EURO 2012 mascots named Slavek and Slavko

The UEFA EURO 2012 mascots will be called Slavek and Slavko after the results of a poll of 39,233 people was announced in Kyiv.

Slavek and Slavko received 56% of the votes, finishing well clear of the other sets of names – Siemko & Strimko and Klemek & Ladko – in a fortnight-long ballot. Votes were cast via UEFA.com, in Polish and Ukrainian branches of McDonald's and during a whistle-stop tour that took the mascots to all eight host cities.

Slavek and Slavko will take on the mantle of Trix and Flix, the twins who led a merry dance throughout UEFA EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland.

Voting results
Slavek & Slavko – 56%
Siemko & Strimko – 29%
Klemek & Ladko – 15%

UEFA Executive Committee member František Laurinec, the UEFA president's delegate for UEFA EURO 2012, had the honour of making the official announcement, and told dignitaries and media representatives at Kyiv's Intercontinental Hotel: "I think the mascots promote the host countries very positively. They are young and dynamic, just like Ukraine and Poland."

Football Federation of Ukraine president Grigoriy Surkis and Ukraine's vice prime minister Borys Kolesnikov were among the guests in Kyiv along with representatives from the host cities, while Ukraine national-team coach Olexiy Mykhailychenko was presented as the latest Friend of UEFA EURO 2012.

Ukraine's tournament director Markian Lubkivskiy insisted everything was on track in the Ukrainian host cities, Kyiv, Donetsk, Kharkiv and Lviv. "Our main enemy is time but I'm sure we'll manage," he said. "The tournament is not in any danger."