could not be silenced. Their dazzling skills are part of an attitude to life: a powerful force that says you can be very good at what you do, that you can create that little bit of magic if you try. They show that there is no place for bullying and selfishness in football – like the twins, you have to work together to win matches. In fact, the twins decided to wear matching masks to show that it doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside, it is what’s in your heart that count.

Twin traits
So how then can we tell the twins apart? As you can see the white-clad twin – now known as Trix – doesn’t care so much about his appearance with his shirt hanging out and rolled down socks betraying a relaxed attitude. The red-clad Flix is more clean-cut and organised with his tucked-in kit. As players, Trix is clever and impulsive with Flix more controlled.

Created by Warner Bros. Consumer Products, the mascots will be used throughout the UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying competition following its launch. The mascots succeed the hugely popular Kinas, mascot at UEFA EURO 2004™.

For any Product Licensing or retails queries please contact our Licensing Representative Warner Bros. Consumer Products:

Neil Nottingham Warner House, 98 Theobald's RoadLondon WC1X 8WB UKTel: +44 20 79 84 61 00Email: neil.nottingham@warnerbros.com
©uefa.com 1998-2008. All rights reserved.
Organisation

euro 2008 soundtrack download
euro2008 soundtrack like super star video
euro2008 soundtrack feel the rush video
euro 2008 free desktop wallpaper
euro 2008 mascot
euro 2008

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...