Platini said he was "very satisfied" with Poland's progress Courtesy of European Commission

At the end of July Michel Platini, head of UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, visited Gdańsk, Poznań and Wrocław to check on the preparations for the Euro 2012 soccer tournament being organized jointly by Poland and Ukraine.

Platini took a peek at stadium construction sites or, in the case of Poznań, the existing stadium, expansion of which is coming to an end. The UEFA official strolled the city centers, met with mayors, and in Gdańsk he also spoke with Lech Wałęsa.

“Please believe me, along with members of my team I am very satisfied with what I have seen here,” Michel Platini told reporters in Wrocław, referring to all the Polish cities he visited on his trip.

Michał Kruszyński, the spokesperson for Gdańsk’s Euro 2012 investment office, shared with reporters that Platini let out a loud “Wow!” upon entering the Baltic Arena construction site. He also praised the improvements made in Wrocław, which will host group matches and possibly one quarter-final game.

Platini contrasted his enthusiasm about Poland with worry about the situation in Ukraine.

“We have a problem at the moment, because we don’t know the exact number of Euro 2012 hosting cities. This of course doesn’t include Poland, but your friends in Ukraine,” said Platini.

The final decision on Ukrainian venues will be made in December, and UEFA will decide what games will be played where in early 2010. So far, only Kiev has been deemed ready.