Showing posts with label The two host associations EURO 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The two host associations EURO 2008. Show all posts
The two host associations EURO 2008- The Austrian Football Association (OFB)
0 comments Posted by SK at 12:12 PMThe Austrian Football Association (ÖFB), with a total of 592,375 members and 2,211 clubs, is by far the largest sports federation in Austria. To put it another way: around 1 million Austrians are involved in football matches (nearly) every weekend, either asplayers, coaches, officials or spectators. 7.4 per cent of the whole population plays football for a club, putting Austria in sixthposition among the 52 UEFA member associations, even ahead of Germany. The Austrian Football Association wasfounded in 1904 (it joined FIFA in 1907 and UEFA in 1954). The English gardeners of the noble Rothschild family had brought football to Austria. The country’s first ten international matches were all against neighbour Hungary.The Austrian national team has played in seven World Cup final tournaments, finishing third in Switzerland in 1954 and fourth in Italy in 1934. It failed to qualify from the group phase on its last appearance in the finals, in France in 1998 (drawing 1-1 with Cameroon and Chile, losing 1-2 to Italy).Austria has never previously qualified for the UEFA European Football Championship finals. The two host associations Former Bremen and Bayern star Andreas Herzog is the most-capped Austrian player (103 caps) and also the country’s EURO 2008ambassador. The national team’s record goal scorer is Anton Polster with 44 goals, followed by Hans Krankl with 34. President Friedrich Stickler has been in his post since 7 April 2002. General secretary Alfred Ludwig has been in office for more than 20 years. The national team coach is Josef Hickersberger. Capped 39 times, he took the job at the start of 2006. Born in Lower Austria (Amstetten, 27 April 1948), he won the Austrian league title with Rapid as a player in 1982 and as coach in 2005, taking Austria’s most successful club into the UEFA Champions League in 2005/06. Hickersberger previously coached the national team from 1987 to 1990, reaching the World Cup final tournament in Italy. Austria’s biggest victory in an international match was 9-0 (against Malta in Salzburg on 30 April 1977, including six goals by Hans Krankl) and its heaviest defeat was also 0-9 (against Spain in Valencia on 27 March 1999).
The two host associations EURO 2008- The Swiss Football Association (SFA)
0 comments Posted by SK at 12:11 PMThe Swiss Football Association (SFA) was one of the seven founder members of FIFA in 1904 and has also been a ember of UEFA since it was founded in 1954. The SFA itself was established in 1895. Today, with around 1,500 clubs, 13,000 teams and 230,000 players on its books, it is the country’s largest sports organisation.
The Swiss national team enjoyed its first major success in 1924, when they reached the final of the Olympic Games tournament in Paris. Although they lost the final 0-3 to Uruguay, they were given the unofficial title of European champions after beating Sweden 2-1 in the semi-finals with two goals by Max “Xam” Abegglen. Another highlight was the 1954 World Cup which Switzerland hosted – the Swiss team beat Italy twice, but, after leading 3-0, went down 5-7 in the quarterfinal against Austria, who went on to finish the tournament in third place.
In all, Switzerland have played in eight World Cup final rounds (including the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany). They have reached the quarter-finals three times (1934, 1938 and 1954). The Swiss have qualified twice for the UEFA European Championship finals (1996 and 2004), going out after the group phase on both occasions. In England in 1996, Switzerland achieved a highly respectable 1-1 draw with the host nation, but lost their other two matches (0-1 to Scotland and 0-2 to the Netherlands). In Portugal in 2004, they drew 0-0 with Croatia before losing 0-3 to England and 1-3 to France. The Swiss consolation goal went down in the history books, as 18-year-old Johan Vonlanthen broke Englishman Wayne Rooney’s record as the youngest ever goal scorer at a European Championship final round.
Switzerland’s most-capped player is Heinz Hermann, who appeared 117 times for the national team. The top goal scorers are Kubilay Türkyilmaz and Max Abegglen with 34 goals each. Ralph M. Zloczower has been President of the Swiss Football Association since 10 February 2001; Peter Gilliéron is the General Secretary (since 1993). The national team is coached by Jakob “Köbi” Kuhn, who as a player won six Swiss league titles with FC Zurich and 63 caps. Before he took the job in June 2001, Kuhn coached the national Under-21 team. Under Kuhn, Switzerland qualified for UEFA EURO 2004™ and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. They qualified automatically as hosts for UEFA EURO 2008™.
The Swiss national team’s biggest victory was 9-0 against Lithuania (in Berne on 25 May 1924) and their heaviest defeats were 0-9 against England in Basle on 20 May 1909 and against Hungary in Budapest on 29 October 1911.
The Swiss national team enjoyed its first major success in 1924, when they reached the final of the Olympic Games tournament in Paris. Although they lost the final 0-3 to Uruguay, they were given the unofficial title of European champions after beating Sweden 2-1 in the semi-finals with two goals by Max “Xam” Abegglen. Another highlight was the 1954 World Cup which Switzerland hosted – the Swiss team beat Italy twice, but, after leading 3-0, went down 5-7 in the quarterfinal against Austria, who went on to finish the tournament in third place.
In all, Switzerland have played in eight World Cup final rounds (including the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany). They have reached the quarter-finals three times (1934, 1938 and 1954). The Swiss have qualified twice for the UEFA European Championship finals (1996 and 2004), going out after the group phase on both occasions. In England in 1996, Switzerland achieved a highly respectable 1-1 draw with the host nation, but lost their other two matches (0-1 to Scotland and 0-2 to the Netherlands). In Portugal in 2004, they drew 0-0 with Croatia before losing 0-3 to England and 1-3 to France. The Swiss consolation goal went down in the history books, as 18-year-old Johan Vonlanthen broke Englishman Wayne Rooney’s record as the youngest ever goal scorer at a European Championship final round.
Switzerland’s most-capped player is Heinz Hermann, who appeared 117 times for the national team. The top goal scorers are Kubilay Türkyilmaz and Max Abegglen with 34 goals each. Ralph M. Zloczower has been President of the Swiss Football Association since 10 February 2001; Peter Gilliéron is the General Secretary (since 1993). The national team is coached by Jakob “Köbi” Kuhn, who as a player won six Swiss league titles with FC Zurich and 63 caps. Before he took the job in June 2001, Kuhn coached the national Under-21 team. Under Kuhn, Switzerland qualified for UEFA EURO 2004™ and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. They qualified automatically as hosts for UEFA EURO 2008™.
The Swiss national team’s biggest victory was 9-0 against Lithuania (in Berne on 25 May 1924) and their heaviest defeats were 0-9 against England in Basle on 20 May 1909 and against Hungary in Budapest on 29 October 1911.
The decision to stage the final in the Austrian capital was entirely due to stadium capacity. Vienna’s Ernst-Happel stadium is the only one of the eight stadiums to offer the required capacity of 50,000 for the final.
The European Championship is a great chance for both countries to develop both in sporting terms and in terms of infrastructure (through stadium construction). That, according to UEFA President Lennart Johansson, was the deciding factor. Another advantage was the central location of both countries, making them easily accessible for many other nations. “Football’s best – close to you” – that was the slogan of the Swiss/Austrian bid.
Brief portraits of the host countries
AUSTRIA| Surface area | 83,871 square kilometres |
| Population | 8,217,201 – a population density of 98 inhabitants per square kilometre (as at 1 April 2005) |
| Capital city | Vienna |
| Largest cities by population size | Vienna 1.5 million, Graz 226,000, Linz 183,000, Salzburg 142,000, Innsbruck 114,000, Klagenfurt 91,000 (as at 1 April 2005) |
| Languages | German, regional (minority) languages: Croatian, Hungarian,Slovenian |
| Main religions | 73.6% Catholic, 4.7% Protestant |
| State and government structure | Parliamentary democratic federal republic since 1918.The Parliament has 183 members (elected every four years), the Bundesrat (Federal Council) as the parliament of the Länder has a total of 62 members. |
| Head of State | President Heinz Fischer (Social Democratic Party/SPÖ), since 8 July 2004. The President serves a six-year term and may be re-elected. |
| Head of Government | Wolfgang Schüssel (People’s Party/ÖVP), since 4 February 2000. The Federal Government is responsible for running the Federation. Its members include the Federal Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and other ministers (number of members: 10, as at 1 May 2006). |
| National holiday | 26 October (adoption of the 1955 Neutrality Act) |
| Currency | 1 Euro (EUR) = CHF 1.56 (as at 1 May 2006) |
| Gross national product per inhabitant | EUR 19,660 (CHF 30,670, as at 1 May 2006) |
Switzerland
| Surface area | 41,285 square kilometres |
| Population | 7,415,102 – a population density of 179 inhabitants per square kilometre (as at 1 January 2005) |
| Capital city | Berne |
| Largest cities by population size | Zurich approx. 360,000 (agglomeration 1,080,000), Geneva 185,000, Basle 166,000, Berne 127,000 (2005 figures) |
| Languages | German 63.7%, French 20.4%, Italian 6.5%, Romansch 0.5%, others 9.0% |
| Main religions | 41.8% Catholic, 35.3% protestant |
| State and government structure | The Swiss Confederation has been a federal state since 1848. Switzerland has a federal structure, with semi-direct democracy. The Swiss Parliament has two chambers, which together are known as the Bundesversammlung (Federal Assembly) and share legislative authority. The 200-member Nationalrat (National Council) represents the people, while the Ständerat (Council of States) represents the 26 cantons. Both are directly elected by the people. The Swiss Government comprises the seven members of the Bundesrat (Federal Council), who are elected by the Bundesversammlung for a four-year term. |
| Federal President | Elected for one year, during which time he acts as Primus inter pares, i.e. first among equals. He chairs meetings of the Bundesrat and fulfils certain official duties. |
| National holiday | 1 August (in remembrance of the oath taken on the Rütli by the founders of the Swiss Confederation in 1291) |
| Currency | 1 Swiss franc (CHF) = 0.64 EUR (as at 1 May 2006) |
| Gross national product per inhabitant | CHF 46,492 (EUR 29,803, as at 1 May 2006) |
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