UEFA PRESIDENT Michel Platini has given Poland and Ukraine until September to accelerate their building programme for the 2012 European Championship, amid fears that stadiums, hotels, motorways and airports will not be ready in time.
The slick running and success of this year's tournament in Austria and Switzerland has increased pressure on Polish and Ukrainian leaders to put aside political differences and get down to building vast swathes of desperately needed new infrastructure.
"You have three months to work together to give Poland and Ukraine a way of hosting a fantastic Euro," Platini told Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko during a meeting in Kiev. "I am confident. But I need just a little guarantee."
"We now have meetings with all the experts in three months. And the final, final, final decision will be taken in Bordeaux at the end of September at the Uefa executive committee meeting," the former French midfielder said.
Platini admitted that there was currently "no back-up plan" should the two countries fail to be ready for 2012, but made it clear that Uefa would devise one unless they make rapid progress with a daunting building programme that is already behind schedule.
"It is not a simple or easy task for Ukraine," Platini said after talks with president Viktor Yushchenko, whose constant squabbling with supposed ally Ms Tymoshenko has hampered attempts to kick-start construction work across the country.
Between them, Poland and Ukraine plan to build or modernise 11 stadiums and more than 100 hotels, enlarge several airports and upgrade thousands of miles of roads and railways - a huge task, not helped by the fact that thousands of Polish and Ukrainian construction workers have gone abroad in recent years looking for better-paid jobs.
"To host the Euro 2012 at a respectable level is a question of Ukraine's honour," said Yushchenko. "We do understand the level of responsibility and we will not let you down."
