Italy will bid to host Euro 2016 after losing the Euro 2012 contention, Italian football federation (FIGC) president Giancarlo Abete said on Monday.

Italy was beaten in a bid for Euro 2012 by Poland and Ukraine. Abete said Italy would present the new bid next week.

"Italy will present its declaration of interest for the 2016 European championships by (the deadline of) March 9," Abete told a news conference after a FIGC board meeting.

The announcement came on the day that Scotland and Wales dropped plans to co-host Euro 2016 due to the financial demands of the expanded tournament.

Euro 2012 will be the last to feature 16 teams after UEFA voted last year to expand the tournament to 24.

(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2009)