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Polish Euro 2012 stadium gets green light

The interior of the municipal stadium in Polish city Wroclaw which will host group stage matches during the UEFA Euro 2012 football championships. Stadium authorities in the Euro host city have received a green light for games at their brand-new arena, after resolving last-minute operating problems that forced a temporary closure

Stadium authorities in Polish Euro 2012 host city Wroclaw have received a green light for games at their brand-new arena, after resolving last-minute operating problems that forced a temporary closure. "The stadium has been approved for use," Wroclaw's mayor Rafal Dutkiewicz said in a statement announcing that building inspectors had given the thumbs up. While the 42,700-capacity Municipal Stadium opened officially last November, hosting a friendly between Poland and Italy, problems with its pitch-spraying system last month forced a shutdown. With the high-profile European championship looming, that was an embarrassment for co-hosts Poland, and the stadium management scrambled to get their house in order. The closure was also a blow to top-flight club Slask Wroclaw, who use the stadium, and were forced to return to their old ground in the city. The official green light means that Slask, who stand third in Poland's 16-club first division, will be able to play Sunday's league match against stragglers Belchatow at the new stadium. Workers are currently putting the finishing touches to the area around the stadium, with projects including a bus-park due to be complete within days. On May 11, the running of the stadium is to be handed over formally to European football's governing body UEFA for the duration of Euro 2012. Wroclaw is one of Poland's four tournament host cities, along with the capital Warsaw, Poznan in the west, and the Baltic port of Gdansk. During Euro 2012, Wroclaw will see Group A matches between the Czech Republic, Greece, Poland and Russia. Poland's co-host for the championships -- Europe's largest football showcase -- is neighbouring Ukraine. The four stadiums there are located in the capital Kiev, the western city of Lviv, Donetsk in the east, and Kharkiv in the northeast. The 16-nation tournament kicks off in Warsaw in June 8 and ends with the final on July 1 in Kiev.