Euro Championship talk between Hearts stars

At Riccarton ahead of Scotland's JESTING has alreading begun to visit to Lithuania on European Championship qualifying duty. The match between the two nations in Kaunas does not take place for another eight days but Hearts' Scottish and Lithuanian contingents have started verbal war at a moment.

"In Lithuania there is very much confidence, I don't know why really,"Arvydas Novikovas, who who has been named in his country's under-21 squad to face Denmark on 3 September and England four days later. I think we must win. Every time Marius Zaliukas and me are joking with the Scottish players, we say that Spain will win the group but Lithuania will be fighting Czech Republic for second place. The Scottish guys don't think so but we joke about it."

He recalled, "When I came here there were maybe six Lithuanians but not with the first team. Now its a nice for me because is the captain Marius. For me its nice and that gives me more confidence. He has been good at helping me settle into the team and I hope he will sign a new contract. I have said he must do this."
He said, "It is always very good to open my goals account and now I just required to keep going and more score goals. Well we all played. We did something the gaffer said and just passed the ball instead than just going long. We kept passing and did well. I have Andy Driver in my position - he is now injured but will begin training again soon. So I'll doing work must hard. But I am enjoying it and the manager has given me a great opportunity to play. The manager has said this could be my season and if I play a nice game then he will give me a one more chance. Well I do must score goals and play good every time so i stay in the team".

JESTING has already begun at Riccarton ahead of Scotland's visit to Lithuania on European Championship qualifying duty.

The match between the two nations in Kaunas does not take place for another eight days but Hearts' Scottish and Lithuanian contingents have started verbal warfare early.
Arvydas said, "In Lithuania there is very much confidence, I don't know really why".

Ukraine meeting for Euro Championship 2012

For the 2012 European Championship Ukraine's authorities are meeting preparation deadlines, although there is still work to be done in stadium construction, transport links, accommodation and other infrastructure.

That's the view of UEFA after general secretary Gianni Infantino wrapped up a two day trip on Thursday to check on Ukraine's four host cities for Euro 2012, which will be co-hosted with Poland.

"Has been done lots of work. Deadlines are being met," Infantino said. "I am fully optimistic over the success of Euro 2012 in Ukraine.

"On Ukraine the eyes of the world will focus. On July 1, 2012, Kyiv will not be the capital of Ukraine anymore, it will be the capital of Europe and even the capital of the world. You will be proud of your country."

However, Infantino noted that hotel accommodation and an anticipated language barrier are still problems to be tackled.

Infantino said, "It does not help you to have 70,000 hotel rooms if nobody knows where they are located and how to get there".

"It's unprobably that in the next 18 months the rest of the world will learn Ukrainian, so maybe Ukrainians will use a little effort to learn a few words of foreign languages."

Infantino said concerns over the slow construction of a venue in the western city of Lviv and the reconstruction of Kyiv Olympic stadium had been mostly alleviated, and described the stadium in Donetsk as unexpectedly being one of Europe's most beautiful.

In Kharkiv with the stadium he also looked satisfied, but pointed out that there is a lack of space to accommodate people.

"But I am sure what was promised will be done. We are positive, we are confident, we trust the football federation and we trust the government," said Infantino, praising Ukraine federation president Grygoriy Surkis and Deputy Prime Minister Borys Kolesnikov.

Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych invited UEFA president Michel Platini to visit the country in a letter published on his website.

Yanukovych wrote, "A opportunity to host the Euro 2012 final is a great honour for Ukraine, and properly organizing the tournament is an absolute key national priority".