Euro falls vs dollar on fears debt crisis may spread * Spain's Catalonia asks for help, raises contagion fears * Uncertainty in Greece keeps sentiment bearish US dollar
NEW YORK, May 25 (Reuters) - The euro slipped to near two-year lows against the dollar on Friday, rattled by fears of a possible Greek exit from the euro zone and the risk other debt-plagued countries could also leave the bloc. A plea from Spain's wealthiest autonomous region, Catalonia, for help from the central government to refinance its debt this year was the latest news to hit the euro, which was on track for its worst weekly showing in five months.. Catalonia's appeal reverberated across financial markets. Spanish and Italian bonds sold off, equities fell, and U.S. crude oil futures turned negative. "The Catalonia news was a big deal because it implies that the Spanish government may have to take on more debt and it cannot afford to do so," said Richard Franulovich, senior currency strategist at Westpac Securities in New York. "It looks like all the euros that were bought need to be resold. For now, it's all about contagion," he added. In mid-afternoon New York trading, the euro slipped 0.2 percent to $1.2511, after earlier falling to a nearly two-year low of $1.2495, using Reuters data, taking out a key options barrier at $1.25. The common currency has lost 5.5 percent against the dollar so far this month and is facing its fourth straight week of losses, raising the possibility of a test of the 2010 low of $1.1875. It has dropped 2.1 percent this week, placing the euro on pace for its worst weekly performance since mid December.