Euro 2016: "France must be there for Euro 2016, and we will be there" (François Hollande)

"France must be there for Euro 2016, and we will be there," stated the president of the republic, François Hollande, at the luncheon to launch Euro 2016, held in Paris at the Palais de l'Élysée, on 11/09/2014.

"France has often been behind and delayed with its sports facilities and infrastructure, especially for hosting such events. Thanks to the Euro (tournament), we will catch up," added François Hollande.

The luncheon included several officials involved in Euro 2016: Michel Platini, president of UEFA (Union of European Football Associations); Gianni Infantino, general secretary of UEFA; Noël Le Graët, president of the FFF (French Football Federation); Jacques Lambert, president of the EURO 2016 SAS organising company; Manuel Valls, the prime minister of France; Patrick Kanner, the Minister for Urban Affairs, Youth and Sports, and his Secretary of State for Sport, Thierry Braillard, along with many other ministers (Interior, Foreign Affairs, Culture, Education); and Alain Juppé, the mayor of Bordeaux and president of the group representing the Euro 2016 sites and other local…