Berne is the capital city of Switzerland and was the location of the 1954 FIFA World Cup final. Along with Geneva, Basle and Zurich it is one of the country's four UEFA EURO 2008™ venues. The city's mayor Alexander Tschäppät cannot wait for the competition to begin and has issued a personal greeting for the fans preparing to come to the tournament.

Welcome to Berne. UEFA EURO 2008™ is expected to be a massive festival for the people of the city and our guests from all over Europe. We are hoping that everyone who comes to Berne will have a memorable time. We want to host a UEFA European Championship that first and foremost caters for the fans. For that reason we are working on a Berne Framework Programme. It's still too early to divulge any of the details but you can be sure that we have some great plans in store.

On schedule
We started work on the project a long time ago and we are well on track to have it finished on schedule. Those responsible for the project have visited several of the German cities that staged games during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, as we aim to learn from previous tournaments to enrich the footballing experience for you, the fans. We have also started a slogan competition for UEFA EURO 2008™. The people of Berne have the opportunity to either vote for one of four pre-selected slogans or enter a suggestion of their own. So far we have received 1,500 entries for a possible slogan, which is a sign of how committed the people of Berne are to hosting matches.

Public viewing
Following the success of the World Cup in Germany, we have come to the conclusion that Berne should offer the public the opportunity to get together and watch the games on a giant screen in the city. We have decided that the Bundesplatz is the perfect place for such an event. Right now we cannot say exactly how many other locations will be available for public viewings but over the coming weeks and months, we will discuss our options with the relevant authorities and organisations.

Proud mayor
I am very proud and am looking forward to UEFA EURO 2008™ immensely. The World Cup in Germany was a major success which highlighted the amazing passion that football can generate. However, we all know that in the football world following on from success is often the hardest step. That is why thorough preparation is so crucial. The city of Berne is hoping to be the ideal host and we will do everything in our power to make those hopes a reality.