Intro:

Local Organising Committee Director in Ukraine Markiyan Lubkivsky on Tuesday (29th May) described Sol Campbell's comments as "insolent", after the former England defender warned fans not to travel to the UEFA European Championships in Ukraine and Poland because of fears of racism and violence.

Script:

The Ukrainian city of Kiev marked ten days to go until the start of the UEFA European Championships on Tuesday (29th May), which Ukraine are co-hosting with Poland.

But it was a day that Ukraine had to defend themselves, after former England defender Sol Campbell warned fans to stay away from Euro 2012 because of fears of racism and violence.

Campbell told BBC's Panorama programme that the tournament should never have been awarded to Poland and Ukraine and advised fans to "stay home, watch it on TV".

However Markiyan Lubkivsky, Local Organising Committee Director in Ukraine was quick to put down Campbell's comments.

SOUNDBITE: (Ukrainian) Markiyan Lubkivsky, Local Organising Committee Director in Ukraine (Responding to former England international Sol Campbell's comments that England fans shouldn't travel to Ukraine because of the threat of racism and violence):

"I don't see any dangers for citizens of different nationalities to stay in Ukraine. We will be glad to see everybody. We are getting ready for the great football festival. If Mr (Sol) Campbell has such a vision, than it is his own point of view, and it can not be projected for the whole country. On the other hand, it (his statement) is simply insolent for us, and we do not understand the aim of such a statement. The best way is to come and to get fun from football."

The first round of matches at Euro 2012 kick off on June 8th.