Poland’s capital Warsaw geared up Thursday for its last Euro 2012 kick-off, with Germany playing Italy at the city’s National Stadium for a place in the competition final. About 30,000 foreign fans are expected to arrive in the city for the key match, including 20,000 Germans and 3,000 Italians, organisers said. Some 6,000 police officers will be out in force to keep order, including 28 German and 10 Italian spotters expert in monitoring fans. “Poland has never hosted such a match,” a face-off between two giants of European football at an important stage of a tournament, noted the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita. “Our preparations are complete,” Poland’s Euro 2012 chief Marcin Herra said Thursday, with the rush including an extra 20 charter flights and 85 small planes due to land at Warsaw’s Chopin airport. “For air traffic controllers it’ll be a real challenge. The airport is 100 percent ready to welcome this traffic,” Herra said. Poland’s state railways PKP meanwhile have added extra cars to trains leaving Germany, with one to be pulled by a locomotive painted in the black-red-gold colours of the German flag. An immense red-and-white Polish flag and a giant banner with the words “Thank You” in 16 languages will be unfurled Thursday night at the stadium, according to reports. “Let’s celebrate this last day of Euro 2012 in Poland. There’s reason to celebrate,” Polish Sports Minister Joanna Mucha said Thursday, pointing to a thumbs up for Warsaw from foreign fans. Around 1.1 million people have stopped by the Warsaw fanzone for ticketless supporters since the competition started on June 8, organisers said. A recent survey by Polish independent pollster PBS pointed to high levels of satisfaction among 1,000-plus foreign supporters surveyed on June 8 and 16 in the Polish capital.
