Euro 2012 draws to a close on Sunday, when Spain defend their title against Italy, with the final ending football’s first major foray behind the former Iron Curtain that has given a welcome image boost to the co-hosts. Even before the first match of the 16-team tournament kicked-off in Warsaw on June 8, there had been widespread concerns about the wisdom of handing European football’s showpiece tournament to Poland and Ukraine. Not only were there fears about the readiness of the eight match venues or key transport and other infrastructure but also the cost for fans, with some hotels ramping up prices, particularly in Ukraine. The threat of racist violence also loomed large, after the BBC aired a television documentary showing far-right groups at stadiums making Nazi salutes and monkey noises at black players, as well as an attack on a group of Asian students. European countries, meanwhile, threatened to boycott matches in Ukraine in protest at Kiev’s alleged mistreatment of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is in jail on what her supporters claim are politically-motivated corruption charges. But while there have been some problems, including racist chanting from foreign fans and some crowd trouble away from stadiums, notably between historic rivals Poland and Russia, the worst fears have not materialised. Instead, the focus has remained mostly on the pitch, with high-quality matches with the continent’s best players reflected in record television viewing figures in Europe and around the world, as well as high Internet traffic to official websites. “The overwhelming feeling I have today is pride,” Michel Platini, the president of European football’s governing body, UEFA, told a news conference in Kiev on Saturday. “Pride for Poland and Ukraine, so often decried but who proved they were up to the task by putting on such a great tournament. And pride for the people of Poland and Ukraine, who were such wonderful hosts.” The financial benefits of hosting such “mega-events” are a source of debate for economists. But Polish and Ukrainian authorites have both said the tournament and influx of hundreds of thousands of foreign fans have had a positive effect.