Uefa warns Poland over Euro 2012

Uefa yesterday warned the Polish government that the suspension of the country's Football Association could threaten their hosting of Euro 2012. The Polish Football Association was suspended on Sunday by the sports ministry for allegedly failing to address corruption, and the government has appointed an administrator to run the organisation.

But both Uefa, football's European governing body, and Fifa, the world body, say that they will not recognise the administrator because both take a firm line that there should be no political interference in national associations.

William Gaillard, the Uefa communications director and special adviser to president Michel Platini, warned that if the situation was not dealt with it could affect preparations for Euro 2012, which Poland is hosting jointly with Ukraine.

"We are hoping we will be solving the problems before the end of October so it will not affect 2012," Gaillard said. "But if the problem is not solved and the Polish FA will not have ability to operate then it's a different ball game, and that opens all kinds of question marks around Euro 2012.

"The European Championships are administrated through the Polish and Ukrainian FAs, not their governments. If there is no legitimate Polish FA then we will not have a Euro in Poland – we are a long way from that situation but that is what they must face."

Uefa issued a warning to Poland and Ukraine only last Friday that they must speed up their preparations and meet several conditions.

Gaillard said: "Look back at Friday where there were a number of conditions laid down – if they do not exist then it becomes complicated." Gaillard said that Uefa and Fifa were not impressed by the Polish government's claims of corruption within the sport, and would not meet the administrator Robert Zawlocki.

"The Polish FA were supposed to have elections on 31 October and so a democratic process has been interrupted," Gaillard said. "These sorts of accusations have been made and withdrawn in the past."

"We only recognise Michal Listkiewicz, the chairman of the Polish FA, we don't know this other guy and we are not planning to meet him or communicate with him." Fifa and Uefa will work together to decide on the next steps and the matter will be brought up at the next Fifa executive committee meeting in Zurich on 23 and 24 October.

Miroslaw Drzewiecki, Poland's sports minister, has accused the Polish FA of using Euro 2012 as a shield to hide behind and escape responsibility for breaking the law. He said: "They wanted to use Euro 2012 as a shield to protect themselves but Euro 2012 is four years away and we will prepare everything on time."

Fifa warned Poland last year when Tomasz Lipiec, Drzewiecki's predecessor, appointed a commissioner as head of the FA in an anti-corruption drive. "I don't fear this situation will repeat itself. [The previous] minister Lipiec named his own commissioner and I have filed a motion to the arbitration tribunal," Drzewiecki said.