Wind of change blows through European soccer

LONDON, Apr 20 (Reuters) The fine-tuning, attention to detail and solving of all the seemingly insurmountable problems can wait for now as Poland and Ukraine bask in the glory of winning the right to stage the 2012 European championship.

The impact of the decision taken in Cardiff on Wednesday by UEFA's executive committee will not just be felt in the two neighbouring former communist countries however.

It will spread across the continent and has opened up new possibilities for many countries to believe they too can join or regain their lost places on Europe's footballing map.

Although Italy were widely regarded as favourites to win the vote, those close enough to interpret the smoke signals emerging from UEFA's headquarters in Nyon over the last two months thought an upset was possible, if not entirely likely.

In 1960 British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, signalling a new mood in Africa, made a famous speech in which he said: ''The wind of change is blowing through this continent. Whether we like it or not, the growth of national consciousness is a political fact.'' In much the same way, a wind of change is blowing through European football and whether the big powerful nations like it or not, it is something they will have to get used to.

LOOKING EAST The man whipping up the storm is of course new UEFA president Michel Platini, although some of those involved in the vote or who were close to it are playing down the Frenchman's direct influence on Wednesday's decision.

What is not in doubt, though, is that while he has strong ancestral roots in Italy and played at his peak for Juventus, Platini has clearly been glancing eastwards rather than towards his old home in Turin since becoming UEFA chief in January.

He wants a more egalitarian future for European soccer and has used as an example the fact that fans in Poland, Czech Republic or Romania are now unlikely ever to see the top players in Champions League matches in their countries because their champions do not automatically qualify.

Platini wants to change that situation by opening up UEFA's elite competition to the champions of Europe's middle or lower-ranking countries.

UEFA are to consider that idea soon but whatever they eventually decide to do with the Champions League it will not be as big a gamble as they have taken on Euro 2012.

Dutchman Leo Beenhakker, Poland's national team coach, is among those who believe UEFA made the right decision on Wednesday and has no doubts the Poles and Ukrainians will rise to the considerable challenges ahead of them.

''Why give it to Italy?'' he said. ''They have won everything, they have everything. UEFA have done the right thing by this decision and I am sure it will be a fantastic success.'' UPGRADE AHEAD Highways, airports, road and rail links and hotels as well as stadiums will all need to be upgraded in time for 2012.

It is a massive multi-billion dollar project that simply cannot be allowed to fail -- not by Poland, Ukraine or UEFA.

Analysts believe Ukraine, at least, even with the present confusion in the country's politics, can put in place all the infrastructure it needs.

The view is that since the Orange Revolution in 2004, Ukraine has moved towards greater integration with Europe.

''I am not predicting that by 2012 it will be a member of the EU (European Union),'' said one analyst.

''But I would predict with a fair degree of confidence that on its current course, Ukraine will start to look more and more like a normal European country with the facilities to pull off an event of this kind.'' Huge modernisation plans involving billions of euros are also underway in Poland.

The Polish minister of regional development, Grazyna Gesicka, said this week: ''In the coming years Poland will look like one big building site''.

As long as the work is completed by the time the opening match of the European championship kicks off in 2012, millions of people will all think it was worth the gamble.

REUTERS SAM PM0945