Spain celebrate after the Euro 2008 final

Spain's Sergio Ramos, Cesc Fabregas and Xabi Alonso, from right, celebrate after the Euro 2008 final between Germany and Spain in the Ernst-Happel stadium in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, July 29, 2008, the last day of the European Soccer Championships in Austria and Switzerland. Spain defeated Germany 1-0.

Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger lies on the pitch

Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger lies on the pitch (not with his girlfriend) after the Euro 2008 final between Germany and Spain in the Ernst-Happel stadium in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, July 29, 2008, the last day of the European Soccer Championships in Austria and Switzerland. Spain defeated Germany 1-0.
(AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Spain wins first major in 44 years

By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports Writer

Spain made sure it didn’t disappoint any of its fans Sunday night, both during its 1-0 victory over Germany to win the European Championship, and after it.

Fernando Torres scored in the 33rd minute and the Spaniards never backed down against such a formidable opponent. Their last significant title came in the 1964 Euros at home.

“It is to me the most important day in Spanish football in many, many years,” Torres said.

Against the highly accomplished Germans, the Spaniards weren’t intimidated. They got the one goal they needed—from a slumping striker, no less—and set off chants of “ES-PANA!” and “Ole, Ole Ole!” at the final whistle.

The entire Spanish squad ran over to the huge rooting section of red and gold, exchanging hugs, while many of the spent Germans collapsed to the turf.


When Spain goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas accepted the trophy on a stage, the Spanish fans began chanting the melody to their national anthem, which has no words. Thousands of camera flashes went off as the players jumped in place, then headed onto the field to show off their prize.

The Spaniards weren’t close to finished with their celebration that was so long in the making. They marched to their rooting section, hoisting the cup and saluting their flag-waving, firecracker-exploding fans.

“We have won in a brilliant way,” coach Luis Aragones said. “We will be able to start saying we can win, a European championship as well as any other thing.”

In beating a team that makes a habit of appearing in championship finals, the Spaniards put to rest a reputation for underachieving. Always loaded with talented players, Spain has spent four decades falling short of expectations.

That all changed at these Euros, where the Spaniards swept their first-round games, eliminated World Cup champion Italy in a penalty-kicks shootout in the quarterfinals, then routed Russia 3-0 in the semifinals.

“We played the best for the entire tournament and we beat some great teams,” Torres said. “We beat Italy, the World Cup champion, and we beat Russia and now Germany. That is how you become champion.”

Germany has won three Euros and three World Cups, but was no match in this final. Captain Michael Ballack, questionable before the game with a calf injury, started, but hardly was noticeable—except when he left for several minutes to have a bloody right eye treated.

“We had a great tournament, but made one mistake too many,” Ballack said. “We were lacking of power against a great Spanish team. We couldn’t keep up with them.”

Torres, who had 33 goals for Liverpool this season but has been invisible in Euros, came through off a brilliant feed from Xavi Hernandez.

Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, at 38 the oldest player in the competition, charged from his net when he saw that defender Philipp Lahm was beaten on the right side. But Torres chipped the ball over the sliding Lehmann and into the gaping goal.

The crowd of 51,428 at Ernst Happel Stadium, split almost equally between Germany and Spain, might have expected the Spaniards to go into a protective shell. Instead, and even without leading scorer David Villa (leg injury), they continued to carry the attack and were far more dangerous than Germany the rest of the way.


Spain's Sergio Ramos, Cesc Fab…

AP - Jun 29, 6:28 pm EDT
Indeed, Lehmann, who helped the Germans to third place in the 2006 World Cup, kept it close with several tough saves.

This was the last game for 69-year-old Aragones, the oldest coach to win the Euros.

“The most important thing about our team, perhaps, is the manager,” Torres said. “He has confidence in us and he lets us play. We have brought him the championship in his last game for Spain and we are very happy we could make this history for him and for us.”

Germany’s Joachim Loew has a contract through the 2010 World Cup, but will need to find the spark Germany showed only periodically in Austria and Switzerland.

“Spain played very well during the whole tournament. and they were technically excellent,” Loew said. “They fully deserve victory.”

A crowd of about 68,000 packed Vienna’s downtown fan zone to watch the final, police said. In Germany, flags fluttered from balconies and car antennas across the country. In Berlin, an estimated 400,000 fans watched the game on large outdoor screens.

Spain has never made a World Cup final and was in one other Euros final, aside from the 1964 triumph. That was a loss to France in 1984.

Otherwise, there had been nothing but disappointment and early exits from big tournaments. Two years ago, the Spaniards were dynamic in the opening round in Germany, then fizzled against France.

With two of the world’s top clubs, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, the nation has tons of talent. What it has lacked is fortitude.

No one can say that anymore.

Torres ends Spain's long wait for glory

Spain became European champions for the second time after Fernando Torres's first-half goal in Vienna proved enough to defeat Germany in the final of UEFA EURO 2008™.

History an inspiration
Spain had won their only previous piece of silverware in this competition in 1964 and had not been beyond the quarter-finals of any tournament in 24 years, yet Luis Aragonés's men chose to use that history as an inspiration rather than a burden. After a strong start from Germany, seeking a fourth title themselves, Spain were the more dangerous side throughout an entertaining final at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion although it took just one goal – in the 33rd minute, courtesy of Torres's pace, perseverance and unerring finish – to end their long wait.

Ballack boost
Germany received a significant boost before kick-off with captain Michael Ballack included despite a much-publicised calf problem, and, perhaps buoyed by that news, Joachim Löw's team settled quickly. Much had been made of the contrast in style between the sides yet in the opening exchanges it was Germany whose passing looked crisper, Miroslav Klose and Thomas Hitzlsperger failing to make the most of glimpses of goal. Meanwhile Spain, shorn of four-goal leading scorer David Villa due to a thigh injury, struggled to find their feet in a new 4-5-1 formation in which Cesc Fàbregas was rewarded for a fine semi-final display with a starting place.

Instinctive stop
As an indicator of the pattern of the match, however, Germany's bright beginning proved misleading. Spain soon worked their way into the contest, with Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann – becoming, at 38, the oldest player to appear in a UEFA European Championship final – forced into action for the first time in the 14th minute. Although his instinctive save came when his own defender, Christoph Metzelder, inadvertently deflected Andrés Iniesta's cross towards his own goal, Xavi Hernández's fine through pass had unpicked the Germany defence and showed the Spanish were finding their feet.

Torres on target
Right-back Sergio Ramos was then allowed to cut inside and deliver a deep cross, Torres peeling away from Per Mertesacker to create space for the header only for the right-hand post to come to Lehmann's rescue. The warning signs were there for Germany, yet they failed to heed them and duly fell behind three minutes past the half-hour. Again Xavi was the architect, playing a pass in behind the Germany back line towards Torres, who outmuscled a hesitant Philipp Lahm and clipped the ball over the diving Lehmann and just inside the far post. David Silva then volleyed over Iniesta's cross when given time and space inside the area as Spain threatened to increase their lead.

Spain openings
Spain had more openings in the early stages of the second half, Lehmann getting the merest of touches to Xavi's low shot before Ramos nearly guided in Silva's drive from the resulting corner. Yet a hint of the threat Germany still posed arrived on the hour, substitute Marcell Jansen and Bastian Schweinsteiger combining for Ballack to shoot centimetres wide. Klose then deflected a Schweinsteiger effort past the post and, in response to Germany's renewed menace, Spain coach Aragonés promptly introduced Xabi Alonso and Santi Cazorla in place of Fàbregas and Silva. The switches reinvigorated Spain instantly, Lehmann making smart stops from Ramos and Iniesta while Torsten Frings blocked another Iniesta effort on the line.

Celebrations
As the final moved into the last 20 minutes, Spain had had seven shots on goal to Germany's one, but with the Mannschaft having turned virtually one in two of their attempts on target into goals en route to the final, that would have been scant consolation to Aragonés and his side. In the event, however, it was Spain who continued to carve out chances as the match reached its conclusion, Marcos Senna narrowly failing to apply the finishing touch to an unselfish header from substitute Daniel Güiza – but the celebrations would not be delayed much longer.

Vienna Fan Zone nears million mark

The official UEFA EURO 2008™ Fan Zone in Vienna is expecting its millionth visitor on Sunday as supporters gather for the final between Germany and Spain.
Huge numbers
In addition, organisers hope the four million mark for Fan Zones across Austria and Switzerland will be broken before the end of the tournament to cap a great success, despite the rain. In Vienna, over 950,000 fans have already visited the Fan Zone helping to create a great atmosphere. "The Fan Zone project has been very successful and the atmosphere has been extraordinary," said Alan Ridley, head of sponsorship and event promotion for UEFA.

Atmosphere
The eight official Fan Zones have not only delivered some impressive figures but also helped create the positive feeling that surrounds the tournament. There has been entertainment aside from the football with over 500 different acts helping fans get in the mood and some 5,300 journalists have visited the Fan Zones to report on the atmosphere. If there was a title for European fan champions it would probably go to the Netherlands, with over 400,000 Dutch fans converging on Berne and Basel for their four games, meaning they accounted for ten per cent of all visitors. The running grand total of Fan Zone visitors after the Russia-Spain semi-final was just 200,000 shy of four million.

Who will win Euro 2008 Final – hear the people!

There to be shown something that might make us change our minds. And oh did we ever! Far from the dominant Russians playing another blinder and wearing down the misfiring Spaniards, the Red Fury kept hold of the ball all night and scored three magnificent goals. Congratulations chaps!

And now the wait is over… the final of Euro 2008 is taking place on Sunday, and if the CPI is to be believed, then Germany have to be favourites. The bookies may disagree, but we can’t deny that the CPI nailed it when they got the two finalists spot on way back in late May!

However – in true blogging spirit, we decided that the experts, statisticians and indeed ourselves, could go and ‘take a hike’ as far as this post was concerned! So we asked the good people of The (rather dingy) Porterhouse what was going to happen on Sunday! Good people of England hear your peers, for this will enlighten everything about last night, Sunday’s game, and who will be champions of Europe!

Fenerbahçe trio come good for Turkey

Six months ago, if anyone had suggested that Semih Şentürk, Kazım Kazım or Uğur Boral would start for Turkey in a UEFA EURO 2008™ semi-final against Germany, the identity of the trio would have been considered even more unlikely than Fatih Terim's squad getting to Wednesday's showdown in Basel at all.
Record run
Of the trio, only striker Semih even took part in qualifying and he and the two wingers had amassed just ten caps between them when the year began. Yet Terim named the three in his finals squad ahead of the likes of record cap-holder Hakan Şükür, and that they are being given such a responsibility has more than a little to do with Fenerbahçe SK's own European heroics this season. They had never previously progressed past the UEFA Champions League group stage but FC Internazionale Milano, PSV Eindhoven, PFC CSKA Moskva and Sevilla FC were all defeated before Fenerbahçe fell to Chelsea FC – and even then the eventual runners-up were beaten 2-1 in Istanbul as Fenerbahçe equalled Galatasaray AS's 2000/01 quarter-final run, propelling some new names into Terim's thoughts.

Uğur return
Uğur had won seven caps in 2006 after showing promise at Gençlerbirligi SK, but following his move to Fenerbahçe that summer he endured a difficult campaign. That all changed this term when he was given a UEFA Champions League debut against CSKA in December, and in a brilliant performance scored twice in a 3-2 win, ensuring himself a regular starting position and, by February, a Turkey recall. Semih, meanwhile, had already netted against PSV in November having received his long-awaited chance in Mateja Kežman's absence. But even when the Serbian striker returned, Semih began to score regularly as a substitute, most crucially striking the late winner in a 3-2 success against Sevilla. He has carried that habit into the EURO – having registered just once for Turkey beforehand, he has added two more with the equalisers against Switzerland and Croatia.

Swift rise
As for Kazım Kazım, little over a year ago he had just been relegated from the Premier League with Sheffield United FC under his English name Colin Kazim-Richards. Yet a memorable summer brought a surprise transfer to Fenerbahçe and a Turkey debut against Brazil. It was when he came off the bench to equalise in the 2-1 win against Chelsea in April, however, that the 21-year-old truly gained an international profile, becoming a regular starter. Terim soon recalled him and has used him in all four finals games.

Hunger
The coach has no qualms about such inexperienced players taking on such burdens against Germany. "Before coming here, I was asked if experience was important or hunger for success and I said hunger was important," he said. "They are young but hungry and this is what the team is benefiting from. I have been using Kazım since the beginning of the tournament and he is of a nature where he can control his excitement, and tomorrow we can make use of those players. They are young but I do not consider it a disadvantage as the dynamism you get from them is just as important and can benefit the team."

EURO bonus for Vienna

Aside from the many other benefits that come with staging an event like UEFA EURO 2008™, host city Vienna has already received a significant economic boost.
'Massive exposure'
The Ernst-Happel-Stadion still has two more matches to hold – the last-four clash between Spain and Russia and the final – but already the benefits of staging the tournament have become apparent. "Vienna has never had so much exposure in the media, both as the ideal host city as well as a great destination away from football," said Vienna's financial and economic city council Renate Brauner. "It has helped the city's tourism campaign invaluably."

A full house
Tourism director Norbert Kettner added: "Vienna's 47,000 beds have been almost fully booked since the beginning of the tournament. And the demand has risen consistently since the group stage match between Austria and Germany. There are only a few rooms still available for the semi-final and final." The city's authorities feel EURO has opened the door for thousands of people from different nations to experience all that Vienna has to offer, and the Austrian capital is likely to feel the benefits for years to come.

Final destination just a step away

If the quarter-finals are anything to go by, we should be in for quite a ride later this week when Germany play Turkey and Russia face Spain in the UEFA EURO 2008™ semi-finals.
Surprises
Few would have backed Turkey and Russia to reach the last four after both kicked off with opening-day defeats, but in a tournament of surprises they will have belief in their ability to go all the way. Fatih Terim's Turkey may be depleted by injuries and suspensions but they have proved their resilience with remarkable victories in their last three matches. They will aim to overturn the odds against Germany also, in Basel on Wednesday.

Rematch
Spain have already beaten Russia once in these finals, although coach Luis Aragonés will know not to expect another 4-1 success when the teams meet again in Vienna on Thursday. Russia have won three straight games to get there and the imperious way in which they brushed the Netherlands aside on Saturday suggests Guus Hiddink's side will not be going into the rematch with an inferiority complex. Who do you think is going through and why? Let us know below.

Zidane's expert eye on EURO

He is watching a tournament for the first time since 1994 and former French international Zinédine Zidane is thoroughly enjoying UEFA EURO 2008™, although he freely admits to not having the first idea who will win.
'Fan's eyes'
"It's been a wonderful tournament with fantastic matches," Zidane, who turns 36 today and retired two years ago following his side's defeat by Italy in the FIFA World Cup final, told euro2008.com. "I've had a lot of pleasure watching the games. It's the first tournament for a while in which I'm not playing myself so I have been following it from outside and enjoying it with my family. I look with a fan's eyes and I really enjoy watching these games because they are top-level matches."

Arshavin admiration
As one of the most world's foremost creative talents it is not surprising that Zidane – in Vienna to hold a coaching clinic for children as part of his role as an adidas ambassador – focuses mainly on the more aesthetic side of the game, with one player in particular catching his eye. "In the game [against the Netherlands] the Russia No10, [Andrei] Arshavin, impressed many of us. Everything he does is surprising. He is very young and it's his first major tournament so to be able to play the way he does is surprising enough to talk about."

Les Bleus let-down
A European champion with France in 2000, Zidane could only watch as Les Bleus lost to the Netherlands and Italy to fall at the first hurdle this time round, although he pinpoints the opening draw with Romania as the crucial factor. "The problem was that we had to win the first game," he explained. "It's so important to start well in such a competition; we had to beat Romania because the following matches were the Netherlands and Italy so we had to win that one. I'm disappointed, of course, because as a fan and ex-national player I had many expectations. I expected them to do better, it didn't work out but I am sure that the French team has a bright future and especially for the 2010 World Cup."

Portugal praise
France aside, Zidane professed to a particular affection for a side who lost in the quarter-finals, adding: "My favourite team was Portugal, but unfortunately they're not in the tournament any more. They were a complete team, had many good individual players who are very strong technically and were strong in defence. It's always important to have good individual qualities and good forwards, but it's even more important not to concede goals and Portugal had this potential before the quarter-final against Germany. Of course they played against a very strong German side which hadn't done so well in their previous matches, but they played a perfect game against Portugal."

'Beautiful teams'
Germany will meet Turkey in the semi-finals in Basel on Wednesday with Spain taking on Russia in Vienna a day later, yet Zidane is still reluctant to single out any one team as likely champions. "Germany are always there for important matches, they're always amongst the last four and [Michael] Ballack leads his team in a great manner. Russia have proved that they have a great quality as a team, especially against the Netherlands. They're physically well prepared and that allowed them to beat the Netherlands; they were a lot fresher in extra time. There are still beautiful teams and in such tournaments there are always surprises. I hope they will be great matches. I have no idea who'll win; my prediction would not be correct."

Daina Zagata Dutch Oranje Angel

She started to follow the Dutch in her angel-costume at the WC2006. “Tabloid Panorama is chasing me for months now, they want to shoot some erotic photo’s, well…no can do. That’s not going to happen

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Daina Zagata picture the Dutch orange angel

Daina Zagata, Dutch orange angel, from Lithuania She smiles sweetly, the eyes soothing, the wings give you a feeling of safety, the beautiful orange colour… Her blonde hair, the curves… She floats through EURO 2008 - Bern and most fans have adopted her as dreamgirl, national mascot and guardian angel.
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Daina Zagata the Oranje Angel

Here she is again, our Oranje Angel. She graced many a magazine and newspaper cover already and in particular with this pic. She smiles sweetly, the eyes soothing, the wings give you a feeling of safety, the beautiful orange colour… Her blonde hair, the curves… She floats through Bern and most fans have adopted her as dreamgirl, national mascot and guardian angel.

And she isn’t even Dutch.

Daina Zagata, 32 years old, is from Lituania: “The wings were an idea of my boyfriend (Jan: Bugger!). We run a shop in Limburg (south of Holland). The wings are inspired by Van Breukelen’s angel on the crossbar. Van der Sar needs one too, so here I am (Jan: Buggerty-bugger!!).”

Angel Daina has been discovered by dozens of photographers and camera-teams and seems to become a celebrity thanks to her …eh…wings.

She started to follow the Dutch in her angel-costume at the WC2006. “Tabloid Panorama is chasing me for months now, they want to shoot some erotic photo’s, well…no can do. That’s not going to happen

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Smile of Bastian Schweinsteiger girlfriend

Sarah Brandner, girlfriend of Bastian Schweinsteiger smiles after Germany defeated Portugal during the UEFA EURO 2008 Quarter Final match between Portugal and Germany at St. Jakob-Park on June 19, 2008 in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)

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Bastian Schweinsteiger girlfriend Has Come

Bastian Schweinsteiger, his girlfriend Sarah Brandner and Thomas Hitzlsperger (R-L) walk to the team bus after the arrival of the German national soccer team at the airport of Palma de Mallorca May 19, 2008. The German team will prepare for the upcoming European Championships until May 30.

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Sexy Bastian Schweinsteiger girlfriend

Sarah Brandner, the girlfriend of German national soccer player Bastian Schweinsteiger, models a Bavarian Dirndl dress designed for the upcoming Euro 2008 soccer championships in Munich June 6, 2008

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Bastian Schweinsteiger’s girlfriend Sarah Brandner Drink

Bastian Schweinsteiger’s girlfriend Sarah Brandner holding two beers prior to the quarter final between Germany and Portugal (3-2).

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(Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Bastian Schweinsteiger hugs his girlfriend Sarah Brandner

Germany's midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger (C) hugs his girlfriend Sarah Brandner (L) and his mother to celebrate after the Euro 2008 Championships quarter-final football match between Portugal and Germany at the St. Jakob Park Stadium on June 19, 2008 in Basel, Switzerland. Germany won the match 2-3 and will play in the semi-final on June 25. AFP PHOTO DDP / TORSTEN SILZ - MOBILE SERVICES OUT- (Photo credit should read TORSTEN SILZ/AFP/Getty Images)

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Hot Kisses Bastian Schweinsteiger girlfriend Sarah Brandner

Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger, right, kisses his girlfriend Sarah Brandner after the quarterfinal match between Portugal and Germany in Basel, Switzerland, Thursday, June 19, 2008, at the Euro 2008 European Soccer Championships in Austria and Switzerland. Germany defeated Portugal 3-2.

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Nihat the miracle-maker

After putting two goals past Petr Čech in the last four minutes of their final group game to lead Turkey to the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-finals, Nihat Kahveci is understandably on something of a high at the moment. Little wonder he can look ahead with confidence to Friday's showdown with Croatia and declare: "If we qualify for the semi-finals, it might seem like a miracle for the rest of the world, but not for us."

National dream
Even now, though, the 28-year-old Villarreal CF striker admits it is hard to take in what happened in the match against the Czech Republic in Geneva on Sunday. "It is very difficult to sum up this happiness with only one sentence," Nihat, skippering Turkey due to Emre Belözoğlu's absence through injury, told euro2008.com. "After we went 2-0 down, nobody was expecting such a victory from us. But after our first goal, we saw that they were worried. After the goal, we talked to each other and said: 'Let's give it everything. If we lose, it's not a problem, but we should give our best.' I cannot express my feelings when I first saw the ball in the net. I think that moment was a crucial moment for the whole country. I can say that those two goals were the best two goals that I have ever scored."

Comeback kings
It was the second time in as many games that Turkey had come from behind to secure a last-gasp win at these finals, after the 2-1 defeat of Switzerland. But Nihat longs for a more comfortable victory, saying: "I prefer scoring the first goal. We are the only team that concedes the first goal and then goes on to win. We feel very happy about that and can worry our opponents with this weapon. But, to repeat, I prefer scoring the first goal. I think we proved to everybody that the game is 90 minutes long and the Turkish national team doesn't give up before the final whistle."

Croatia encounter
Turkey have now moved from their first-round base in Nyon in western Switzerland to Krems in north-western Austria, as they prepare to take on Croatia in Vienna. "We respect Croatia," Nihat said, looking ahead to the quarter-final against Slaven Bilić's side. "They were in a tough group and collected nine points from three games. But we are in the last eight and we have enough self-confidence. We have only 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, you can play in the semi-finals and then maybe the final. Of course, mistakes will be punished at this stage. In football, little details decide matches. I hope on Friday these small details will be with us."

Bilić wary of the Turkey factor

"There is no 'but'," says Slaven Bilić, adamant that his Croatia team will confound doubters and maintain their excellent forward momentum in Friday's UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-final showdown with Turkey.
Positive pressure
Consecutive wins over Austria, Germany and Poland not only gave the Croatians first place in Group B, they also sparked theories that Bilić and his charges might become victims of their own success. Traditionally more comfortable when cast as underdogs, Croatia head into the match at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion with many expecting them to prevail. "We're not complacent and we won't stop," said Bilić. "It's our intention to go as far as possible. Of course we're under pressure and the pressure's rising, but it's a positive pressure. We welcome it. It can only motivate us more and make us play better."

Turkish comebacks
The 39-year-old was a player when the sides first met at EURO '96™, in a game that marked both countries' tournament debut. Croatia emerged 1-0 winners thanks to a late Goran Vlaović strike, but it is Turkey who have been registering the last-gasp goals recently. Remarkable comeback victories over Switzerland and the Czech Republic booked their passage to the knockout phase from Group A, and Bilić is wary of their never-say-die spirit. "That shows how strong they are," he said. "We must be fully concentrated until the final whistle. They have good morale and they don't give up. It's praiseworthy but it also shows their weakness. Nobody wants to trail in a match and to have to come back."
Injury problems
The Croatians are yet to go behind in this tournament and are likely to field the same lineup that overcame Germany 2-1, with Ivan Rakitić and Darijo Srna both back in training again after picking up slight knocks. Croatia cannot boast a totally clean bill of health as fringe players Igor Budan and Dario Knežević will miss the rest of the competition with knee injuries, although compared with Turkey they are positively fighting fit. Emre Güngör (calf), Servet Çetin (hip and knee), Emre Belözoğlu and Tümer Metin (both groin) are all unavailable to Fatih Terim for fitness reasons, while goalkeeper Volkan Demirel and defensive midfielder Mehmet Aurélio are suspended. On the plus side, Emre Aşık (head) and Gökhan Zan (knee) appear to have recovered and will pair up in central defence.

'No excuses'
"We have no excuses," said Terim, who was also coach when Turkey succumbed to Bilić and co in 1996. "It doesn't matter who plays at the back, in midfield or up front. What's important is how the players perform, not their names. All our injured players are important to us, but their replacements can do a good job." The 54-year-old nonetheless expressed his support for stand-in goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber: "We believe in him. He has lots of big tournament experience." Unsurprisingly enough, however, the priority for Terim will be to avoid the need for yet another stunning comeback. "For once, we hope we can start the game well, but we're ready for 90 minutes, 120 minutes or penalties and we've lost none of our bravery."

Two-match ban for Volkan Demirel

Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel has been suspended for two matches following his dismissal in his side's 3-2 victory against the Czech Republic on Sunday.

Suspension
Volkan Demirel was sent off in the second minute of added time in Turkey's final Group A game for pushing Czech striker Jan Koller and will now miss the quarter-final against Croatia in Vienna on Friday. Should Turkey win that match, the 26-year-old Fenerbahçe SK player will also be suspended for the semi-final – if not, the ban will apply to Turkey's next official international fixture for which he is eligible. The 35-year-old Rüştü Reçber is expected to deputise against Croatia in Volkan Demirel's absence. The Turkish Football Association has also been fined CHF44,000 (€27,190) for the improper conduct of its supporters, players and officials at the game.

Knockout ticket sales via national FAs

Fans of teams reaching the UEFA EURO 2008™ knockout rounds have been advised to contact their national association in order to obtain tickets.
Via the associations
"There has been conjecture that tickets are being sold by [UEFA] for the knockout phase, this is not the case," said Euro 2008 SA media relations officer Pascale Vögeli in Basel on Tuesday. "The only way to obtain tickets now is via the associations – this information was communicated some time ago. The national associations [concerned] are dealing with the sale of their tickets. For the quarter-finals, 6,000 tickets will be available to each participating association, and 6,000 tickets will also go to each association that qualifies for the semi-finals. Fans who do not have their tickets should contact their association."

EURO drama just gets better

The knockout stage is yet to begin and already UEFA EURO 2008™ has provided more twists and turns than an Alpine road.

High drama
A flood of late goals has kept fans guessing to the end throughout the first round, but nothing has matched the drama in Geneva on Sunday when Nihat Kahveci's last-gasp goals turned the Group A finale on its head and sent Turkey through to the quarter-finals at the Czech Republic's expense. The Netherlands' 3-0 win against Italy set the bar high in this tournament and the standard has been maintained ever since, with the quality on show matched in equal measure by high drama and excitement. From Arda Turan's late strike against Switzerland via Gianluigi Buffon's penalty save against Romania to David Villa's winner against Sweden, UEFA EURO 2008™ just gets better and better. How much have you enjoyed it so far and how does it compare to past tournaments?

Ballack setting sights on Portugal

Germany captain Michael Ballack said Portugal are favourites in their quarter-final in Basel after he confirmed his country's progress with a second-half free-kick against Austria in Vienna.
Underdogs
The resulting 1-0 victory in the third round of matches left Germany second in Group B behind Croatia, but above the co-hosts who needed to beat their neighbours to qualify. Carlsberg Man of the Match Ballack was relieved to have made the knockout stage but thinks his side are underdogs in their last-eight tie. "I think Portugal are now the favourites and we've slipped into a different role but who knows – maybe that will favour our game," the midfielder said. "I know several Portugal players, not only from [Chelsea FC] but also from other occasions when we've met. They are very good individually – they play well offensively and don't focus too much on defence. They're a great team, not least because of Ronaldo who's had a great season in England."

Satisfied
The 31-year-old admitted his team have not been at their best in the last two matches but he is now looking forward to the next challenge. "Obviously we're happy to have made it to the quarter-finals, particularly after the difficult match against Croatia," the Chelsea man added. "We had everything to lose when we were certainly favourites to win. You could tell that the team were not as agile because they had tensed up. I'm looking forward to playing Portugal again – we met them in the third-place play-off at the [2006 FIFA] World Cup and I'm looking forward to squaring off against them again. We didn't play as well as we wanted but I'm convinced this victory will give us the push to play even better against Portugal."

Individual difference
Ballack was selected as Carlsberg Man of the Match by the UEFA Technical Team – after they considered the euro2008.com vote – consisting of Andy Roxburgh and Jozef Vengloš. "The game was even, the Austrian team were working hard and pushing, but the winning touch was in the boot of Ballack – his excellent free-kick was the difference," former Czechoslovakia coach Vengloš said. The Germany skipper, who has now scored 37 goals in 84 internationals, praised the team effort, however: "We couldn't expect things to be easy. There was a great atmosphere and it was important that we really fought today. Of course, at the start we should have taken our chances and the game would have been calmer, but we had to fight right until the end."

Nihat enters Turkish football folklore

Scoring two goals in the last three minutes to turn a group-stage exit into a quarter-final berth is not usually part of an international captain's duties. But it was no ordinary night for Nihat Kahveci in Geneva.

Vital goals
Facing the Czech Republic for second place in UEFA EURO 2008™ Group A, Turkey trailed 2-0 and looked down and out. Arda Turan then pulled one back before Nihat – who had criticised his own lack of goals before the game – then had an inspired three minutes, poking in when Petr Čech dropped the ball before racing clear to slot in the winner. Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel was subsequently sent off and, like Mehmet Aurélio, will be suspended against Croatia in Vienna on Friday, but the mere fact that Turkey will play that game is a tribute to Nihat, given the Carlsberg Man of the Match award by the UEFA Technical Team.

'Turning point'
Captaining Turkey due to Emre Belözoğlu's injury absence, the Villarreal CF striker said: "Of course I am very happy. Up to the point we went 2-0 down we were not really performing very well but we didn't give up. The first goal we scored was the key, the turning point, as that created concern for the Czechs. Then we took advantage of a goalkeeping mistake and then scored the third. You don't get this sort of game in this tournament very often so the feelings were tremendous. To score that goal and know it would take us to the quarter-finals is an amazing experience. But we always believed we could make it."

Comeback
Just as at UEFA EURO 2000™ and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Turkey have recovered from defeat in their first game – this time against Portugal – to go through thanks to last-gasp wins against Switzerland and the Czechs. "Now we're in the quarter-finals. After the Portugal match only a few people really believed that we could make it, but we continue to make football history," Nihat said. "We know that we have to do some things better. But if we can win a match even if we play badly, then we can beat any team if we play well. This victory is a gift to our nation. These were the most important goals I have ever scored. We played a little bit slowly in the first half but then recovered from that situation after the interval. Now it is time to have fun. We are not afraid of anyone, we can beat Croatia in the quarter-finals."

Engel tribute
A member of the UEFA Technical Study Team, former Poland coach Jerzy Engel, paid tribute to Nihat's display. "At the crucial moments he was always there, trying very hard for 90 minutes," Engel said. "And at the end he gave a fantastic win to his team. This says everything about football. One team goes from heaven to hell; the other, from hell to heaven. This is the beauty of this game. Now the Czechs are crying, but on 75 minutes Turkey were crying. Those who were here in this stadium cannot believe what has happened. And this man, Nihat, changed the game completely."

'Football-Bike' wows Klagenfurt crowd

While Croatian fans in Klagenfurt created an open-air party, it was a German cyclist on a 'Football-Bike' who drew the attention of most of the astounded onlookers.

Croatian masses
More than 30,000 ecstatic Croatian fans catered for an unbelievable atmosphere in the Swiss city on Thursday evening with not only the Wörthersee Stadion but also the UEFA EURO 2008™ Fan Zone floating in a sea of red and white checked flags. However, it was just one of the 10,000 German supporters who stole the show. Didi Senft from Berlin, who is normally an honoured guest at the Tour de France, cycled through the streets on a unique 'Football-Bike', creating a real stir.

Special bike
"I've built more than 200 such bicycles – I put together this one here especially for UEFA EURO 2008™," explained Didi proudly as he displayed his creation – which consists of twelve footballs, a mini-football table and a drum – to the fans. Didi did not have much time for interviews, although he is a man in great demand. He instead preferred to pose with supporters and was delighted to be so acknowledged and take his place in countless Croatian photo albums. He could do little to help Germany stem the tide as they succumbed 2-1 to Croatia but he is expected to make the trip to Vienna for the final group game with his unique 'EURO-Bike' whilst Joachim Löw's side try to turn the wheel of their fortunes.

Free UEFA Euro 2008 Manager

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An application for managing the UEFA Euro 2008 Austria-Switzerland Championship. With this program you can view the match schedule, save the final score, show both groups and second stage table, build and export statistics and, optionally, you can also update the results on-line. Some features: - “Copy” function to every section of the application (you can “Paste” data directly into a spreedsheet or word processor). - ability to export statistics data into text or HTML format. - automatic timezone computation (see matches date in your timezone and language). - proxy support for both timezone and online update (use “Set Proxy…” command to set your proxy address and port). - Available in English and Italian languages. - Available for all major platforms: Mac OS X, Mac OS 9, Windows, Gnu/Linux
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An application for managing the UEFA Euro 2008 Austria-Switzerland Championship. With this program you can view the match schedule, save the final score, show both groups and second stage table, build and export statistics and, optionally, you can also update the results on-line.With UEFA Euro everyone can be up to date with the latestes UEFA socker playoffs.
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Euro 2008 Online Schedule

Free spreadsheet to follow the championships

UEFA EURO 2008 Schedule is a free spreadsheet with a calendar of all the games of the tournament and a group standing of each team. Designed as a Excel project, UEFA EURO 2008 Schedule automatically calculates the standing of every team without the use of macros. Schedule works very simple - all you need to do is to fill in the gaps of the teams with scores. Using the match results you provide, UEFA EURO 2008 Schedule will automatically define the position of teams in all four groups as well as quarter finalists, semi finalists and, of course, finalists.

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Top 10 Free UEFA Euro 2008 Wallpaper Download

Well, here are some wonderful free Euro 2008 wallpaper available for you to download. Just right click on the image and save as to download the wallpaper as free. Enjoy!

What Hugh Larkin Think about EURO 2008

Winners
Germany. The squad is experienced without being aged- most went through World Cup 2006 and a few go back to 2002. As a group they look ready to win something

Surprise Package
As Guud Hiddink is such a great coach I'll go for Russia - just as big underachievers as Spain really

Supporting
Croatia- to produce the players they do from a 4.5 million population and consistently qualify (6 out 7 major tournaments since independence) they deserve to be there

Outstanding Player
Michael Ballack. Probably a surprise choice but few teams win trophy at this level without a fulcrum. His last chance at this level and he's had a light workload this season but run into form at the end of it. Won't be the most noticed player but he could be the most influential

Emerging Player
Sebastian Prodl of Austria. Due to go to Werder Bremen and highly praised by the Italian media for his defending at the World under-20 Championship. Likely to get a lot of exposure in a mediocre Austrian team

Whipping Boys
Greece: they can't be as lucky this time round.

What Antony Melvin Think about EURO 2008

Winners
Czech Republic - the winners are less commonly the European World Cup powers Germany and Italy. Of the last five winners (Greece, France, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands) exclude Germany and there is one World Cup win between them. The Czechs won it in 1976 and are a good, uncomplicated side in an easy to qualify group.

Surprise Package
Croatia - hugely confident and will progress to the knock-out stages with ease; a place in the final will be no surprise.

Disappointments
Spain - aren't they always?

Supporting
Football - it will be nice to be a neutral and latch on to whoever is playing the best football.

Oustanding player
Ronaldo or Ballack are temptations, but after such a long season big team players not involved in the Champions' League could be pivotal - Franck Ribery I'm talking about you.

Emerging player
Karim Benzema is being touted as worth £30m - let's see why.

Whipping Boys
Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Greece, Turkey, Romania - the list is surprisingly long.

EURO 2008 Live Streaming & Match Preview

With the start of Euro 2008 there will be many people looking to tune in an watch the sporting event of the summer, I mean who wouldnt? Download this free eBook to learn how to watch Euro 2008 online, or bookmark this post., or download the torrent Everyone in the world should have access to watch Euro 2008, and many people do choose to do this online, here is a quick rundown of what you need & how to watch euro 2008 live online & for free:

1. Never ever pay for any of these software packs that people offer to watch live TV, they are simply taking the free feeds and packaging them up & reselling the to you, because they think you cant find these live streams on your own! well now you can
2. Download & Install Sopcast, TV Ants, PP Mate all these applications are free and will help you find a wide variety of live matches, letting you choose from the best one.
3. Find a source to get live links: We will be updating each day here at footyblog.net with links to live feeds of the matches & will be posting highlights afterwards, so subscribe to our RSS feed to keep upto date with all the latest live streams & highlights for euro 2008. however there are any other places to find euro 2008 live streaming links:
   Myp2p.eu - Has tons of links for every football match, just visit this page to view the euro 2008 games for today

• LoveFooty.net - Posts live streams & highlights after each match
• Goalcentre.com - Posts highlights of each match
• FCFootballBlog.com - Posts highlights & live streams
• FootyTube.com - Possibly the best highlights website, lists hundreds of videos for each match highlights only though.

World champions start continental quest

Just once, eight years ago, have the FIFA World Cup holders won the ensuing UEFA European Championship. Italy, beaten in that 2000 final, begin their bid to emulate France on Monday against a Netherlands team confident they can overcome the absence of Arjen Robben.

Burden
Azzurri coach Roberto Donadoni succeeded Marcello Lippi after the 2006 World Cup victory in Germany and, as he considered the Netherlands encounter in Berne, as well as the subsequent Group C tests against Romania and France, he admitted that their exalted status could be a burden. "When a side are world champions, there are obviously expectations," Donadoni said. "People think that because you won the World Cup it is a guarantee that you are going to win. But it happens at club as well as international level – you can win the UEFA Champions League but it doesn't mean you will win it again. Every time there is a different winner and it is very difficult to repeat victories."

Materazzi favoured
The captain from 2006, Fabio Cannavaro, is out with an ankle injury and Marco Materazzi is favourite to take his place alongside Andrea Barzagli in central defence while Antonio Di Natale could beat the squad's new skipper, Alessandro Del Piero, to a start on the left of the attack. Christian Panucci did tweak a knee tendon on Friday but Donadoni – who was still experimenting with different lineups in Sunday training – said the right-back has "no problem" now. As for Italy's opponents, Donadoni said: "The Netherlands did well in qualifying and have some interesting players with plenty of skill, so we have taken that into consideration. It is not going to be easy." He added: "I think the Netherlands team are helped by the fans all dressing in orange – you really notice them. Aesthetically, it is beautiful."

Van Persie hope
Donadoni's former AC Milan club-mate Marco van Basten, who was already without Ryan Babel for the tournament, lost winger Robben to a groin injury which the Netherlands coach said looks likely to rule him out for "at least seven days" – including for the France game on 13 June. However, Robin van Persie is training again after a thigh complaint and may yet pip Ibrahim Afellay or Dirk Kuyt to selection. Right-back Mario Melchiot, meanwhile, has recovered from a pubic bone problem. Van Basten said: "Robben is an important player – it is a disadvantage that he is not playing. But we played a lot of qualifying matches without Arjen and other players, so we are still capable of getting a good result."

'Difficult job'
Not that it will be easy against Italy, whom the Netherlands have not defeated since 1978. "Two years ago they were world champions and they still have mostly the same players," the Oranje trainer continued. "It is going to be a difficult job for us and the group will be difficult with France and Romania. We will have to perform very well but we will give it a try."

Modrić penalty undoes gutsy Austria

Austria went the same way as co-hosts Switzerland, opening their UEFA EURO 2008™ challenge with a narrow defeat as Luka Modrić's early penalty gave Croatia victory in Vienna.

Fastest penalty
The midfielder scored the only goal of the first Group B game in the fourth minute, firing in after Ivica Olić had been brought down by René Aufhauser – the fastest penalty converted in the history of the finals. The home side took time to find their feet after that setback, but mounted a stirring late charge with substitute Roman Kienast heading centimetres past the post seconds before the whistle.

Dreadful start
Coach Josef Hickersberger ended the goalkeeper conundrum by selecting Jürgen Macho ahead of Alex Manninger but, with three minutes and 35 seconds on the clock, the Austria No21 was forced to pick the ball out of the net following the worst of starts. Modrić showed outstanding control to keep an attack alive down the left and found Olić, who was blocked by Aufhauser as he attempted to go outside the midfielder. Modrić slotted in the spot-kick with aplomb, driving down the centre of goal with Macho diving to his right.

Set-piece threat
With an entire nation having worked themselves into a fever of anticipation, it was a blow that could have shattered Austrian morale. For Slaven Bilić's men, meanwhile, the immediate breakthrough settled Croatian nerves and there was an assured control about their football. The home team looked vulnerable every time Croatia forced a set-piece, Darijo Srna's delivery proving impeccable. It left Martin Stranzl and company overworked and little was happening at the other end to lift local spirits, although Sebastian Prödl shot wide from distance with Stipe Pletikosa watching it all the way. The Austria defender then rose highest to meet a corner but his effort flew beyond the far upright.

Austria regroup
After Mladen Petrić had rushed a volley, sending the ball off target, Austria finally began to assert themselves and proved they could get behind the Croatia back line. Martin Harnik gathered a ball played incisively inside the full-back and his cut-back prompted some hurried defensive measures from Josip Šimunić before a long diagonal pass found Joachim Standfest, who could not place his header on target.

Harnik outlet
Austria kicked off the second half where they had left off with Harnik, a focal point for their progress down the right, bursting beyond his marker and it was unfortunate Aufhauser could not connect with the hard-driven centre. From a similar position moments later, Harnik put too much power into his cross and the chance went begging. Perhaps inspired, Modrić went on a right-sided excursion of his own, and Stranzl had to call on all his experience to avert the danger. Austria then brought on the championship's oldest player, the 38-year-old Ivica Vastic, in a bid to rescue the situation.

Late flurry
With another substitute, Ümit Korkmaz, adding a vital spark, Austria threw everything at Croatia in a rousing finale, Harnik shooting too high when well-placed and Pletikosa almost fumbling a Vastic header. The Croatia goalkeeper then had to push aside Korkmaz's fierce drive but he was a spectator in added time as Kienast met a left-wing free-kick with a header that flew just wide as Austria's last chance went begging. Croatia continue their campaign against Germany in Klagenfurt on Thursday, when Austria will hope for better fortune against Poland in this stadium.

Podolski double gets Germany going

An emotional Lukas Podolski struck in either half to give Germany an ideal start to their UEFA EURO 2008™ Group B campaign with victory against debutants Poland in Klagenfurt.

Star turn
The Polish-born FC Bayern München forward produced a vintage display as the three-time European champions recorded a solid win, putting Germany in front with a simple finish midway through the first half. Poland, in their first EURO finals match, pressed for a way back into the game but struggled to unpick Germany's defence and Podolski finally ended their hopes with an emphatic volley.

Krzynówek chance
With national pride and neighbourly rivalry adding an extra frisson and both sides keen to make a positive start there was plenty at stake, and it was Poland who began the brighter as they went in search of a first victory against Germany. Leo Beenhakker's team came close in the opening minute when Jens Lehmann got tangled up with Per Mertesacker while trying to deal with a high cross and the ball fell invitingly to Jacek Krzynówek, but the VfL Wolfsburg midfielder blazed over.

Gómez goes close
Germany responded in kind to signal their own intent, and should have opened the scoring after Michael Ballack sprang the Poland offside trap to release Miroslav Klose into an ocean of space down the left. The Mannschaft's other Polish-born striker bore down on Artur Boruc's goal but elected to pass and Mario Gómez was unable to make a proper connection at full stretch with the goalkeeper stranded, the ball slipping narrowly the wrong side of the post.

Podolski opener
Germany looked the stronger team as the first half unfolded and duly went ahead in the 20th minute after again catching their opponents flat-footed at the back. Gómez sent Klose clear on the right and this time the square pass was perfectly delivered, leaving Podolski to tuck the ball neatly past Boruc. Head bowed and unsmiling, the scorer denied himself a true celebration out of respect for his heritage. Maciej Żurawski might have levelled while Gómez could have increased the German advantage with a clever flick, yet half-time came with no change to the scoreline.

Poland rally
Ballack could have strengthened Germany's position two minutes into the second period but his attempt skewed awkwardly off his thigh. Poland were far from out of it, however, maintaining a healthy share of possession without making significant inroads, while their supporters behind the goal provided plenty of encouragement. Those fans were further heartened as substitute Roger Guerreiro made some surging runs down the left, then Euzebiusz Smolarek had an effort ruled out for offside.

Clinching second
The alert Boruc tipped over Ballack's well-struck attempt but was powerless to prevent Podoski sealing the points in the 72nd minute – few goalkeepers would have kept it out. A swift passing move was cut off by Paweł Golański yet substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger dispossessed the defender and, although Klose missed his kick, Podolski showed how it should be done with a sweet left-foot volley. This time he allowed himself a satisfied smile and he was fully entitled to it having given Germany their first finals win since the Czech Republic were defeated in the EURO '96™ showpiece. Poland's long wait to overcome Germany continues but they next face co-hosts Austria on Thursday, when Germany play today's other winners Croatia.

Switzerland party crashed by Svěrkoš

Czech Republic substitute Václav Svěrkoš crashed the party for co-hosts Switzerland by scoring the only goal of the UEFA EURO 2008™ curtain-raiser in Basel.

Deflated
Svěrkoš struck after 71 minutes to defeat a home side already deflated by a knee injury to forward Alexander Frei. The closest the Swiss came to rescuing a Group A point was a late Johan Vonlanthen shot off the underside of the crossbar.

Bright start
If the opening ceremony did the traditional job of canning the host countries' best characteristics in an attractive package, the opening match started as anything but the typical cagey affair. There was a roar of anticipation when Switzerland captain Frei fired wide. Then Tranquillo Barnetta whipped in a cross to continue the frenzy. Valon Behrami was next to impress, outwitting Jaroslav Plašil and Marek Jankulovski before twice testing the Czech Republic's air defences.

End to end
But this was no siege. David Jarolím caused anxiety among the predominantly partisan home crowd with a cross-shot that back-tracking Diego Bengalio touched to safety. Jarolím's next act, however, was to lose a challenge to Behrami, providing the springboard for the midfielder to let fly a shot which Petr Čech parried. The deeper-lying Gökhan Inler took that as his cue to sidestep a defender and strike, albeit into Čech's arms.

Frei threat
It was a less intricate movement – a long thump forward unattended by Czech Republic centre-backs David Rozehnal and Tomáš Ujfaluši – which resulted in Switzerland's most incisive moment of the first half. Frei, his country's 35-goal leading scorer, darted between defenders and Čech but flicked his shot against the goalkeeper's legs. Jan Koller has long been to the Czechs what Frei is to the Swiss. The St. Jakob-Park crowd got a reminder of the totem's menace when he escaped markers Philippe Senderos and Patrick Müller and narrowly failed to connect with Plašil's dangerous delivery.

Agony
Back at the other end, Frei stung the hands of Čech from 20 metres after a loose ball had undone Karel Brückner's side. But when Frei's left knee was caught in a tangle with Zdeněk Grygera close to half-time, the effect to the co-hosts was a far greater body blow than the challenge itself. The 28-year-old BV Borussia Dortmund player left the field in tears. Just what home coach Köbi Kuhn did not need.

Yakin influence
The beginning of the second period brought some cheer. Hakan Yakin, on for Frei, announced his arrival by turning his markers and earning a free-kick which Barnetta placed centimetres too high. Then the ball just would not drop right for the No16 as he chested down Yakin's cross inside the area. Swiss passions stirred anew: Ludovic Magnin looped in a shot before Barnetta volleyed over from Stephan Lichtsteiner's inviting centre.

Super sub
But after Magnin was booked for a foul on Libor Sionko, the Czech Republic forward should have scored from Jankulovski's perfectly flighted free-kick. Yakin was no less guilty with a free header as he attempted to enhance his reputation as an impact substitute. Instead, Svěrkoš took on the role with 19 minutes remaining. Following a period of Czech pressure prompted by Sionko and Plašil, the striker latched on to Zdeněk Grygera's forward header to direct a cool, low finish to Benaglio's left – the 24-year-old's first international goal. A player from FC Baník Ostrava had just ruined Switzerland's big day.

Scolari's men too strong for Turkey

Losers on the opening day four years ago, Portugal made a sure-footed start to UEFA EURO 2008™ as second-half strikes from Pepe and substitute Raul Meireles secured all three points against Turkey at the Stade de Genève.

Just deserts
It was a deserved victory for Luiz Felipe Scolari's men who also rattled the woodwork twice through Nuno Gomes. For Turkey, by contrast, defeat here continued their unhappy sequence of results against not just Portugal, who had previously bettered them at the 1996 and 2000 finals, but also teams coached by Scolari – his Brazil beat them twice at the 2002 FIFA World Cup – and made Wednesday's Group A meeting with Switzerland a virtual eliminator.

Upwardly mobile
Portugal entered the tournament seeking to continue their upwards trajectory in European finals: quarter-finals in 1996, semi-finals in 2000 and runners-up in 2004. And they made the early running here, with Bosingwa hitting the outside of the post with a low cross inside two minutes. After 42 goals this season for Manchester United FC, Cristiano Ronaldo, understandably, found himself crowded by white shirts in the initial stages but his threat was evident from the game's first corner, delivered by Simão. Ronaldo appeared poised to strike only for Servet Çetin to produce a timely block. Portugal did get the ball in the net from another Simão corner in the 17th minute but Pepe's header was ruled out for offside.

Survivors
At the other end, Nihat Kahveci saw a free-kick in a promising position trickle behind off the Portugal wall. Nihat was one of only two survivors from Turkey's 2002 World Cup team in the starting lineup alongside Emre Belözoğlu, and he and his fellow forwards – Kazım Kazım and Mevlüt Erdinç, both playing their first competitive internationals – had scant opportunities in a first period controlled by Portugal. With the half-hour approaching, Simão curled a free-kick narrowly over and moments later there was a collective drawing of breath as Ronaldo cut inside to escape the shackles of Hakan Balta and proceeded to weave his way between three white shirts. If the finish was lacking, Ronaldo then drew a fine save from Volkan Demirel with a low free-kick driven in from the left. Although the ball bounced in front of Volkan, he managed to get a fingertip to it and touch it on to the far post.

Breakthrough
With João Moutinho also going close, it was no surprise Turkey coach Fatih Terim sought to tighten up his midfield for the second half, sending on Sabri Şarıoğlu. Yet Turkey were soon on the back foot once more. Simão dispossessed the dawdling Gökhan Zan and Nuno Gomes nipped in to fire the loose ball against the inside of the upright. After Gökhan, injured in that incident, limped off to be replaced by Emre Aşık, Portugal came again, Ronaldo shooting low at Volkan. The breakthrough finally came after 61 minutes. Pepe, carrying the ball forward with an assuredness not usually associated with centre-halves, played a one-two on the edge of the box with Nuno Gomes and burst through to finish past Volkan for his first international goal. Nuno Gomes nearly added a second soon after, only to see his header rebound off the crossbar. Turkey's hopes of snatching a late equaliser vanished with Tuncay's air shot before Meireles, also with a maiden Portugal goal, doubled the lead in added time, sliding the ball into an empty net after Moutinho's trickery had taken out Volkan.

What Paul Grech Think About Euro 2008

Paul Grech

Winners
The injury to Fabio Cannavaro will hurt them but I still think that Italy will win it. They closed qualification pretty convincingly, Roberto Donadoni seems to have settled in and tactically they are the most flexible side.

Surprise Package
I've got a feeling that Romania are grossly undervalued and might cause a shock in the Group of Death(TM). Guus Hiddink's Russia, however, seem to have fate on their side so I'm going to stick with them.

Who Will I Be Supporting
Spain for one reason and one reason only: Fernando Torres.

Outstanding Player
It is hard to look beyond Cristiano Ronaldo at the moment. If he can handle the pressure that comes from shouldering the responsability of the hopes of your country, then he might cap off a fantastic season in style.

Emerging Player
If he can keep David Trezeguet out of the side, then Bernard Gomis must be quite a talent.

Whipping Boys
They're so bad that even their own fans started a petition to get them withdrawn from the competition. Austria were lucky to be drawn in a pretty weak group but it would be a huge surprise to see them end the tournament with more than zero points.

5 Goals Should Do It To Make Euro 2008 Top Scorer

Before every major tournament the speculation starts about who will emerge as the main hitman. Often it's an unlikely name (Salvatore Schillaci, anyone?) but that doesn't prevent the guessing game.

The Euro Finals have only been a 16 team competition since 1996, thus popping in an extra game and 5 goals has been the standard to get the Golden Boot.

In 2004 it was Milan Baros of the Czech Republic who put aside indifferent form in the Premiership and ended on top of the pile even though the Czechs missed out on the Final. Eventual winners Greece specialised in single goal wins.

In 2000 there was no surprise to see Holland's Patrick Kuivert bang in a quintet of goals. Aston Villa fans were a bit nonpluassed to see Yugoslavia Savo Milosevic (aka Misalot) join him. At Euro 96 Alan Shearer's 5 strikes so nearly carried Terry Venables' side all the way.

Before 1996 there were only 8 qualifiers, so no quarter-final. Marco Van Basten still managed to crack home 5 in 1988 including a hat-trick against England. 1992 broke tradition as several players posted a miserly three in a dull tournament.

Even Van Basten couldn't better the superhuman effort by Michel Platini in 1984. The French genius struck nine - yes you did read that right- times in just 5 games. No one else in the competition bagged more than three.

For fans considering a punt this time several factors are worth bringing into the equation;

1 Is your man a regular starter?
2. Do they take penalties and free kicks? Nearly all top scorers do one or both.
3 Do they play for a side likely to go all the way , or at least to the semis?
4 Do they avoid yellow cards? One game out for suspension can make all the difference.
5 Do they play for an attacking side? Greece won the thing in 2004 but were never likely to produce the top scorer with their style of play.
6 Is he the main striker? Teams that share the goals around don't deliver the top scorer. In 2004 Baros was allowed to play for the Czechs in a way that Liverpool hadn't used him- Milosovic was very much the spearhead for the Yugoslavs 4 years earlier.

What Stephen Orford Think about EURO 2008

Winners
Portugal. I think Ronaldo might do a Diego.

Surprise Package
Romania. They'll do at least one of the big three.

Supporting
Spain. See Paul's reasoning, plus there's Xabi and Pepe.

Oustanding player
Ronaldo, otherwise my winners prediction is up the spout.

Emerging player
Karim Benzema has the chance to show exactly why everyone has been banging on about him.

Whipping Boys
Surprisingly not Austria, but possibly Greece. Their ultra-defensive style can't work again, and even though they qualified well they are still prone to the odd pounding.

Euro 2008 interest - Manchester United

Current players: A relatively small number of Manchester United players will be in action at Euro 2008 this summer, something that will no doubt please Sir Alex Ferguson as he plots the way to more glory for the Reds.

Even better for Fergie of course is the fact that it is England's failure to reach the final stages of the tournament that means Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves and Wayne Rooney among others will get a decent summer break.

Christiano Ronaldo will be there and is expected to be the star of the show as Portugal look to go one better than in their homeland four years ago.

"There is no doubt that Ronaldo is in great form but I cannot guarantee he will be in the same form as he's been at Manchester United," said coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who has also named Nani in his squad for Austria and Switzerland.

Patrice Evra has been named in France's provisonal 30-man squad for the competition while Edwin Van der Sar of Holland will bow out of international football after the tournament.

Evra is keeping his focus on the upcoming games despite the temptation to celebrate following United's Champions League victory.

"It was good, I didn't really party a lot because after tomorrow I need to go with the national team," he said. "I don't drink alcohol anyway."

Tomasz Kuszczak, deputy to Van der Sar for the majority of the season at Old Trafford, willl perform a similar role to Celtic's Artur Boruc during the tournament.

Former stars: Henrik Larsson will enjoy yet another swansong to his seemingly endless career after coming out of international retirement for a second time.

"When I last retired, I didn't think I'd be playing this long and that it would go this well," he said after being named in the Sweden squad.

The Holland party meanwhile contains Ruud van Nistelrooy, now back in the international fold after patching up his differences with manager Marco Van Basten

Transfer targets? Reported United targets Joao Moutinho and Miguel Veloso of Sporting Lisbon are part of the Portugal squad while a potential star of the tournament, Karim Benzema of Lyon and France is a player long linked with a move to Old Trafford.

That description applies also to Klaas-Jan Huntelaar of Ajax and Holland, for whom a big Euro 2008 will equal a big money move in time for next season.

Euro 2008: Bastian Schweinsteiger's girlfriend is out of his league

Here's Bastian Schweinsteiger with girlfriend Sarah Brandner at Palma Airport in Mallorca, Spain. The German national team has just arrived in Mallorca for a training camp to prepare for Euro 2008 this June.

I don't want to be rude (translation: I do), but isn't young Bastian punching way above his weight here? Would Brandner look once at him if he wasn't a wealthy football star? Hmm, I doubt it.

Photo Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

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Win Euro 2008 final tickets!

Just a quick note to everyone who truly thinks they know their footballing Xabi Alonso’s from their Pascal Zuberbuhlers. Entries for Castrol’s Best X1 competition must be in by midnight on 5th June 2008 – and with a magnificent prize on offer from the oil vending big boys, you could “win a fantastic ticket package, go to a crucial match, see the big stars and soak up the electric atmosphere of this spectacular festival of football!”

And if that doesn’t appeal then well, quite frankly, you’re on the wrong blog.

All you need to do is either have your vehicle serviced at a participating Castrol dealer or buy Castrol oil from a participating retailer – and let’s be frank, you’ll be glued to the TV over the next few weeks so you had better book it now. Then simply pop over to the CPI and pick what you think will be the very best side in Euro 2008 (it may well be worth checking the CPI for some cheeky insight into the stats during qualifying) and away you go.

However – I guess it is a little unfair to even bring this up, as myself and Tom from euro2008statistics.com have already entered. Now while his team will almost certainly sink without trace, and take a pasting in the rankings, this best X1 will see yours – and beat it every time. Well, probably….

Gets EURO 2008 Predictor at Facebook

As qualifying winds down for Euro 2008, teams continue to tussle for position. Euro 2008 Predictor lets you compete with friends and fans by joining the official group or creating your own league/group. Pick the winners of games, and then track how well you do against your friends and all of Facebook.

Predict: Select the outcomes of all the qualifying matches for Euro 2008.

Create Groups: Invite your friends to play against you. Prove you have the skills to pick winners.

Live Leaderboard: We track your predictions in real time – see how you’re doing as the games are playing. View your position against your friends, your group and everyone else on Facebook.

Earn First: Earn First place.

Italy lose captain Cannavaro

The Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro has been ruled out of UEFA EURO 2008™ after rupturing ligaments in his left ankle during the Azzurri's first training session at their base in Modling, Austria yesterday. Coach Roberto Donadoni reacted by calling in the ACF Fiorentina defender Alessandro Gamberini.

Chiellini tackle
The 34-year-old Real Madrid CF centre-back, capped 116 times, sustained the knock following a tackle by fellow defender Giorgio Chiellini and was carried off the field on a stretcher. Italy doctor Paolo Zeppilli said he feared that the injury was "not minor" and so it proved as hospital tests confirmed the extent of the damage.

Big boots
Gamberini joins up with the squad having won two previous caps. The 26-year-old may have big boots to fill – Cannvaro skippered Italy to FIFA World Cup glory in 2006 – but the former Bologna FC defender can take confidence from a consistent season during which he appeared 40 times in Serie A and the UEFA Cup for the Viola.

Free downloadable Euro 2008 Wall Chart

5 days… That’s it! Just over a week until the showcase for international European football kicks off, and there’s clearly no better way to prepare yourself than with a free, downloadable wall chart that can be printed off, slapped on the wall – and diligently filled in until the final on the 29th.

Who will win? Well my cheeky prediction is for a Netherlands vs. Germany final, with The Oranje coming out surprising winners – but to make up your own mind using the stats, check out castrolindex.com.

Meanwhile, come get your fill – you’re more than welcome to download our free Euro 2008 wallchart here, or by clicking on the picture below. Easily printable on A4 paper (so you can run off a load at work and no one will notice), it is complete with all the info you’ll need (date, times, venues etc) – as well as statistically the very best XI in qualifying.

Download it here…

Berne hosts cultural celebration

Berne got a taste of what to expect when fans from the Netherlands, France, Italy and Romania arrive, thanks to a cultural presentation in the city.

Berne Hotels

National specialities
Emissaries from all four countries came to the Swiss capital to showcase their culture, with Bernese natives being treated to displays of Italian flag-waving, Romanian wind instruments, French wines and Dutch clogs. Organisers say the event helped contribute to the spirit of international understanding ahead of the city's opening UEFA EURO 2008™ game, between the Netherlands and Italy on 9 June.

Zurich Airport braced for EURO

Zurich Airport is expecting an additional 280 flights during UEFA EURO 2008™ with many taking advantage of the temporary relaxation of night-flight rules.
Night flights

Airport authorities anticipate that the bulk of the extra flights will be in the days before and after the city's three group-stage games – on 9, 13 and 17 June – with plenty of fans from France and the Netherlands likely to jet in. A relaxation of night-flight regulations for the finals will allow up to 20 planes to fly in and out of the airport between 22.00 and 2.00 on the night after matches in the city.
Security services at the airport are due to work longer hours while some of the airport's shops and concessions will also remain open later. Supporters from opposing teams will be processed separately to avoid tension.

Zurich Hotels