Soccer-Ukraine president says govt must solve Euro stadium row

By Yuri Kulikov

KIEV, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Ukraine's president on Monday demanded a quick solution from the government to halt construction of a shopping centre next to Kiev's main stadium which threatens to derail plans to host the Euro 2012 final. European soccer's governing body UEFA says the half-built complex blocks exits from the stadium and that unless the issue is solved, Kiev will not be able to hold the final. Ukraine last year won a bid with Poland to host the championship.

President Viktor Yushchenko had already issued a decree ordering a halt to the project and the prosecutor's office said on Monday a court had barred further construction.

"The president instructed (the government) to conduct final consultations on compensating investors tomorrow," said Yuri Bohutsky, deputy presidential chief of staff, after Yushchenko discussed the 2012 championship with government officials.

Bohutsky said that whatever decisions were taken, "the structure must be taken down".

The company building the complex has offered to provide extra passageways to allow for proper crowd control. Police have allowed only half the stadium's 84,000 seats to be sold at major matches since UEFA issued its warnings.

The championship will be the largest sporting event ever staged by ex-communist Poland and Ukraine. Both countries face huge tasks in building or modernising stadiums, hotels, and transport networks.

Bohutsky said the finance ministry estimated at 126 billion hryvnias ($25 billion) the investment required for the event. The government would stump up about one-fifth of the total.

Plans this year called for expenditure of the equivalent of $800 million and Bohutsky said the government had to simplify legislation to attract foreign investors. (Writing by Sabina Zawadzki; Editing by Sonia Oxley)