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Decision expected on club finals venues

UEFA will decide this week on the venues for the European club finals of 2006 and 2007 and how the qualifying competition for Euro 2008 to be held in Austria and Switzerland will work.

The qualifying round will consist of seven groups of six teams and one of eight and the decision needed now is how the 14 qualifiers to join co-hosts Switzerland and Austria will be determined.

Meanwhile, UEFA president Johansson, who will be 76 in November, is expected to formally confirm to congress his decision to retire next year after what would be 16 years as president and not stand for re-election for a fifth term.

Frenchman Michel Platini has already declared his presidential candidature and Franz Beckenbauer of Germany is expected to announce his, either this week in Tallinn or in the near future.

A number of seasoned UEFA politicians like senior vice-president Senes Erzik of Turkey or Mathieu "Jeu" Sprengers of the Netherlands, UEFA's treasurer, could also declare their intentions in due course.

They might wait though until UEFA decides whether the election will be held in 2006 or be moved back to 2007 and then subsequently held in odd-numbered years so as not to conflict with World Cups or European championships.

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