Could Ukraine Lose Euro 2012?
KIEV, Ukraine — In Ukraine, soccer is simply politics pursued through other means. The vicious and sometimes petty power struggle at the highest reaches of the country’s government has spilled over to its sports fields. In Ukraine even soccer is politics, infrastructure improvements have fallen behind. Two years ago, UEFA, Europe’s governing soccer body, awarded Ukraine and its Slavic neighbor Poland the prestigious designation as co-hosts of the European soccer championships in 2012. The European championship, held every four years, is the largest international soccer tournament after the World Cup and one of the world’s largest sporting events. Only UEFA didn’t reckon on Ukraine’s dysfunctional ruling elite. Now Ukraine’s ability to host its part of the games is under threat, which could have wide-ranging political repercussions here. The original announcement that Poland and Ukraine had been selected as the 2012 venue was met with great pride and anticipation. Ukraine, a soccer mad
