Platini applauds early EURO successes

UEFA President Michel Platini gives his viewpoint of UEFA EURO 2008™ after the first round of eight matches in Austria and Switzerland.

We have passed the first milestone, with eight matches now already behind us. All the teams have played and all the stadiums have hosted their first match. We can therefore make a first assessment, albeit a very partial one, but nonetheless a significant one, since all the installations and systems have been used.

Respect impact
First of all, there is no denying that the instructions calling for respect have had an undeniable impact. On the field – and this is the most significant effect – we have seen a spectacular decrease in the number of yellow and red cards. In fact, no red cards have been shown so far and the number of yellow cards is down by 40 per cent  compared with UEFA EURO 2004™.

No incidents
In the stadiums, there have been no incidents to report; the crowds have been enthusiastic and excited by all the action on the field. What's more, we've heard all the different groups of supporters singing their national anthems, as well as respecting and even applauding the national anthem of the other team. Bravo!

Fan zones
The UEFA EURO 2008™ Fan Zones and their giant screens are proving extremely successful, and although a few minor incidents regrettably broke out in Klagenfurt, the Austrian police rapidly and efficiently restored order. This first series of matches also produced a nice bit of controversy about the Laws of the Game, which triggered superb debate about the offside rule which was worthy of the finest debates that take place in the courts of our continent. I think everyone has learned something from this episode.

Exemplary conduct
I must also mention the exemplary conduct of the coaches, who are setting a fine example to all their less experienced fellow coaches. On the field itself, we've seen some great football, with some exciting action and a quantity of goals which is well within the average for a 16-team UEFA European Championship final round. Everyone agrees that the quality of the television broadcasts is excellent, and the viewing figures are breaking records in many countries. I hope, therefore, that all these positive trends continue... and that the weather improves.