Switzerland and Austria confirm joint bid for Euro 2008
The Swiss and Austrian football associations have confirmed they will make a joint bid to host the 2008 European Championships.
An organising committee will be established in time for the next meeting of the two associations in Zurich on April 17. The bid must be submitted to football’s governing body, FIFA, by July 2002.
FIFA will make its decision on who will host the tournament in March 2003.
The president of the Swiss Football Association, Ralph Zloczower, and his opposite number at the Austrian Football Association, Beppo Mauhart, announced they were very satisfied with the joint bid.
“We have come to the conclusion that it makes great sense to make a joint bid,” the two men said in a statement after four hours of talks in the Swiss capital, Bern, on Friday.
Both sides confirmed they had reached agreement that – if their bid is accepted – Switzerland would host the opening match of the tournament, while the final would be staged in Vienna.
The announcement comes one month after the Austrian vice-chancellor, Susanne Riess-Passer and the Swiss sports minister, Samuel Schmid, declared their support for the joint bid.
swissinfo with agencies
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