Photograph by World of Jeff!

The important cities in Austria and Switzerland are where the action is when it comes to the UEFA European Championship 2008. According to the UEFA Web site, groundwork for a European national-team competition began in 1956, achieving fruition in 1958 as the European Nations’ Cup, and is now known as the UEFA European Championship.Fans have until March 31 to book tickets to see their football idols live. There will be six matches in Vienna, including the finals on June 29 at the Ernst Happel Stadium. Beyond Austria’s capital, Klagenfurt, Salzburg, and Innsbruck will see some action as well. Invididuals can order a maximum of four tickets, which are on first-come-first-served basis. So hurry.

Austria will also import security manpower from neighboring Germany to ensure smooth sailing. After a violent incident that took place in Italy earlier this month—costing one life and rendering several spectators severely injured—officials are keen to keep hooliganism in check.

To quench public thirst for the upcoming event, several street football matches will transpire in Vienna, beginning next month. Plus, there will be gratis open-air kinos in several locations—this circuit includes a free kino in front of Vienna’s Rathaus on August 12—featuring films, like “Dan Wunder von Bern,” with football themes.

The Rathaus will also be the meeting point for public viewing of EM 2008. Here fans will be able to watch and cheer on their favorite football team on a huge screen.

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