Euro 2012 Poland Ukraine

Euro 2012

The 2012 European Championships in Poland & Ukraine will be held June 8 to July 1, 2012.

Poland/Ukraine will be the 3rd time the European Championships have been co-hosted after Belgium/Netherlands for Euro 2000, and Austria/Switzerland for Euro 2008.

Euro 2012 will be the last European Championship finals in which only 16 nations will compete, with Euro 2016 being the first European Championship finals with 24 participating nations.

The draw for Euro 2012 was held in Kyiv in December 2011; see the full Euro 2012 match schedule and groups.

See the four Euro 2012 groups and Euro 2012 team profiles.

Qualification for Euro 2012 will take place between September 2010 and November 2011.

Follow all the games and results from all the qualifying groups in our Euro 2012 qualification section.

Group A - Germany, Turkey, Belgium, Austria, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan
Group B - Russia, Slovakia, Macedonia, Armenia, Republic of Ireland, Andorra
Group C - Estonia, Italy, N. Ireland, Slovenia, Faroe Islands, Serbia
Group D - France, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Belarus, Albania, Luxembourg
Group E - Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Moldova, San Marino
Group F - Croatia, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Georgia, Malta
Group G - England, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales, Montenegro
Group H - Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Cyprus, Iceland
Group I - Spain, Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania, Liechtenstein

Map of Euro 2012 venues.

The Euro 2012 hosts cities in Poland and Ukraine and Euro 2012 venue stadiums in the two Eastern European countries are:

Poland

Warsaw - National Stadium capacity 55,920
Gdansk - PGE Arena capacity 44,000
Wroclaw - Maslice Stadium capacity 42,771
Poznan - Municipal Stadium capacity 45,830

Warsaw - Poland's vibrant capital now painstakingly restored after the damage of World War II. Warsaw is a city of about 1.7 million people, making it the ninth largest city in Europe. Warsaw is also one of Europe's greenest cities, with almost a quarter of its area devoted to greenery, most of it in the form of parks, of which there are over eighty. The Vistula River runs through Warsaw.

Gdansk - a jewel of a city full of historic buildings on the Baltic Coast. Today canal-crossed Gdansk is one of the most popular and beautiful cities in Poland and somewhat reminiscent of Amsterdam. The rebuilt Old Town shows Dutch, Flemish, and French architectural influences - but no German. This is historically inaccurate, but perhaps understandable. Gdansk is also home to shipping and the large shipyard (the former Lenin Shipyards) where Lech Walesa led the Solidarity trade union movement.

Poznan - known for its lovely Old Square, Trade Fairs, classical music and vibrant student lifestyle. Poznan is located in the west of Poland and the history of the city is tied up with the history of the Polish nation itself. Poznan is the historical capital of the Wielkopolska ("Greater Poland") region, and it was here that the first proto-Polish kingdom was recognized under Mieszko I, who underwent a public baptism and conversion to Christianity in 966 to receive the favour of the papacy and the Holy Roman Emperor of the time. Mieszko's warrior son Boleslaw the Brave was to increase the size of the the territory under the control of the Piast dynasty. Polish monarchs continued to be buried in Poznan until 1296 even after the royal seat moved to Krakow.

Wroclaw - formerly Breslau, this relaxed and peaceful city has a beautiful Old Town. Wroclaw pronounced "Vrots-lav" is Poland's fourth largest city and the main city in southwestern Poland. Wroclaw is a short trip from the Czech border and also a short distance from the German border. Over the years, the city has been annexed and ruled by many different regional powers. In the early years, Wroclaw was controlled by Bohemia: until 992, and then from 1038 until 1054. From the years 992 - 1038 and 1054 - 1202, it was part of the Kingdom of Poland.

Ukraine

Kyiv - NSK Olimpiyskyi capacity 69,000
Lviv - Lemberg Stadium capacity 33,500
Kharkiv - Metalist Stadium capacity 41,400
Donetsk - Donbass Stadium capacity 51,500

Kyiv (Kiev), is the historic capital of the Ukraine and the economic and political heart of the nation. Kyev abounds with colourful cathedrals with golden domes, churches, statues and monuments. Kiev is the capital of Ukraine, located on the west bank of the Dnieper River. It is also the largest city in Ukraine, home to about three million people.

Donetsk is the former industrial heartland of Ukraine with rich mineral deposits and a booming modern metropolis. Now home to the Donbass Palace, Ukraine's most luxurious hotel. The city was named "Stalino" from 1924 to 1961. It is now part of the unrecognized, breakaway Donetsk People's Republic backed by Russia since 2014.

Kharkiv located in the east of the country is the birthplace of many of Ukraine's intellectuals and was once known for its heavy industry. It is the Ukraine's second-largest city, founded in 1653, and with a population of about one and a half million.

Lviv, close to the Polish border in the west, is Ukraine's most elegant and tourist-friendly city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. Lviv is very accessible from the West, being less than an hour from the border with Poland, a country of which it was part between the First and Second World Wars (known as Lwów ) and which gave present day Lviv its Roman Catholic flavor.

Olimpic National Sports Complex. — Olimpic National Sports Complex Stadium; venue for the 2018 Champions League Final

Browse our in-depth travel guides to the host venues in Poland & Ukraine, see our cultural and travel essentials, fan images, stadium reports, a map of Poland & Ukraine and news on the latest European Championships.

Find full results and team profiles for the 16 competing nations, player profiles and Euro 2012 stats.

Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine. — Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine

Euro 2012 Travel

Visit our Poland travel and Ukraine travel sections for information on flights to the two countries and getting around by train, bus, taxi and hire car.

Poland

Whether traveling Poland by bus, train or taxi get the essential lowdown on getting there and getting away. Find the 3-digit dialing codes for Poland's towns and cities, learn a new Polish word each day plus discover detailed weather forecasts for Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk, Poznan & Wroclaw.

Ukraine

Find information on cheap flights to Kyiv, inter-city buses, urban transport, and seeing Ukraine by train.

Culture

Find out about Polish culture and the culture of Ukraine in our essentials and everyday life sections on both nations. There are articles on architecture, famous Polish people, facts & figures, food, the gay scene, beer and vodka as well as traditional Polish festivals, festivals in June and football in Poland including the major club teams and their stadiums.

Vodka (horilka) is the drink of choice in Ukraine followed by beer, football is the national sport though basketball is big, too. Borscht and pirozhki are staples of Ukrainian cuisine.