ADVOCATE / sport
Northern Advocate Thursday, June 5, 2008
Euro 2008 Euro 2008
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HE crockery industry in Greece is unlikely to see a frenzied repeat of its 2004 windfall. The country’s footballers sparked much traditional platethrowing in the tavernas with the unlikeliest Greek victory since her armies left a surprise equine ‘‘gift’’ outside the gates of ancient Troy. And 2004 was an ‘‘annus wonderfulis’’ for Greece; that ‘‘away win’’ over the Trojans was celebrated on the big screen, with Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom in the starting line-up — and then there was the small matter of hosting the Olympics in Athens. Otto Rehhagel is a shrewd coach, as he demonstrated when Greece stunned Portugal in the Lisbon final of Euro 2004. But the man who won plaudits and trophies at Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich will have to make history if the Greeks are to retain their European crown. No team — not Michel Platini’s French, Franz Beckenbauer’s Germans, the Ruud Gullit-led Dutch or even the Lev Yashininspired Russians has ever retained the continent’s premier championship since it began in 1960. It is surely good that even the tournament’ underdogs can have their day. Greece was indeed the word in 2004. They arrived in Portugal unsung — but the clues were there. They had been undefeated for almost a year. Wind forward four years, and they were unbeaten since last August until going down 3-2 to Hungary in a recent warm-up. Remarkable though the Greeks’ success was, it didn’t quite eclipse Denmark’s astonishing victory in 1982. The Danes had to give up their beach holidays and, with just two weeks’ preparations, they went on to win a tournament in Sweden for which they hadn’t even qualified. They stepped in when Yugoslavia had to pull out because of the Balkans war. One member of the Danish side that saw off Germany in the final, was Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. He rates the Euro event as the world’s best — even better than the World Cup. ‘‘You have the best players in the world — many of whom are now in the Premier League these days — in the best tournament. The early rounds of the World Cup are not so competitive. They just weed out the weaker teams. In this
Oh, Vienna . . . It means everything to me What do you give the man who’s virtually won it all? Cristiano Ronaldo, right, will cap a stellar year if Portugal lift their first European crown at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium, Austria, on June 30. The Manchester United winger won the Champions League and Premier League this season and was voted Footballer of the Year. What price the full set?
SMILE, PLEASE: Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka obliges a fan at France’s training camp.
HEADS I WIN: France’s former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse has plenty on his mind — notably being cut from the squad at the last minute.
ALL PULL TOGETHER: Austria’s squad try some togetherness ahead of their opening clash with Croatia.
TUTU MUCH: A German fan models a tulle skirt in the national colours. Watch out for them on the terraces.
Greece
is the word
The big teams don’t always rule in Europe — which means it’s anyone’s to win.
GET WEAVING: Italy’s Alex Del Piero in training for their opener against the Dutch in Berne. competition, you have Europe’s best there — and they have to prove themselves from their first match,’’ he said. That could explain why Italy — the current world champions but notoriously slow starters in major championships — have been kings of Europe just once — in 1968. France, in 2000, were the only World Cup holders to go on to lift the European title — though the Germans won in 1972, en-route to
World Cup glory on home soil two years later. Italy are one of the few sides at Euro 2008 not to have a Premier League player in their ranks. They are also in Group C — the one pundits are sure to label ‘‘the Group of Death’’ — with France, the Netherlands and Romania. What sometimes happens in these groupings is the supposed outsiders — Romania in this case — get through when the
PICTURE / REUTERS
favourites focus too much on each other. It could happen here. Italy surprised many by leaving veteran striker Pippo Inzaghi out of their squad, preferring Antonio Cassano, who spent this season at Sampdoria on loan from Real Madrid. Roberto Donadoni’s bosses must support his judgement, though, as the coach has penned an extended contract. Key man for the Italians could be Juventus captain Alex Del
Piero. Now 33, he was Serie A’s leading scorer this season — his 21 goals being his best return since 1998. France coach Raymond Domenech stunned many judges when he left out Del Piero’s Juve strike partner David Trezeguet — who scored the trophy-winning golden goal against Italy in Euro2000. He’ll go with highlyrated Bayern marksman Franck Ribery and, mostly likely, Thierry Henry, even though he has failed to impress at Barcelona. The Dutch looked impressive in beating Ukraine 3-0 in a warm-up in Rotterdam, with Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt on target. And when you consider how much talent coach Marco van Basten didn’t include on the night — Robin van Persie, Mario Melchiot, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Arjen Robben, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Edwin van der Sar and Wesley Sneijder — it’s easy to view the Dutch as a decent shout to repeat their 1988 triumph — assuming they can stagger out of this difficult group. It would be sad to see both hosts, Switzerland (Group A) and Austria (Group B), fail to reach the last eight. But, in their sections, the Czechs, Portugal, Germany and Croatia — who qualified at England’s expense — look too strong. In Group D, the Russians will have been lifted by Zenit St Petersburg’s Uefa Cup win — they have five Zenit starters in their squad. Spain — minus the longserving Raul, who missed out to Liverpool’s Fernando Torres, must live down their tag as perennial big tournament under-performers if they are to progress far. England, meanwhile, can only cast envious eyes towards Greece and the other 15 qualifiers. Fabio Capello’s players — courtesy of Steve McClaren’s failings — can have a little longer to perfect their tans (perhaps even on Greek beaches) before launching their World Cup qualifying campaign in September against Andorra. McClaren, sacked following the most famous act involving an umbrella since Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain — when he strode gingerly to the pitch edge at Wembley to exhort his side in the 3-2 defeat by Croatia, having needed only a point to qualify, will be at the finals. He’s a summariser for BBC radio. His first assignment? Croatia. Life can be — Paul Fry deliciously cruel.
Big shop window — without the Warehouse bargains It’s Europe’s biggest shop window — only without the Warehouse-style prices. Soccer’s transfer market, awash with ever more TV money, doesn’t apparently suffer recession. And clubs won’t be slow to pick up the stars of Euro 2008, paying telephone-number sized fees. Tottenham stole a march on their rivals in a bid to join the ‘big four’ clubs, and their seemingly lifetime gold membership of the Champions League. Spurs picked up the ‘new Johann Cruyff’, Croatia midfielder Luka Modric, for a cool £16.5m ($41m) from Dinamo Zagreb. And Chelsea — one of the
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‘‘golden four’’ — replacements for splashed a similar strikers Andrej amount for young Shevchenko and Portugal full-back or Ivorian Didier Drogba. winger Jose Bosingwa, Rafa Benitez could from FC Porto. plunder his home Chelsea’s fellow nation again to add to ‘‘club-mates’’ Arsenal, his Spanish contingent Liverpool and newlyat Liverpool. crowned European Indeed, if Spain play champions Manchester France in the latter United all have war stages at Euro 2008, it chests, ready to spend will resemble an Luka Modric on the right players. Arsenal v Liverpool Arsene Wenger will be looking match, such is the for a new spine to his Gunners representation of the clubs. That side, having lost goalkeeper Jens at least will give fans of Lehmann and midfielder England, who didn’t qualify, Mathieu Flamini — and not plenty of interest in the properly replaced Thierry tournament — assuming that, Henry. Chelsea may need with the influx of eastern
Europeans into the country in recent years, they won’t be switching allegiance to Poland. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will have been pleased the likes of Wayne Rooney — who broke a foot in Euro 2004 — Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand face an extended summer of rest for once. This could be a major factor in the Premier League next season. Sir Alex will also not have to sort out a warring Rooney and Ronaldo, as he had to after the pair’s unsavoury clashes in 2004, when Portugal beat England on penalties. Only three countries, Italy, Russia and Austria, have no Premier League players in their
ranks. But you wouldn’t bet against their stars — particularly the Russians, after Zenit’s Uefa Cup final win over Rangers — being tracked by at least middle-ranking Premier League clubs. Euro 2008, like all major tournaments, will throw new stars into the soccer firmament. But picking a good ’un isn’t always easy . . . Arsenal fans will remember how manager George Graham went shopping at Euro 1992 and came back with a champion — Denmark’s John Jensen, who scored in the final. Jensen then became a Highbury cult hero for going 98 games before finding the net again.
TRUE COLOURS: A Portuguese fan — but it’s everyone else who’ll need the shades.
Injured Cannavaro stays on to cheer for Italy pals Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro held aloft football’s top prize, the World Cup, two years ago in Berlin — but will miss Euro 2008 after damaging ankle ligaments in training for the event. Cannavaro, 34, will join the five million fans estimated by Uefa to be travelling to support the 16 competing nations — including 40,000 from England, who didn’t even qualify. The Real Madrid defender collided with Giorgio Chiellini in Italy’s first training session in Austria and was last night awaiting an operation. He said: ‘‘This was my last European championship. We are footballers and these things happen.’’ Cannavaro was already looking ahead to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and said: ‘‘I hope to give the coach some difficulties for the next two years when he is selecting squads.’’ Italy’s Roberto Donadoni was among a number of coaches with injury headaches, including Switzerland’s Koebi Kuhn, whose team have the added pressure of being tournament co-hosts. With injured France captain Patrick Vieira also ruled out of their opener against Romania in Zurich on Tuesday (NZT), the tournament was in danger of being submerged by sombre news. There will be several big stars missing — including Raul Gonzalez and David Trezeguet, who didn’t make their countries’ final squad cut. Raul, Spain’s all-time leading
ONE TO WATCH
Bafe´timbi Gomis (France) Saint-Etienne striker, 22, who scored twice on his debut — feat equalled only by Zinedine Zidane — in a 2-0 win against Ecuador. Replaced ex-Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse at half-time and coach Raymond Domenech said: ‘‘I wish him a long career in French team. He has the skills.’’ scorer with 44 goals in 102 appearances, has never won a major international title. Trezeguet scored the ‘‘golden goal’’ that gave France the Euro 2000 title. ‘‘It’s an organisational choice,’’ France coach Raymond Domenech said of Trezeguet. Other big-name players missing include Italy’s Pippo Inzaghi, Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved, Portugal’s Maniche, Turkey striker Hakan Sukur and Netherlands midfielder Clarence Seedorf. But excitement has been building ahead of the tournament: a crowd of 12,000 paid 15 Swiss francs ($18.60) to watch Portugal — AP training in Neuchatel.