Euro 2012: Venue guide for European Championship finals

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Euro 2012 venues map

The 2012 Uefa European Championship will be played at eight venues, four in Poland and four in Ukraine.

Five new stadia have been built for the tournament - and the other three have been extensively renovated.

The tournament kicks off on 8 June with co-hosts Poland facing Greece at the National Stadium in Warsaw, and finishes on 1 July at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine.

Here is BBC Sport's guide to the grounds that will host this summer's tournament.

Warsaw

Year built: 2011, on the site of Stadion Dziesieciolecia (10th Anniversary Stadium)

Who plays there: Poland's national team

Did you know? The stadium has a revolutionary retractable PVC roof which unfolds from a nest on a needle suspended above the centre of the pitch.

Media caption,

In November 2011 BBC News went to look inside the national stadium in Warsaw, one of the venues hosting Euro 2012

Games to be played there: Three games in Group A: the tournament opener between Poland and Greece on 8 June, Poland v Russia on 12 June, and Greece v Russian on 16 June. 1x QF on 21 June, 1x SF on 28 June.

Where is it? Warsaw is on the Vistula river and known as 'Phoenix City' after it was rebuilt at the end of World War II, which left 80% of its buildings destroyed. Behind structures in Paris, Frankfurt and London, Warsaw's Palace of Culture and Science is the fourth-tallest building in the European Union.

Distance from Kiev: 820km (510 miles)

Uefa's guide to Warsaw, external

Wroclaw

Year built: 2011

Who plays there: Slask Wroclaw

Did you know? The stadium is shaped like a Chinese lantern and its official opening saw it stage a George Michael concert in September 2011.

Games to be played there: Three games in Group A: Russia v Czech Republic on 8 June, Greece v Czech Republic on 12 June, and Czech Republic v Poland on 16 June.

Where is it? Situated on the river Oder, Wroclaw is the main city in the south west of Poland - and capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship province.

Distance from Warsaw: 350km (217 miles)

Distance from Kiev: 1,090km (677 miles)

Uefa's guide to Wroclaw, external

Gdansk

Year built: 2011

Who plays there: Lechia Gdansk

Did you know? The PGE Arena was known as the Baltic Arena until naming rights were bought by the Polish Energy Group. The stadium's curved exterior is made from 18,000 polycarbonate plates designed to resemble amber, for which the Baltic coastline is famed.

Games to be played there: Three games in Group C: Spain v Italy on 10 June, Spain v Republic of Ireland on 14 June, Croatia v Spain on 18 June, 1x QF on 22 June.

Where is it? Poland's main seaport and shipbuilding centre on the Baltic coast. Gdansk is at the mouth of the Motlawa river and near the Vistula river, which connects it to Warsaw.

Distance from Warsaw: 345km (214 miles)

Distance from Kiev: 1,190km (739 miles)

Uefa's guide to Gdansk, external

Poznan

Year built: 1980 (renovated in 2010)

Who plays there: Lech Poznan and Warta Poznan

Did you know? Manchester City lost 3-1 when they came to Lech Poznan in the Europa League in November 2010 but their supporters picked up their now famous celebration - 'the Poznan' - from the home fans, who turned their backs on the pitch and bounced up and down with their arms locked when their side scored.

Games to be played there: Three games in Group C on Republic of Ireland v Croatia on 10 June, on Italy v Croatia on 14 June and Italy v Republic of Ireland on 18 June.

Where is it? Poznan is on the Warta river, midway between Berlin and Warsaw.

Distance from Warsaw: 320km (199 miles)

Distance from Kiev: 1,140km (708 miles)

Uefa's guide to Poznan, external

Kiev

Year built: 1923 (renovated in 2011)

Who plays there: Ukraine's national team

Did you know? Known for most of its history as the Republican Stadium, it has been rebuilt for Euro 2012, with a new lower tier and west stand, plus a roof covering the entire seating area.

Games to be played there: Three games in Group D: Ukraine v Sweden on 11 June, Sweden v England on 15 June and Sweden v France on 19 June; 1x QF on 24 June and the final on 1 July.

Where is it? In the north of the country and on the Dnieper river. Kiev is Ukraine's largest city in terms of population and area.

Distance from Warsaw: 820km (510 miles)

Uefa's guide to Kiev, external

Donetsk

Year built: 2009

Who plays there: Shakhtar Donetsk

Did you know? Football was introduced to the Donbass region by British employees of Donetsk's founding father, Welsh coal and steel magnate John Hughes, who established mills and mines in the region in 1869.

The Donbass Arena was designed by ArupSport, who have also designed Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena and the Beijing National Stadium in China.

Games to be played there: Three games in Group D: France v England on 11 June, Ukraine v France on 15 June and England v Ukraine on 19 June; 1x QF on 23 June and 1x SF on 27 June.

Where is it? In the Donets Basin, at the heart of Ukraine's coal mining production.

Distance from Kiev: 700km (435 miles)

Distance from Warsaw: 1,465km (910 miles)

Uefa's guide to Donetsk, external

Kharkiv

Year built: 1926 (renovated in 2009)

Who plays there: FC Metalist Kharkiv

Did you know? Locals call the Metalist Stadium the 'Spider Arena' because its external supporting pillars make it look like a giant arachnid. The south stand contains a three-storey shopping mall and office complex.

Games to be played there: Three games in Group B: Netherlands v Denmark on 9 June, Netherlands v Germany on 13 June and Portugal v Netherlands on 17 June.

Where is it? Kharkov is at the join of the Lopan, Kharkiv and Udy rivers, 40km (25 miles) from the Russian border.

Distance from Kiev: 480km (298 miles)

Distance from Warsaw: 1,250km (777 miles)

Uefa's guide to Kharkov, external

Lviv

Year built: 2011

Who plays there: FC Karpaty Lviv

Did you know? The first documented football match in Ukraine/Poland took place in Lviv on 14 July 1894.

Games to be played there: Three games in Group B: Germany v Portugal on 9 June, Denmark v Portugal on 13 June and Denmark v Germany on 17 June.

Where is it? Lviv lies just 40km (25 miles) from the Polish border and was part of Poland until World War II.

Distance from Kiev: 540km (335 miles)

Distance from Warsaw: 385km (239 miles)

Uefa's guide to Lviv, external

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