With just under a year to go until the start of Euro 2008, voters will decide on Sunday whether to back the city government's contribution of 5.6 million Swiss francs (HK$35.2 million) toward hosting the group stage games.

The city's main political parties have all come out in favor of the payment, but a small committee of green and left-wing politicians are urging voters to reject it - arguing that public money is being used to boost profits at Uefa.

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"We are not enemies of football," committee member Daniele Jenni said. "We just think it's unjustifiable that taxpayers' money is being used to support a big organization such as Uefa which is more than capable of covering its own costs."

Those backing the tournament argue that the money is being used primarily to fund events outside of the football stadium, including public viewing areas, which will generate additional revenue for the local economy.

"It's highly unlikely that we can stage the matches if the voters come out against the government contribution," Berne's Euro 2008 project leader Marcel Bruelhart said. "The only alternative would be through private sponsorship which would be hard in the time remaining."

Euro 2008 chief operating officer Martin Kallen confirmed that a "no" vote could see the group stage matches moved away from Berne. "One solution could be for the games in Berne to be shared out instead among the other three Swiss host cities of Zurich, Geneva and Basle," he said.

In 2002, Berne voters rejected the city's bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, despite the fact that the city had been short-listed by the IOC.

Euro 2008, co-hosted by Switzerland and Austria, will run from June 7 to 29.

REUTERS