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Launch swells Shevchenko's pride

Andriy Shevchenko described Monday's unveiling of the UEFA EURO 2012™ logo in the Ukrainian capital as "inspiring", explaining that: "People can't imagine how important the EURO is for my country."

Launch swells Shevchenko's pride
Launch swells Shevchenko's pride ©uefa.com 1998-2012. All rights reserved.

Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko described the unveiling of the UEFA EURO 2012™ logo in Kyiv's Mykhailivska Square on Monday as "inspiring", explaining that: "People cannot imagine how important the EURO is for my country."

'Historic event'
"The logo is very beautiful, the people who created it have done a great job," said Shevchenko, who was acting as an ambassador for the tournament co-hosts. "I'm so happy to be here in the heart of the Ukrainian capital to watch this historic event. I'm really looking forward to the tournament. I'm sure Ukraine and Poland will host it to the highest standard. I can see that people in both nations are fully committed to reaching their goal."

'Fantastic boost'
The 33-year-old was also delighted by the UEFA Executive Committee's decision to name Donetsk, Lviv and Kharkiv, as well as Kyiv, as host cities on Friday. "I was very pleased with the decision on four Ukrainian host cities," Shevchenko said. "It means these places are going to get a new modern look. Moreover, the tournament will give a fantastic boost to football in Ukraine and Poland. More and more children are becoming involved in football thanks to EURO 2012, and after the tournament they will have many more facilities where they can train and play their favourite game."

Shevchenko's dream

Shevchenko, who has scored a national-record 43 goals in 94 appearances for Ukraine, is enjoying a new lease of life since returning to FC Dynamo Kyiv from Chelsea FC. "I'm still enjoying my football very much," he said. "I feel great here in Kyiv and want to keep playing for a few more years." The target now is to earn a place in Ukraine's side for UEFA EURO 2012™. "I really want to help the Ukrainian team at EURO 2012, which is why I'm going to train as hard as I can to stay in shape until the summer of 2012," he went on. "It is my dream to play for Ukraine in this big tournament on home soil."