UEFA EURO 2008™ is almost upon us and a bountiful array of figures suggest it will be the most successful continental showpiece yet.
Ticket sales
No fewer than 1.05m tickets have been sold after an initial 10,359,177 applications from supporters in 142 countries around the world. The media will be well represented too, with around 10,000 media accreditations to be issued. Those unable to see the action live will be able to keep informed via euro2008.com, which expects 1.2 billion page views, while global television audiences are set to exceed the figure of 8 billion achieved at UEFA EURO 2004™. The official Fan Zones are expected to be a hit as well, with the Vienna Fan Zone able to cater for 70,000 supporters.
Volunteer initiative
A further 17,644 people from 150 countries hoped to get closer to the action by applying to become volunteers. Of that figure, 10,000 were interviewed and 5,000 given a role at one of the host venues, with the oldest volunteer being 78 years of age. At the opposite end of the spectrum, 682 schoolchildren aged between six and ten will accompany the players on to the pitch at all 31 matches.
Stadium challenge
Preparing the stadiums has proved a monumental undertaking as well, with about 5km of flags produced to decorate upper tiers and 80,000m² of temporary structures built around the eight arenas. Likewise, 300 temporary toilets have been built and 256 stadium kiosks for the sale of refreshments. Expect the pitches to be immaculate too, with grass length at every stadium to be 23mm.
Social projects
UEFA will also be supporting various causes during the tournament and has pledged €2.2m to five social projects, each targeting a different group. Each host city will also receive €740,000 and two LED display walls for the Fan Zones, along with a set contribution of €375,000. UEFA has similarly invested €4.9m in the combination-ticket system which will allow UEFA EURO 2008™ ticket-holders to travel for free on match days via public transport. Click here for more statistics.
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