UEFA President sees Bucharest venue

UEFA President Michel Platini has paid a visit to the Romanian capital, Bucharest, to view the new National Stadium – the venue for the 2012 UEFA Europa League final.

Mr Platini made a brief stopover in Bucharest on a trip which also saw him visit Lithuania on Friday before heading to Serbia for the opening of that country's new technical centre and the UEFA European Under-17 Championship final in Novi Sad.

The UEFA President undertook an inspection of the installations, accompanied by Romanian Football Federation (FRF) president and UEFA Executive Committee member Mircea Sandu, Bucharest general mayor Sorin Oprescu and FRF chief executive Ioan Angelo Lupescu, who is also the project leader for next year's UEFA Europa League final.

Speaking to the press at the FRF House of Football – a short walk from the stadium – Mr Platini said: "I am very satisfied with all that I have seen, and I am happy to congratulate Bucharest's general mayor for having built such a nice stadium. A country like Romania deserves and has to have at least one modern stadium."

Mr Sandu emphasised that the Bucharest local organising committee was fulfilling all the requirements to host a club final, and that the steps taken guaranteed that every activity in areas such as the airport, which has a new terminal, and public transport would be completed on schedule. Mr Oprescu also assured Mr Platini that everything would be ready for Bucharest to stage the showpiece occasion.