Poland may host the 2012 European Championship on its own if Ukraine does not complete its Kiev stadium on schedule, UEFA president Michel Platini was quoted as saying by Polish media.
According to Reuters, the Dziennik daily reported that Platini also played down speculation Germany could step in to host the tournament.
"Germany? Only if the bulldozers are still working at the National Stadium in Warsaw in June 2012, but I doubt that," Platini told the paper. "Kiev is another matter. If this city is late with the stadium, then there is a possibility that Euro 2012 will be hosted only by Poland."
UEFA has already threatened to take the tournament away from Poland and Ukraine if they fail to speed up stadium construction and tackle major infrastructure problems.
Speaking to Reuters at the Council of European Ministers responsible for sport, Platini clarified his comments, saying stadiums in both countries had to be ready.
"I said if the stadium in Kiev is not ready then we won't play in Ukraine and if Warsaw is not ready then we won't play in Poland. Nothing more. It is very complicated," he said. "The cut-off date is whether there is the possibility to build the stadium or not.If it's one year before and the stadium is not started, it will not be possible to finish it, so we will say no. The politicians in the Ukraine know that if the main stadium in Kiev is not ready then we will not go."
Polish sports minister Miroslaw Drzewiecki said Poland would do everything it could to host the tournament with Ukraine.
