Preparations for the Football Euro 2012 in Ukraine involved significant investment, with the nation spending $14.5bn (£9.3bn) to construct stadiums, airports, and high-speed rail. Kiev’s Olympic stadium, set to host the final, stood as a symbol of these efforts. However, as the tournament approached, Ukraine faced a major public relations challenge.
Former England defender Sol Campbell voiced strong concerns in a Panorama interview, questioning UEFA’s decision to award Euro 2012 to Poland and Ukraine due to their perceived failure to address racism. Campbell advised fans to avoid travel, stating, “Stay at home, watch it on TV. Don’t even risk [going] … because you could end up coming back in a coffin.” These alarming comments were amplified by reports that families of England players, including Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, would not attend group stage matches in Ukraine due to fears of violence and racist attacks.
The UK Foreign Office issued advice for fans of African-Caribbean or Asian descent to exercise “extra care,” and the FA projected a reduced turnout of England supporters in Ukraine compared to previous tournaments in South Africa and Germany. Adding to the negative publicity, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU leaders announced a boycott of Ukraine in protest against the treatment of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko. Tymoshenko’s imprisonment and reports of her mistreatment further strained Ukraine’s image ahead of the football euro 2012 event.
UEFA President Michael Platini also criticized inflated hotel prices in Ukraine, accusing “bandits and crooks” of exploiting the event. Donetsk, a key host city for England’s matches, faced hotel room shortages. England’s decision to base their team in Krakow, Poland, rather than utilize Donetsk’s facilities, caused further resentment. Adding a bizarre twist, topless activists from Femen disrupted the Euro 2012 trophy tour in Ukraine, protesting against potential increases in prostitution linked to the tournament.
The blame for this pre-tournament crisis largely fell on Ukraine itself. Under President Viktor Yanukovych, who assumed office in 2010, the country was seen to exhibit “authoritarian tendencies,” according to Freedom House. These concerns included politically motivated prosecutions and restrictions on media freedom. While corruption was a pre-existing issue, Yanukovych’s focus on persecuting Tymoshenko alienated both Brussels and Moscow.
Football writer Mark Perryman argued that Ukraine failed to present a compelling narrative about itself, unlike Germany during the 2006 World Cup, which successfully transformed its international image. Perryman suggested Ukraine possessed positive attributes, including a strong football culture, passionate fans, and cities like Kiev, alongside a notable footballing history with Dynamo Kiev’s past European successes. He also pointed to the country’s lack of ethnic conflict and rich cultural heritage.
Ukrainian officials defended their preparations, with Yuri Gromnytsky from the Euro 2012 organizing committee highlighting the extensive work undertaken to prepare the country in just two years. He dismissed political pressures as unfair and assured a warm welcome and adequate security for England fans in Donetsk, emphasizing the quality of stadiums and fan facilities.
Journalist Yuri Bender, a close observer of Ukrainian football, downplayed racism concerns, noting that leading Ukrainian clubs regularly fielded black players without incident. He argued that a younger generation of fans in regions like Donbass admired these players. Bender suggested that Poland, a co-host of football euro 2012, faced potentially greater issues with racism that were receiving less media attention. He also recounted personal experiences of his Afro-Caribbean wife and mixed-race children being warmly received in various Ukrainian cities.
Despite these reassurances, Panorama’s footage of racist violence at a Ukrainian league match, where Asian fans were attacked, presented a starkly different picture. While Ukraine might be considered more pluralistic than Russia, the negative pre-tournament publicity and racism fears led to a significant drop in ticket sales among England fans. The FA returned a large portion of their ticket allocation, and UEFA acknowledged a substantial number of unsold tickets just before the tournament.
UEFA’s decision to award Euro 2012 to Ukraine and Poland aimed to recognize their post-Soviet progress. While Poland was seen as a success story, Ukraine’s perceived lack of reform and negative press meant that for many football enthusiasts, the football euro 2012 in Ukraine was overshadowed by controversy and concern, leading many fans to opt to watch from home.
