While visiting cities in Ukraine, which along with Poland will co-host the 2012 European Championship that kicks off in June, UEFA president Michel Platini attacked skyrocketing hotel rates imposed for the competition.

Amid growing concerns over the price of accommodation, Platini during a visit to Lviv Thursday said, "It's annoying to have made a lot of investment and then say to people that they can't come because there are bandits and crooks who want to make a lot of money during this Euro. Yes, this worries me. I think that the authorities are there to make sure that things are respected," he added. "You can't change [the price of a room] from 40 euros ($52] to 100 [$130] and then up to 500 {$650] just like that from one day to the other, this just is not done."

He indicated that some Ukrainian hotel owners were also not respecting contracts for rooms agreed before the championships. "I hope for your sake [Ukraine] that the contracts which hoteliers have made will be respected as otherwise the people are not going to come," he added.