Names of Euro 2008 mascots revealed

Innsbruck - The twin mascots for the 2008 European Championship have been named Trix and Flix.

The names were unveiled on Tuesday, a day before they make their debut on the field at Innsbruck's Tivoli Neu stadium when Austria face Switzerland in a friendly.

The names were chosen by more than 67 000 Austrian and Swiss soccer fans and won with 36.3 percent of the vote over Flitz and Blitz and Zagi and Zigi, Uefa said in a statement.

"It's like when parents announce the birth of a child," said Christian Mutschler, the Euro 2008 tournament director for Switzerland. "A child's name isn't always to everyone's liking, but the fact 67 406 football fans in Austria and Switzerland cast a vote shows that the names proposed were very popular."

The broad-shouldered figures, presented in Vienna on September 27, are dressed in red-and-white soccer uniforms and have bright red, pointy hairstyles to mirror the shape of the mountain peaks depicted in the official Euro 2008 logo.

Warner Bros Consumer Products' creative team took six months to come up with 100 variations before settling on mascots clad in soccer gear in the national colors of the two hosts.

The pair, wearing numbers 20 and 08, are ascribed magical qualities and different characters, Uefa said. No 08 is the serious and self-controlled type, while No 20 is more rebellious and creative.

Since September 27, Austrian and Swiss supporters had the opportunity to cast their vote on the Internet, at McDonald's restaurants, or via a hotline operated by Telekom Austria, Uefa said. The three pairs of names were chosen by Uefa in consultation with the Swiss and Austrian national associations.

"We suggested names that were short, simple, pronounceable in different languages, and which reflected the lively, happy nature of the mascots," said Christian Schmoelzer, the Euro 2008 tournament director for Austria. - Sapa-AP