England intend to enjoy Krakow nightlife at Euros
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Your support makes all the difference.Fabio Capello's England squad are likely to be based in the Polish university city of Krakow for next summer's Euro 2012 tournament in a move away from the isolation they experienced in South Africa at the last World Cup finals.
The Football Association is yet to sign a deal with a hotel and also has an option to stay just outside Warsaw but Krakow is the preferred destination, wherever their games are played. It will allow the players to have leisure time away from their base, unlike in South Africa where there were few options other than the golf course to unwind in their remote hotel outside Rustenburg.
The England players will be consulted over the choice of hotel. The hotel and training ground will be booked before the group-stage draw for the tournament is held in Kiev on 2 December.
Krakow is regarded as the most attractive Polish city and is a popular tourist spot. It is not one of the Euro 2012 host cities and therefore will not be subject to the influx of fans to watch games. The FA hopes this will make it a quieter option for the team to base themselves in.
Although it is possible that England could have to play all their group games in Ukraine, which is co-hosting the tournament, there is no prospect of them basing themselves there. The facilities in Ukraine were judged as below the required standard when England played there in a World Cup qualifier in 2009.
Wayne Rooney's club manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, yesterday offered the England striker support after he was sent off last Friday against Montenegro for kicking out at an opponent. Ferguson said Rooney's "fiery temper" was "no bad thing" and insisted: "Wayne has shown tremendous improvement in terms of his temperament over the past few years."
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