Ukraine PM says Euro exit no tragedy

Ukraine's Prime Minister Mykola Azarov speaks during his interview with Reuters in Kiev March 12, 2012.

KIEV (Reuters) - Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine fought bravely to the last minute and were victims of chance and human error, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said on Wednesday, adding the country had achieved a victory by hosting the championship.

Ukraine lost 1-0 to England in Group D on Tuesday, failing to reach the quarter-finals, after controversially being denied an equaliser even though the ball may have crossed the line.

"They tried to seize the victory until the last moment," Azarov told a government meeting. "But sports is sports and, like life, it has everything - luck, randomness, mistakes and unfairness. One should not make a tragedy out of that."

Azarov said the former Soviet republic had already secured its main victory.

"We have shown the whole world that we can solve the hardest tasks and radically modernise our infrastructure in very short time," he said.

"Our country has beaten sceptics and enemies who wished the great sports holiday to fail in Ukraine."

However, one parliament deputy, Yuri Karmazin from opposition faction Our Ukraine - People's Self-defence, cried foul over the England game.

"This was fraud on a European scale (carried out) under the English flag," he told parliament.

"Annul yesterday's game urgently because it was unfair," Karmazin urged European soccer's governing body UEFA.

(Reporting by Natalya Zinets; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov)