NEW ON TV: CNN counts down to the Euro 2012 draws

CNN International will be counting down to this coming Friday’s UEFA Euro 2012 finals draw with a week-long series of special reports and feature programming about 2012’s tournament.

CNN International is dedicating a week of special programming to the championships as football expert, Pedro Pinto, travels to Poland and Ukraine to anchor a week of special reports that will peer inside one of the world’s most-watched sporting events.

Pedro Pinto will look at the personalities, infrastructure, fans, history and venues that will take centre stage on TV screens worldwide next year. Interviews include UEFA president Michel Platini, and the legendary former AC Milan striker Andrei Shevchenko.

Pedro Pinto will also meet the former Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, and one of the world’s greatest ever players, Zinedine Zidane, to hear what the Euro Championships conjure up for them. CNN International will also be examining the host nations’ infrastructure and stadia.

In a daily feature on CNN International leading up to the draw, Pedro Pinto will look at the runners and riders in the tournament, picking out the players to watch and asking who can stop the all-conquering European and World Champions, Spain.

Euro 2012 is a global event, of interest far outside the continent itself, with some of the greatest footballers in the game taking part,” says Mike McCarthy, vice president of coverage and feature programming for CNN International.

It’s also a cultural festival and a huge logistical undertaking, and we want to get under the skin of all the stories that are emerging ahead of the draw, and picking up some of the threads that we’ll be following all the way to the tournament itself next summer,” says Mike McCarthy.

CNN Internationl will also present a half hour special UEFA Euro 2012: The Final Draw on Saturday 3 December at 9:30am, 6:30pm and 11pm (WAT) and Sunday 4 December at 8:30am.