Italy blames recent chaos for Euro 2012 bid failure

ROME, Apr 18 (Reuters) Italy blamed recent chaos for the failure of their bid to host the 2012 European soccer championship today.

The past 12 months have been one of the most turbulent periods in the history of Italian football, with a Serie A match-fixing scandal last year followed in February by the death of a policeman in rioting before a Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo.

The image was tarnished further this month when police lashing out with batons at Manchester United fans during a Champions League tie against Roma.

''I'm not surprised this has happened,'' the president of the Italian Football League, Antonio Matarrese, told Italy's La7 television station from Cardiff after European governing body UEFA announced Poland and Ukraine as the successful co-hosts.

''We are coming out of one of the most terrible tragedies in the history of Italian football,'' he added, referring to the death of police inspector Filippo Raciti outside Catania's Massimino stadium.

''The fact we've lost this bid is not a catastrophe, but at this point we need to take stock and start reorganising.'' Italy's Sports Minister Giovanna Melandri congratulated the organisers of the winning bid, but said that the government's plan to reform Italian football would go ahead regardless.

''UEFA has made a political and a sporting choice, they've given a chance to two countries that have only recently entered into the European footballing family,'' she told La7.

''Of course I'm disappointed. I still believe the dossier we submitted was a good one, but now we need to congratulate the winners and push ahead with our own programme of reforms and rebuilding of Italian football.

''From the government's point of view, we always said that whether we won the Euro 2012 bid or not would not alter our intention to rebuild football by one centimetre.

''I still believe we need to change the existing model of public ownership of the stadiums that doesn't work and move towards private ownership,'' she said.

''The anti-violence plan that was made law earlier this month will enter its second phase soon with the training of stewards to ensure security inside the grounds.'' Italian national team manager Gigi Riva also said it was time to look ahead.

''We did everything we could. We made a good presentation, we were well organised,'' he said. ''We've got a lot of challenges to overcome in Italy that are more important than hosting Euro 2012. Let's concentrate on winning those''.

Reuters BJR VV1729