Big screens carried the announcement live in Warsaw city centre.

There were similar reactions in other cities across the country.

Poland has never hosted an event like the Euro 2012.

And many people here believed they stood little chance against the experience of a country like Italy. Winning caught some fans by surprise.

“We assumed that Italy will win and actually it was a really big surprise for us,” one fan said.

“I am very happy and very proud. So, hopefully, we will be up to the task and finish building stadiums and all the stuff that is needed for the Euro.”

Poland’s crumbling communist-era football grounds are well below Uefa standards. And the country lacks the hotels and highways needed for such an event.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski said the infrastructure would be built but he added there were five years of hard work ahead.

For most people though, the announcement was simply a moment to celebrate.

As one of the country’s leading TV sports presenters put it, it was as if Poland had just beaten Brazil in the World Cup final.

Source: BBC News