Portugal to host EURO 2004

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) president Gilberto Parca Madaíl described it as "probably the happiest day of (his) life" following Portugal's breathtaking selection as hosts of the EURO 2004™ final tournament on 12 October 1999. He had good reason to be pleased as the Portuguese bid defeated competition from Austria-Hungary and Spain to secure the event.

Madaíl delighted
"I have nothing really to say except that this is probably the happiest day of my life," admitted a delighted Madaíl after the decision was announced by UEFA President Lennart Johansson at a special ceremony in Aachen, Germany which was transmitted live on Portuguese television.
"After about a year and a half now, myself and my colleague, Carlos Cruz, have been struggling and fighting and we have done everything conceivable to show that a country like Portugal is well-equipped and capable of organising EURO 2004™. I would like to thank the Committee for the European Championship and the (UEFA) Executive Committee. I would also like to congratulate you on this decision. I think UEFA have turned over a new page in European football history. Thank you for that."

Close call
Following the UEFA President's announcement, Egidius Braun, UEFA treasurer and the chairman of the Committee for the European Championship, stated that various criteria ranging from the co-operation with and the guarantees of authorities to know-how and competence were examined when the decision-making process was being made. The UEFA Executive Committee then unanimously accepted the recommendations put forward by the Committee for the European Championship when making its decision.
"We did our reseach carefully," Braun said. "And the result of this was that the three bids were excellent, to the extent than any one of them could have succeeded. As chairman of the Committee for the European Championship, let me, on behalf of my colleagues, extend my congratulations to Portugal, while also recognising the efforts made by Austria-Hungary and Spain."

Right moment
"Our objective was to answer all the questions people had to ask of us," Carlos Cruz, the FPF spokesperson, earlier said during the final presentation of the Portugal 2004 bid.
"We wanted to show everyone that there was no trace of doubt about our conviction to stage this event. We want EURO 2004™, we can do it, and we think we deserve to do it.
"We asked ourselves all the questions we had in mind, and then proceeded to answer them," he added. "And even then, I didn't have any doubts? We are serious about this. We will be proud. We are reliable, and we have guarantees. But we have even more! Our government stands as guarantor for all the necessary funding needed for us to stage the event.
"We are ready to assume the responsibility for staging this event. Both the Portuguese Football Federation as an organisation, and the government with its resources, have proved to be competent bodies. This leads me to believe that now is the right and unique moment for Portugal."

Assured
The Portuguese bid has assured that the construction and renovation work needed to their stadia will be completed by Summer 2003, and that the funding required to carry out such work - approximately €415million - has already been guaranteed. The presentation showed clearly the close ties the FPF had forged with the Portuguese government on various levels making it possible for their bid to succeed. It was a point not forgotten by Madaíl in his acceptance speech.
"I would like to thank the Portuguese people for all they have done to promote this candidature, and the Portuguese government, represented here by our sport minister and our state minister, for all the support we have been given by them, and without which, our bid would not have been possible," the FPF president said.

Decision brings hope for others
"Therefore to organise the coming European Championship, I believe that this event will change the face of Portuguese football," he continued. "I would like to take this opportunity to address the representatives here, namely the leagues, the players, the clubs, coaches, referees and doctors and all the people who are in the Portuguese Football Federation. Let us now say that Tuesday 12 October 1999 will be for Portugal from this day onwards, the day of football.
"From the bottom of our hearts let me thank you, and once again, I would like to commend UEFA for this decision. With this decision, all European countries, regardless of dimension and geographical location, will feel that they too will be able to organise something so important as the European Championship. Let me assure you that we will do our utmost to see to it that this European Championship will be the best ever."