Politicians should stay away from the Euro 2012 matches to be played in Ukraine, several European Union foreign ministers said Monday, while ruling out a full boycott of the event in protest over the handling of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, DPA reported.
"I think under these circumstances good football can still be played without many politicians being there," Luxembourg's Jean Asselborn said before meeting with his 26 counterparts, noting that "breaking off" relations with Kiev would not be "the right signal."
"A political boycott seems to me to be essential," Belgium's Didier Reynders added, while also acknowledging that football teams would be punished too if their supporters avoided the championship matches.
"I'm not talking about a boycott," Sweden's Carl Bildt told reporters. "I'm just talking about the Ukrainian government, which has still time to do what is needed - and that is to show a visible improvement of the situation for Madame Tymoshenko."