Following the conclusion of the Federal Councils meeting today, it was announced by FFF (Federation Francaise de Football) president Jean-Pierre Escalettes that France would stand for the right to host the 2016 European Championships.

The year 2016 is very far away, but it is also very close, explained the 73-year-old head of the French game to the AFP news agency. We have left for a battle and we have left to win. On March 9, we will see who our opponents are.

It will take everyone for this to become a success, and it is because we are going through a difficult period that we must mobilise.

The last time France held a major competition was, of course, the 1998 World Cup, and Escalettes hopes that the experience picked up by hosting that competition, which les Bleus ultimately won, will stand the country in good stead for this race.

This will be the first time that 24 teams will have competed in a European Championships, so 23 other sides must live in France, he explained. This was the same in 1998, and hopefully we can get the same result!

Meanwhile, the head of the LFP (Ligue de Football Professionel), Frederic Thiriez, and the chief of amateur body LFA (Ligue de Football Amateur), Fernand Duchaussoy, were united in their support for this project, highlighting the social benefits of the competition.

In these difficult times as far as France is concerned, enthused Thiriez, such a project raises the hopes and dreams of a nation that wants to see one of the most beautiful competitions in the world, the European Championships.

The modernisation of stadiums is not only a challenge for the economical competitiveness of French football, but it could also contribute to the economic recovery through investment and employment.

Meanwhile Duchaussoy chose a similar tack.  All young people, the 1.2 million registered to play football, need to dream, he smiled. And this gives them that dream and motivation.

France, who hosted and won the event in 1984, is likely to need to build several new stadiums to host the event, however, Lille are in the process of constructing a new ground while Olympique Lyon hope to be in a new home, OL Land, by 2012.