Soccer-Italy interested in making bid for Euro 2016

Italy is considering making a bid to host Euro 2016, Italian football federation president Giancarlo Abete said on Monday.

• “Naturally Italy is interested because we cannot shun the challenge of major international events and because we must start virtuous circles that give hope to our football,” Abete told Rai radio.
• “We will talk about it at a federation board meeting. We have until March 9 to present a bid.”
• Italy was beaten in a bid to host Euro 2012 by Poland and Ukraine, with the country’s hooliganism problem partly to blame.
• UEFA voted last year to expand the tournament finals from 16 teams to 24 at Euro 2016.