Euro 2012 countdown begins

KATHMANDU: The coutdown for the 2012 UEFA European Championship began with the draw held in Kyiv, Ukraine last week.

The draw has leased a new life in the football arena as fans around the world have already started to take up their favourites and predictions for the europe’s elite football competition to be hosted jointly by Poland and Ukraine next year.

The tournament sponsor Carlsberg has been reflecting on the key historic moments of the European Football Championships since the brand’s first involvement as official sponsor back in 1988. As per the draw,

the 2004 champions Greece will go head to head with Russia, Czech Republic and co-hosts Poland in Group A.

In Group B, the Netherlands are up against Denmark, Germany and Portugal while Group C pits Spain, Italy, Ireland and Croatia. Likewise Sweden, France and England are drawn in Group D alongwith co-hosts Ukraine.

For almost a quarter of a century, Carlsberg has been associated with the European Championship and that passion continues stronger than ever into 2012. Since the beginning of Carlsberg’s association with one of the world’s top football competitions, there have been many historic moments and Euro 2012 is set to be no different.

This is the first ever tournament to be held in Eastern Europe and only the third time that the Euro tournament is jointly hosted by two countries after Belgium-Netherlands in 2000 and Austria-Switzerland in 2008.