GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Expect to hear and see football everywhere, if you live in Europe, at least starting this weekend. Euro 2012 is on, and everyone from schoolkids to politicians is turning attention to the kickoff Friday night. Here are the basics, for those who aren’t in the know.
What Europe’s gigantic football series, with 16 of the top national teams competing, a change from the usual clubs; 31 games during three weeks
Where Everywhere in Europe, so don’t expect to avoid this. Poland and Ukraine are the hosts, but TV screens throughout Europe will be buzzing with football matches
When Starts Friday 8 June, with Poland versus Greece. Runs until 1 July, when the final match takes place in Kiev.
Why for the sheer love of football and to win the Henri Delaunay Trophy
Where to learn what’s going on UEFA, the European Football Association, organizes it and they will be tracking all matches. So will every European news source of any size and several smaller ones. Try the Guardian and Reuters for quality reporting and the BBC for the easiest to follow schedule of matches.
Some of the titles in British pre-Euro 2012 reporting:
The football hater’s guide, Skyscanner
England Euro 2012 squad at Auschwitz, IB Times, UK
