High demand for Euro 2008 tickets

NYON, Switzerland, Mar 2 (Reuters) Organisers of the 2008 European championship have reported a high demand for tickets following the first 24 hours of orders.

According to a statement released today, fans had applied for 53,978 tickets via the official website (www.euro2008.com) within one day of the sales window being opened.

''That's 10 times more ticket applications than were received during the first day of ticket sales for Euro 2004 in Portugal,'' said the tournament's chief operating officer Martin Kallen.

Supporters have until midnight on March 31 to register for tickets after which a lottery will be held to determine the successful applications.

Approximately 350,000 tickets -- a third of the total -- are on offer, with the remaining tickets being distributed among the competing associations, sponsors and media.

The tournament, co-hosted by Switzerland and Austria, is set to run from June 7-29, 2008.

REUTERS SI KN2200