UKRAINE-EURO2012-UEFA-PLATINI

Kyiv, July 2 (Interfax-Ukraine) – UEFA President Michel Platini has once again called the Euro 2012 European Football Championship in Ukraine and Poland a “resounding success.”

“This Euro, the first in the east, has been a resounding success, a real triumph. Poland and Ukraine showed the whole world that they can organize this type of event and that they needn’t have any concerns. They can be proud of the work they’ve done, their enthusiasm and the final results. I’m proud of them, anyway,” Platini said answering the questions from UEFA.com users.

“There were lots of marvelous moments during Euro 2012, but the best moment for me personally was without doubt when the referee whistled to kick off the opening match. That signified that we were finally getting down to what mattered – the football – after five years of intense work and preparation. I knew it was the kick-off of a unique event,” the UEFA president said.

He noted the biggest progress of the football played in this Euro was the introduction of the system of five referees.

“That was the principal innovation on the pitch compared to previous Euro editions and the system of five referees was a real plus in terms of the football that got played: it helped get rid of simulation in the area and also helped significantly reduce shirt-pulling during set pieces. In the end, there were more goals and, even more significantly, more headed goals in this EURO than in other big international competitions. That’s no coincidence. The system of five referees acts as a deterrent and the quality of football benefits from that,” Platini said.

[UA EUROPE EEU EMRG SPO PRO]

AK

21:03:49 EET-2