Last season's corruption scandal and the ongoing problems with football-related crowd trouble have been big hurdles for the Italian FA to overcome.

However by focusing their bid for the European Championships as an opportunity for a fresh start, the Italians look to have done enough to convince UEFA's executive committee, meeting in Cardiff, to vote for them ahead of joints bids from Croatia-Hungary and Poland-Ukraine.

World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi, who was part of the bid team in Cardiff, said: "Winning the World Cup showed very clearly that football has the strength and the passions to overcome all the problems - our passion for the game prevailed, and will do so again if we are given the opportunity to organise the European Championships."

The biggest factor aiding Italy is that UEFA are falling out of love with the concept of joint hosts despite Euro 2000 being in Holland and Belgium and next year's championships being hosted by Austria and Switzerland.

One senior UEFA source said: "There is no getting away from the fact that there are extra problems to deal with when there are joint hosts - two FAs, two governments and two sets of security forces."

Italy also boast the best infrastructure despite Poland and Ukraine making extravagant promises about building new stadia and transforming the footballing landscape of their countries.

However they are hampered by the sheer size of their countries, especially when put together, a lack of unity during the bid, and that the Polish government have been hauled over the coals by FIFA and UEFA for political interference in the running of the country's football federation.

Poland/Ukraine at least won the battle for celebrity support with Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko, Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek, world heavyweight boxing champions Vitali Klitschko, former pole vault Olympic champion Sergei Bubka and Ukraine president Victor Yushchenko all coming to Cardiff.

Dudek said: "It's a tough competition with tough opponents but we made a fantastic presentation and I hope we impressed the UEFA committee.

"Maybe we don't have the best motorways in Europe yet but maybe if we get the tournament it will give us the chance we need to improve.

"Everyone tells me that Italy have already won but there is still some time before the final whistle."

Dudek saved Shevchenko's penalty in the final of the Champions League two years ago to secure the trophy for Liverpool - and their clubs will play each other in this season's semi-final.

The Polish keeper added: "We have always had a good relationship and now together we fight for one goal. We really want to win this tournament."

Croatia and Hungary should have had high hopes because Hungary came an impressive second in the race for 2008 but neither country has a political heavyweight to garner support among the 12 members of UEFA's executive committee - including FA chairman Geoff Thompson - who will vote tomorrow.

Furthermore, football in Hungary has become so becalmed in the doldrums that there are doubts about the true appetite for holding such a big tournament in the country.

Croatia national team coach Slaven Bilic said it would be a missed opportunity were UEFA to give Euro 2012 to Italy.

Bilic said: "If UEFA give the tournament to Italy, it will be a gift to the Italian FA, but to Croatia and Hungary it would be a gift to the whole country.

"Portugal showed small countries can do it and English fans could watch a match one day, be on the beach the next morning and then go the next morning by car to see another game live."

The Balkan bid can only hope that they will gain some support from new UEFA president Michel Platini's expressed desire to spread the benefits of European football throughout all the 53 member countries.

The 2012 hosts will not have to expand the tournament from 16 teams to 24 however. UEFA are continuing to explore such a possibility but have made it clear that any changes would only come into effect from 2016 onwards.