Russia will compete for the right to host 2012 European football championship only if it loses the run for 2012 Olympics, announced head of the Moscow-2012 project Alexander Chernov, who is a part-time manager of the Russian national football team, in an interview with RIA Novosti on Thursday.

According to Mr. Chernov, the current priority is 2012 Olympic Games, although if Moscow does not succeed in winning the race for the Olympics, it would most certainly submit a bid for the right to host 2012 European football championship.

"At present we are focused on the preparation for 2012 Olympics, which is the most prestigious competition," Mr. Chernov said. "However, we must not forget that we have very strong competitors (Paris, Madrid, London and New York), and if in July 2005 the IOC Congress chooses another city, Russia will immediately submit a bid to FIFA for the right to host EURO-2012 football championship."

Mr. Chernov added that the Russian Football Union made appropriate conclusions from a failed attempt to host EURO-2008, and this time, in his opinion, Russia's chances are much higher.

"In 2002, we competed for the right to host a European football championship for the first time, and, as reality shows, nobody ever won the race for such a prominent event on the first attempt," he underlined.

The manager of the Russian national team also noted that Russia has a number advantages this time, which might help it to win the race for EURO-2012.

"FIFA will have to choose one of the Easter European countries sooner or later, and this part of Europe does not have many countries capable of hosting a European championship," Mr. Chernov deliberated. "As to the infrastructure, we already have two stadiums in Moscow - Lokomotiv and Luzhniki; soon, we will start the construction of a stadium in St. Petersburg; practically all documents for the construction of a new Dinamo stadium and the arena of the Russian Football Union. In the near future, I think, CSKA and Spartak will have their new stadiums, as well."

MOSCOW, January 13 (RIA Novosti)