ALIVE launch brings EURO 2012 closer

As Sunday's UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying competition draw in Warsaw marks the start of the road to the finals in Poland and Ukraine, UEFA joins forces with the two host organisers to produce the first edition of the official UEFA EURO 2012 newsletter, ALIVE.

The publication, issued for the first time this week, will endeavour to bring football enthusiasts all the latest news about preparations for what is likely to be a huge footballing festival in two years' time. Fittingly, UEFA president Michel Platini and the presidents of the Polish Football Federation (PZPN), Grzegorz Lato, and Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU), Grigoriy Surkis, feature in the first edition.

"For the first time in the history of the UEFA European Championship, the final tournament will be played in central and eastern Europe," says Mr Platini in a welcome message. "UEFA EURO 2012 will offer a unique opportunity to Poland and Ukraine to develop and promote football, contributing at the same time to the upgrading of the general – and football – infrastructure of their countries.

"It will be a chance for the two host countries to present themselves to the world, to show their uniqueness and their own individual cultures. UEFA and the two local organising committees are working together on this ambitious project, for the benefit of football in Europe," he adds.

The PZPN and FFU presidents take part in an interview where they express their hopes for the 2012 tournament. To the question 'What does it mean for Poland and Ukraine to host the final tournament of the UEFA European Championship?', Grzegorz Lato and Grigoriy Surkis answer in one voice: "Thanks to this football project in Poland and Ukraine, not only our sports infrastructure but the whole face of the social sector – roads, transport, communications, hotels and public services – will be fundamentally changed.

"Using the powerful catalyst of the UEFA EURO 2012 project, our states are capable of implementing ambitious plans in a short period of time that would not have been possible to implement in decades otherwise. However, it is necessary to remember that the quality and competitiveness of Ukrainian and Polish football will also increase under the influence of UEFA EURO 2012. The organisation of such a tournament will lead to an incredible explosion of interest in the game among children and young people and will give a huge impulse to sport in our countries."

ALIVE's first issue also charts the glittering 50-year history of the UEFA European Championship, and explains the current organisational set-up which involves UEFA, local organising committees, governments, host cities and the UEFA EURO 2012 steering group.

Each of the stadiums in the eight host cities – Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw, Wroclaw (Poland), Donetsk, Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv (Ukraine) – come under the spotlight, as do the cities themselves, while the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying draw itself is analysed in full detail.

A EURO logo must reflect the specific character of the tournament and its hosts, and the UEFA EURO 2012 logo launch ceremony was held in Kyiv in December. ALIVE looks at the logo and reflects on the launch ceremony.

Four famous names are enrolled as official ambassadors for UEFA EURO 2012 – former Polish internationals Zbigniew Boniek and Andrzej Szarmach, and Ukranian greats Oleg Blokhin and Andriy Shevchenko – and ALIVE introduces these ambassadors to the EURO stage.

ALIVE will portray the road to UEFA EURO 2012 in all its fascinating facets in English, Polish and Ukrainian. The first issue – a must for football fans – will be available online and in magazine form this week.