Croatia, Hungary shocked by failure

Shock and disappointment have gripped the soccer scene in Croatia and Hungary after their joint bid to stage the Euro 2012 finals ended in tatters.

Croatia's FA (HNS) president Vlatko Markovic has come under heavy pressure from both the government and his aides while the media in Hungary described the outcome as "a slap in the face" and "nullification" yesterday.

"We are stunned with what is a very strange decision," Markovic told reporters in Zagreb.

Markovic claimed that as late as Monday their bid was being regarded as joint-favourite along with the Italian candidature.

"On Monday, we learned a UEFA sub-committee had assessed bids from Italy and ourselves as level favourites while the Poland-Ukraine bid was deemed uncompetitive. It's a complete mystery to us what happened after that," he said.

The UEFA executive committee gave eight votes to Poland and Ukraine, four to Italy and none to Hungary and Croatia when the ballot was held in Cardiff.

The outcome has triggered an avalanche of criticism for Markovic's outspoken optimism in the run-up to the ballot while Croatia's Prime Minister Ivo Sanader asked the HNS to explain why the bid had "ended in debacle."