For the first time the UEFA European Football Championships will be hosted by two countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Poland and the Ukraine. In Poland, the group matches will be played in four host cities, Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw (the capital) and Wroclaw. In the Ukraine, the host cities will be Kharkov, Donetsk, Lvov and Kiev, the capital of the country, which will also host the final match on 1st July.

EURO 2012 in Poland at a glance:

• Euro 2012 Championships lasts from 8th June till 1st July
• On 8th June the opening game, with the participation of the Polish National Team, will start at 6:00pm (CET) in the National Stadium in Warsaw
• Championship Group host cities: Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw
• Championship Group matches will begin simultaneously at 6.00pm (CET) and 8.45pm (CET).
• Quarter-final matches: Warsaw on 21st June at 8.45 pm (CET); Gdansk on 22nd June at 8.45 pm (CET)
• Semi-final match: Warsaw on 28th June at 8:45 pm (CET)

The Euro Card 2012 will enable travelling fans to the use of a multiple services. These include health insurance, accommodation and transportation within and between the host cities.

In Poland fans can expect the most modern stadiums that have been built specifically for the Euro 2012 Championships, comfortable accommodation and an attractive and comprehensive entertainment programme. The so called "Fan Zones" will be located within the city centres, where fans will be able to follow the matches on large monitors. Also the "Fan Zones" will serve as venues for great food, musical concerts and parties to interact with supporters of other nationalities.

The "Fan Embassies" will be located in various parts of the host cities. These sites will serve as points for obtaining additional information, lost and found as well as any other assistance. These "Embassies" will be supported by the Football Supporters Association, Europe and local football supporter clubs.

It is estimated that the matches of the Euro 2012 Championships in Poland will be viewed by more than 670,000 fans within the stadiums, with more than 420,000 arriving from abroad. In excess of 1.5million supporters is expected to visit Fan Zones.

Polish football has been associated with the names of famous players which include Grzegorz Lato, the top scorer at the World Cup in Germany in 1974 as well as Kazimierz Deyna and Zbigniew Boniek who have both played for football giants Juventus and Roma. Interestingly, the Polish National Team have twice finished in third place at the World Cup, in 1974 in Germany, by beating Brazil 1-0 and in Spain in 1982, by winning 3-2 against France, but they have so far not had any success in the European Championships. Maybe this time... As hosts, we hope and wish that the Euro 2012 Championships will bring success to all the participating national teams. Poland invites all supporters to the Polish host cities of Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw for the Euro 2012 Championships.