Polish host cities enjoy EURO draw

The focus may have been on Ukraine during Friday's UEFA EURO 2012 finals draw in Kyiv but there was plenty going on in the other co-host nation of Poland.

In three of the host cities – Warsaw, Poznan and Wroclaw – central fan zones were set up to show the ceremony on big screens to thousands of spectators. Over in the fourth Polish venue a gathering was held at a restaurant inside the Arena Gdansk with some prominent names including Friends of EURO among the 150 guests.

As a build-up for the ceremony in Warsaw, Polish and Ukrainian bands performed along with dancers. The draw was met with cheers, especially as Poland's Group A opponents of Greece, Russia and the Czech Republic emerged.

"I am optimistic," said former Poland and Olympiacos FC player Michał Żewłakow, watching from a TV studio. "It's good that we play Greece in the opening game. For me it will be a special game."

Ex-international team-mate Jerzy Dudek added: "The only thing we are missing after this draw is a bottle of champagne. But on the other hand we should not be too optimistic because if you do not go through from this group, it would be a real shame. So let's exploit this lucky draw."

Also welcoming the draw in Warsaw was Jacek Gmoch, who coached Poland from 1976 to 1978 before moving on to work in Greece for the likes of Panathinaikos FC, AEK Athens FC and Olympiacos. "The draw was lucky both for Poland and Greece." he said. "For me it's special occasion that the opening match will be played between those two teams."

Around 2,000 people gathered at Wroclaw's Main Square. Guests included WKS Śląsk Wroclaw players Sebastian Mila and Rafał Gikiewicz, as well the singer José Torres. Before the ceremony Wroclaw mayor Rafal Dutkiewicz said in a video message that he hoped the Poland game scheduled for 16 June in the city would be against the Czech Republic – exactly what came to pass.

In Poznan fans of several of the other competing nations waved flags while alongside the live music were opportunities to win finals tickets. Croatia, Italy and the Republic of Ireland will play in the Group C games scheduled for the city's Municipal Stadium and Poznan mayor Ryszard Grobelny said: "I think that the teams from the southern countries especially will bring colour to Poznan."

Among the guests in Gdansk was Poland's all-time leading scorer Włodzimierz Lubański, confident that his nation can get through Group A. "If Poland do not progress to the quarter-finals I will assess it as a huge disappointment," said the Friend of EURO.