The Euro 2008 Blog | DW-WORLD

Oh Come All Ye Faithful!

In a bid to avoid an outbreak of Academy Awards syndrome (where I thank everyone for their support before breaking down in floods of tears and dedicating my good fortune to "the Man upstairs")I'll get straight to the point...

The continued support of the Alpine Kicks readership has led to the decision being made to follow the upcoming Bundesliga season (and the most important action from the European leagues and cup competitions) in an all new blog pencilled in for the start of August.

We will be covering all the news and views from the Bundesliga title race in much the same irreverent vein as we covered the European Championships while chipping in from time to time with pertinent observations from around Europe when events merit it.

So if you liked our coverage on and off the pitch during Euro 2008, then keep coming back to DW-WORLD.DE's sports pages for all your Bundesliga needs and tune in to our new blog for the opinion, commentary and just plain spouting off which will surely occur during the coming season.

We'll be waiting with open arms to welcome you all back.

Long Live Loewie!

Getting to the final of a major tournament is a huge achievement and even the achievement of getting to one and then losing it should be celebrated. Even for Germany, where expectations used to be incredibly high due to the team's enviable record, the fact that they battled to the final of Euro 2008 without really playing that well is reason enough to be proud. Thankfully, no-one is castigating the players or coach for the defeat to Spain and as a result, the official line is that there will be no major changes for Germany as they head for the qualification rounds for the 2010 World Cup.

Jogi Loew will not be removed and will continue to lead Germany. Smart move - if Jogi can get this team to the final, then just think what he will be able to do with players like Podolski and Schweinsteiger when they hit their peak, surrounded by young stars in their current mould.

All power to you, Jogi. You did a sterling job and we're proud that we did our bit to keep you in your position.

Best Regards,
The "SAVE JOGI" Campaign.

The Best and The Worst

In my own personal opinion, this has been one of the most enjoyable European Championship tournaments for many years. The quality of the soccer played and the excitement generated by many games has really kept Euro 2008 buzzing until the end.

As I prepare to sign off from Alpine Kicks, I'd like to take this opportunity to look back and record the five things I loved about Euro 2008 and five things that I disliked.

FIVE THINGS I LOVED

1) Last Minute Victories
The fact that not one team turned up with a strong defense made for spectacular and exciting finales. With teams knowing that there was nobody who could adequately shut-up shop and ride out a victory, there was always that chance that a back line could be breached. This meant that no game was a lost cause; the best example of this being the Turkey - Czech Republic five-goal thriller. The Turks looked dead and buried but a three-goal fight back, capped by Nihat Kahveci's curling last minute winner, put the Turks through. The Turks then got a taste of their own medicine in the semi-final when Philipp Lahm nicked it for Germany at the death. Overall, out of 77 goals scored during Euro 2008, 18 came in the last five minutes. The "Never Say Die" spirit was alive and well.

2) Being a Neutral
It was so nice not to have to buy into the whole hype of an England campaign and endure three of four turgid performances before being immersed in crushing disappointment yet again. There were no WAGs, no scenes of flying plastic chairs in some picturesque foreign square, and no tired excuses from the coach and the players. The soccer could be enjoyed without those nagging doubts which always come during tournaments in which England participate. Hopefully, by the next time we're involved, we'll be better than Romania were this time.

3) Charismatic Coaches
Euro 2008 saw the return of the charismatic coach to the sidelines of European soccer. Ignoring the likes of Lars Lagerbaeck and Kobi Kühn, there were a number of coaches at Euro 2008 who provided great entertainment. We saw Germany's Jogi Loew come out of his shell (and almost out of his shirt) as the tournament progressed; Croatia's Slaven Bilic showed that the coach could still be one of the boys and show his love for his team without talking in rubbish clichés, and then there was Fatih Terim, who managed to out-think Germany for 70 minutes with a team made up of seven fit men, two cripples, the hotel receptionist and a blind, three-legged dachshund. Terim was also good value for his outbursts from the bench. While managing to stay angry for 90 minutes, he punched the air, the dugout roof and his colleagues in frustration, sweating profusely and barking obscenities as he did so. No wonder Turkey had such a fighting spirit.

4) Flair Players
There maybe hasn't been one outstanding player who made it all the way through, performing at the highest level before winning the tournament for his team but there have been a number of stars who have graced the stage from time to time. These types of players get the pulse racing and make tuning into a game a real event. Players like Andrei Arshavin, Wesley Sneijder, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Deco all had very good games when they looked the business. These flair players create magic, make others look ordinary and show all the best attributes of the modern footballer. It has been a pleasure to watch these guys and the fact that there has been one in almost every team makes it even more satisfying.

5) Decent Kits
No one really turned up in a duff kit this year. There was no fashion abominations to speak of, which is unusual for a soccer tournament. Even the potentially stroke-inducing Croatia shirt managed to pass with subtlety intact. Kudos, then, to the unusually restrained design departments at Adidas, Nike et al.

FIVE THINGS I DISLIKED

1) Primadona Referees
Fans come to see the game and the players - not the referee. That means you, Roberto Rossetti. UEFA may have awarded the Italian referee the final but in my view this is one official that doesn't need a big stage - because he seems to be living on one most of the time. The Germany vs. Turkey semi-final was a prime example of the referee attempting to be the star. Rossetti was out to grab the limelight and it was only the sheer drama of the match itself which stopped it becoming the Roberto Show. He tried his best again in the final and thankfully failed to mess it up. He wasn't alone in making sure he got noticed, hence the title being referees plural. There's just no need...

2) Miserable Michel Platini
Great player, miserable sod. And did anyone else notice a latent anti-German aura around the UEFA chief? He sneered at Angela Merkel's celebrations in the semi-final and even told her to calm down once - or so it seemed. The happiest he appeared was when Spain beat Germany to win the title. In all the other matches, he sat in the stands looking like he would have been much happier anywhere else than at the game - like Mogadishu, maybe. Monsieur Platini, if you can't be bothered then just don't come. Everyone will be happier if you just stay away next time.

3) Cristiano Ronaldo's Attitude
Ronnie would make a great referee - if being a referee paid €200 million a year and gave you exclusive image rights. It's all about Cristiano, isn't it? I have never seen anyone actually look gutted at the fact that a team mate has scored. Oh did the camera move off you, Cristiano? Is someone else going to be talked about now? In a bid to stay the center of attention, Ronaldo fermented the most boring transfer saga of the decade just to stay in the papers as his team mates took turns in starring for Portugal. Had he justified the hype that he and his agent surely had a hand in creating, Portugal may not have been eliminated when they did.

4) Greek Bashing
Okay, the Greeks weren't very good but someone has to be the worst team at a tournament. While Romania pushed them hard, the Greeks did have a terrible campaign by their standards. But that didn't excuse the assassination which began before a ball was even kicked. They were the champions of Europe and yet everyone was hoping that they would get knocked out as soon as possible so their style of soccer would not have to be forced on a captive audience. So it wasn't pretty. So it was a bit of a throwback in terms of tactics. However, this was not a reason to be so openly nasty. Did anyone slag the French off as much even though they were almost as bad but had much better players underperforming? No. The Italians were also rubbish to start with but they never got the grief the Greeks did. It was most unsavoury.

5) Climate Change
While I was not personally affected, the tournament was blighted by bad weather. Who would have predicted that the summer tournament would be such a wash-out? That's one of the reasons why they play these things in the middle of the year (apart from the fact that it fits between domestic seasons). Would you want to go and play in Ukraine if Euro 2012 was being held in December? No, I didn't think so. Given long enough, I could probably find a reason to blame UEFA for this...

So, that's it. Euro 2008 is over and we can all say thanks for the memories. Thank you also to everyone who has read and contributed their comments to Alpine Kicks. I hope you've enjoyed what we've provided.

It's been emotional.

First Time For Everything

While it isn't the first time that Spain have won the European Championship, it is the first time that I have actually got a prediction right. Spain were my tip for the title from the off but saying that, it was a prediction made not entirely by the head and more than a bit from the heart.

Despite not having a national team of my own in Euro 2008, I must say that I was not devoid of the angst which goes along with following your team through a tournament. The final especially was a division of loyalties. I wanted Spain to win because I had tipped them to, they played great soccer at times, my favorite players were in the team and they were cool. On the other hand, I wouldn't have been too sad had Germany won - which is a huge statement coming from a Englishman.

Germany was my home for a few years, my partner is German and I work for a German company. It seemed a little traitorous to turn my back on the people who enhance my personal and professional life (not to mention, pay my wages). But living in a country for a while should at least sew the seeds of some kind of loyalty - otherwise why stick around for so long? So for me, Germany were like the home team. Besides, I thought the group of players Jogi Loew had put together - and the man himself - deserved a bit of glory.

As it happens, that wasn't meant to be and so while I have a lot of sympathy for the Germans I know and love and the country as a whole in this difficult time, I'm actually quite pleased with the outcome.

I'm not the only one if the newspaper I picked up on the train back to Brussels is anything to go by. The Dutch press was practically giddy with joy that Germany had failed at the final hurdle, even going so far as to thank Fernando Torres for scoring the goal which beat the Germans.

The English press gave Germany the odd cursory mention in a breath about the losing team but most of the copy was dedicated, unsurprisingly, to Torres and Spain. After claiming the Liverpool striker as their own, the papers again tried to claim some pride for the absent England from his success and Spain's victory. Torres and Cesc Fabregas, both of whom started the game, play for English Premiership sides, so they are (until Spain meet England, presumably) honorary Englishmen - which in "Tabloid" means England helped Spain win the trophy.

England aside, everyone else knows very well who won Euro 2008. Spain are champions of Europe after 44 years without a trophy. It may have been a surprise to some...but I knew it all along!

Celebrations and Commiserations

It couldn't have ended any better, could it? I'm not talking about the final, which was both sporadic in true quality and brimming with nastiness, I'm referring to where I watched it and the people around me.

Perched precariously on the curb outside an Italian bar, in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, with a couple of American guys on one side, a Spanish family on the other and a host of other assorted nationalities milling around, I found myself in the middle of a great international event. The pressure was off for most of us - or never on us in the case of the English and Americans watching the final, for very different reasons - and the atmosphere summed up the inclusiveness which makes these types of occasions so memorable.

It was a celebration of the game and of the tournament. True, there were supporters around with a vested interest in the result but the majority of us were just there in the hope of a good game.

The Spanish added a certain color. They certainly seemed to have arrived at the bar with a party mentality and from the first whistle they sang and waved their flags - nearly decapitating a few passing cyclists in the process.

The Germans who were watching with us tutted loudly and shouted phrases of frustration at the TV screen for half and hour until Fernando Torres scored what would turn out to be the winning goal. Once the furore had died down, we turned to see that they had vanished like smoke, extricating themselves from the revelry to presumably find a canal to jump into. All of which was a tad premature given that there was a good hour of the game left to play.

As the game wore on and the niggly tackles and confrontations began creeping into the action on screen, the atmosphere on the pavement continued to buzz with friendly banter in languages from all over the world. While very few there could understand all what was being said, the sing-song tones told everyone what they needed to know: every one was safe here to enjoy what they came for.

(The only threat, I must add here, came from the bar owner who looked as though he knew a thing or two about the Cosa Nostra. The framed picture by the bar of him together with a young Frank Sinatra only reinforced this view.)

Before long, the endless conveyor belt of beers from the bar had given the songs an infectious quality and, despite not really knowing the words, those neutrals among us started to join in with the Spanish as the game ticked down to a famous victory for the Furia Roja. And at the final whistle, the party gained further momentum - even raising a smile from the sullen landlord.

After group hugs and garbled Esperanto farewells, the international crowd dispersed to whatever corner of Amsterdam called loudest. Wherever it was they all ended up, I'm pretty sure they were carrying the same pleasant memories as me.

Helmut No-Mates

Hi again all. Been down in Vienna for a couplle of days now and am loving it, but have not been too wired-up. (Thanks for the place to stay Georg, even if it doesn't have internet.)

Am now sitting in a lovely little Kaffehaus, which is over a century old, and which also happens to have WiFi. Unfortunately there's not a lot of electrical sockets, and I used up most of my juice mixing a piece. (I've posted it below.)

Suffice it to say Germany will have planty of support here in Vienna tonight (40,000 Germans have made the trip), but I think they might have trouble finding the 40,001st.

Spain Get the Nod

It seems that Spain is the favorite with most nationalities outside of Germany. With Michael Ballack looking doubtful - and Jogi Loew talking about playing Tim Borowski (ugh!) then it looks as though the balance of power may have swung to the Spanish.

This will not bother the Germans at all. If Ballack does miss the final, this will of course be a blow. But playing Schweinsteiger behind the strikers in that forward position that Ballack has been profiting from in the latter games may prove a match-winning alternative. It might, however, all be kidology on Loew's part. Spain will have prepared with Ballack in mind, employing a game plan which would include negating the powerful Germany captain's surging influence. If they start to think of a way of stopping Schweini from that position instead - and Ballack takes to the field - it may not ruin Luis Aragones' plans but it will force a quick rethink - and at the last minute, that can be equally disruptive.

Saying that, despite the absence of David Villa, Spain look very strong and full of attacking intent. If the German midfield takes to the pitch without the steel of Ballack, the shaky defense of Mertesacker and Metzelder may find the creative Cesc Fabregas (if he plays) a handful, especially if Fernando Torres takes the sole striker role just in front of him. Fabregas will look to exploit the German defense's lack of mobility and get the lightning fast Torres behind with only the flappable Lehmann to beat.

At the other end, however, Podolski may give Sergio Ramos a torrid time on the left where his dangerous crosses have proved deadly and the diminuitve Spanish center backs may have problems with Klose and others when it comes to set pieces and crosses.

While Spain seem to be out in front in the opinions of many, I myself see this being a very close game. It could go either way...and maybe to the wire.

The Oranje Party Continues

It's final day and the Dutch are continuing to party as if their team was still in the tournament. Maybe it's just their mentality that while there is football on, there is fun to be had - regardless of whether the Oranje are involved or not.

Amsterdam is still decked out in the national colors and people dressed head to toe in tangerine out-number the sun burnt Brits looking for sinful entertainment by about ten to one. Satsumas on bicycles drive by, shouting "Hup! Hup!" as if Marco van Basten's team is still in with a shout of the title. They're not, of course. It's Germany and Spain tonight. And for the Dutch, even the fact that their great rivals the Germans are in the final is no reason to be too upset.

"We played a good tournament and played the best football," one bystander at a street football competition in the Dam Square told me. "We played beautiful games but met our match in the Russians. There is no shame in that as they were a great team. It is never a shame to lose to a team who plays like us."

I asked another if the fact that the Germans were in the final was a reason for jealousy or bad feelings.

"No. The Germans win in a very different way to the Dutch," he said. "We win with sexy football. They fight and scrap for victory. It is not beautiful. I would prefer to see Holland lose and look good than for us to play like the Germans and win."

So, will the whole of Holland be cheering on Spain?

"We will drink lots of beer and celebrate football," a jolly Oranje giant in a Wesley Sneijder shirt told me outside a crowded pub. "This has been a great tournament with great games. We will celebrate that."

"And celebrate even more when the f***ing Germans lose!" shouted another.

That clears that up then.

Going Dutch

It would have proved to have been an inspired idea had the Dutch maintained their devastating form. Long before Euro 2008, an old friend of mine decided to tie the knot with his long-betrothed beloved. Not only fearing the sad farewell to his status as a single man, he was also facing up to the fact that his perceived time as a rock'n'roll rebel was coming to an end (he actually works in PR). So, wanting to make one last mistake before entering a life of wedded bliss, said friend organizes his stag weekend in Amsterdam - at the end of June.

So your blog correspondent is now preparing to board a train with the intention of delivering the same level of insight and wry observation that has graced these pages for the past three weeks - but from Sin City.

I'm not making any promises, mind.

Cooking on Fabre-gas

Even though I tipped Spain to win Euro 2008 before the tournament began, I have to admit the manner in which they overcame Russia surprised me. The Russians were a team riding a wave, reaching their peak and other performance-related clichés. They were gathering so much winning momentum and confidence that there was a good chance that Guus Hiddink's youngsters would sweep Spain aside and provide Germany with a few restless nights before they met in the final.

But the Russian wave crashed early and their oxygen ran out before they got to the summit. Spain, on the other hand, took their game to another level which even their 100 percent record in the tournament couldn't have prepared us for.

Both Spain and Russia had shown such quality throughout the tournament that the draw of this semi-final alone was enough to prompt huge excitement. Spain flew out of the blocks in an effort not to disappoint and Fernando Torres and David Villa set about giving the Russian defense a torrid time. Russia barely had time to catch their breath.

Then Spain endured some bad luck which led to a dramatic sea change in the match. David Villa, the goal scoring star of this Spain side at Euro 2008, pulled up with a thigh problem and had to be replaced by Cesc Fabregas. The diminuitive Arsenal midfielder, so often left on the bench in Luis Aragones' favored formation, set about giving a masterclass which paid incredible dividends for Spain after the break.

Fabregas finally showed what he could do. Once Xavi Hernandez had put Spain 1-0 up on 50 minutes, the little man began to run the game. Spain's second came from a superb Cesc pass which Daniel Guiza lifted over Russia keeper Akinfeev on 73 minutes and then played David Silva in for an easy third with eight minutes to play.

In between the goals, Fabregas pulled the strings of a Spain full of invention and attacking verve. It was the kind of display that Russia had shown in the quarter-final against the Dutch. Spain were so devastating that Russia were overwhelmed and barely troubled Iker Casillas in the Spanish goal. Russia never threatened to produce the attacking firepower which had made them such an attractive wildcard and Andrei Arshavin was disappointingly anonymous throughout. And while Casillas was forced to save Dmitry Sychev's header with three minutes to go, Spain could have made it four if Guiza had beaten Akinfeev at the death.

Now Spain meet Germany in the final. Before last night's performance, the Germans may have preferred to face the Spanish, given their style of play. While Russia provided little or no indication as to what the hell they were going to do, Spain could be relied upon to play a system. Systems can be countered, even formational changes can be met with a Plan B. The Russians seemed to - very effectively - make it up as they went along, which would have made them a very difficult opponent.

But after seeing Spain execute their plan to the letter and with Fabregas staking a claim as the man to direct the play in the final, Germany may be wondering if they have any way of cancelling out a team which now has a very good chance of putting those 44 years of hurt behind them.

U-S-A...U-S-A!!

Euro 2008 is, of course, the European Championship but that doesn't mean anyone outside of Europe is excluded from the party. After my esteemed colleague Jefferson Chase reported on the US Embassy in Berlin's safety warning to American citizens to stay vigilant around Germany's fan zones (the article was also picked up by the Drudge Report), a host of Stateside comments flooded in. Here are a selection of opinions from our friends in the land where football is a game played by men with odd shaped balls.

"I'm not afraid of German (so-called) 'football' fans. First, soccer is not football. It's soccer. Second, Germans are very gentle friendly civilized people, as the whole world knows. Now, we Americans on the other hand, play football, which is a savage sport. I've broken my arm, nose, and ruined my knees playing football and I've had many friends maimed for life and even killed on the football gridiron. In the US, soccer is organized by mommies who don't want their children getting hurt playing American football. We call them 'soccer moms.' So, no, I'm not afraid of Germans. Why? Because they play soccer." -- Rocky, US

"Any self respecting American who attends a game that lasts an hour and ends up 1-0 and whose players fall down screaming and crying clutching themselves when an opponent touches them, should have the crap beat out of them." -- Ken Mulligan, US

"Wow, a bit sensitive I think. So the U.S. government tells its citizens to be careful at a football game in Germany. So what? We all know these football games in Europe are perfect family affairs and of course Germany has no history of violence." -- Kelly O'Reilly, US

"Why is it so hard for Europeans to call Americans 'Americans' rather than 'Yanks'? Would a US article refer to Germans only as 'Krauts'? European sports fans are very violent, and Europeans tend to be anti-American. The violence in America in places like Detroit and South Central LA occurs in urban wastelands that very few Americans ever venture into, not in public areas outside of sports arenas. The German media must be very poor indeed if this is what passes for humor." – Tim, US

"Are you born a**holes, or does living in Germany turn you into one?" -- John Ealy, US

"Your article on the US Embassy warning about soccer fans was real cute. I'm being sarcastic, just to be sure there's no misunderstanding. I'm from the US, and my 18-year old son has been in Europe (Luxembourg) for the past 4 months. He never had a problem. He was in Berlin last week, and he was beaten up on two different occasions. He was just walking, and groups of soccer hooligans came and beat the crap out of him. We've been to Detroit, we've been to LA. We've never been assaulted. I think instead of trying to ridicule the warning, you should examine what's going wrong in your country." -- Joseph Wayand, US

"What an absolutely obnoxious article. Unprovoked, you impugn the US government, you suggest Americans know nothing about football/soccer, you mock Americans with the beer and bratwurst lecture, then imply Americans are cowardly because the US Embassy issued what is likely a routine warning about festivities that could get out of hand. With goodwill ambassadors such as you about, I like Germany that much less now." -- Bill Foreman, US

"Just wanted to say that the embassy statement is absolutely crazy, and that not all Americans are as retarded as our government." -- Paul Lyell, US

"This embassy warning is the most stupid thing I have heard from US State Department crowd in a while. It sounds like something that awful Karen Hughes, Bush's former campaign adviser and more recently something at the State Department, would have dreamed up. My wife and I were once on the Berlin U-Bahn with soccer fans going to or from a Berlin-Munich game. The fans were singing laughing and just having a good time. We never felt threatened or even annoyed. The idiot who issued this warning should be fired. We can't wait to get back to Germany. We have a trip planned for next May. I'd go every year if I could afford it." -- John H. Anderson, US

"I lived in Germany for 3 years. Most Germans are proud but also not very tough. Not too much to be afraid of unless you think about taking their government hand outs from them." – Joe, US

"I received this message yesterday from the US Embassy as I am traveling to Germany for 24 days of vacation. It amazes me how paranoid we have become. I know that most people will be watching the games for the enjoyment not to make trouble. However, I have seen and heard some stereotypical jokes about the Turks passed around by my German friends. I myself do not worry about traveling in Germany." -- Stephen Hicks, US

"Honestly, to me as an American this is a bit of an embarrassment. I was there for Germany '06 and had a great time. I never once felt in danger, especially at the Fan Fests. I guess the embassy officials are thinking all soccer fans are hooligans, which is far from the truth. It's a little tough to dispel this idea in a nation that really doesn't have much of a soccer culture." -- Joe (another one), US

"I would be just as wary of going to an Oakland Raiders American football game in Oakland, California, USA. If you show up there with the wrong uniform on you will absolutely be confronted. If you are a young male and you don't have a lot of friends willing to back you up, you will be physically confronted. There is also the occasional "riot" after a championship game but these are usually limited. Alcohol and young men at sport functions can indeed result in violence. That being said, I can understand why the US Embassy gave warning. While there can be violence at games in the US, it is nothing compared to the history of hooliganism in soccer where hundreds (even thousands) of people are involved and hundreds are arrested." -- David Krausz, US

Special Thanks to Lahmi

The "Save Jogi" Campaign would like to take this opportunity to thank Philipp Lahm for his last minute goal which eased the pressure on the Germany coach.

Before the goal which sent Germany into the final, Jogi was looking like he was about to explode - which would have made the DFB's job a lot easier had Turkey struck a winner of their own. But with German hopes, and Jogi's sanity (if not career) hanging by a thread, young Philipp the rabbit fancier stepped up and won the game.

A special case of carrots is coming your way, Lahmi, with our gratitude.

Good Day for Bad Hair

Gary Lineker's now famous quote about Germany is getting plenty of air time today after last night's semi-final. "Soccer is a game for 22 people that run around, play the ball... and in the end, Germany always wins".

It really seemed that against Turkey, despite the nail-biting finale and the indominatble spirit of the Turks, Germany could have done anything and still won that game. They could have taken to the field in lederhosen, each carrying six Steins of Weißbier, every one of them clenching a bratwurst between their buttocks and at some point before the final whistle, a German would have knocked in the winning goal. There was an inevitability in the air. Germany may have given their own fans a bit of a scare but the supporters of every other team that they have ever beaten in the past while playing a disjointed and inaccurate game all knew with quiet confidence that Germany would win in the end.

None of this is to say that Germany weren't good value for their win. Turkey may have been the more cohesive team for most of the game, had the best chances and looked the more competent at passing but Germany showed once again that there has been a spirit instilled in this team, one that can achieve near-miracles when its will is set on one goal.

Germany's play wasn't all crossed wires and misread signals.
There were flashes of the team that beat Portugal in style amongst the wayward passing and panicky clearances. And - believe me when I say I am as surprised at what I am about to write here as you will probably be to read it - most of the magic came from Bastian Schweinsteiger.

I love to bash Schweini. He's such an easy target with his bad hair, a face that only a mother could love (his model girlfriend must know of other attributes), and ability to make Lukas Podolski look like a Poet Laureate. He can be an arrogant so-and-so and a petulent little primadona but - ouch! - he is a very, very good player.

Okay, he had a stinker of a season at Bayern Munich, one so bad that it had many a pundit adding his name to the list of prodigies who never fulfilled the immense talent of their early youth. And it looked that way at times. He didn't look as though he had fully recovered from the lyme disease which had ruled him out for a fair portion of the Bundesliga campaign and his confidence and touch looked to have deserted him when he did make it onto the pitch. But when his country called, Schweini managed to dig deep and remind everyone why he had created such a buzz at the 2005 Confederations Cup and the 2006 World Cup.

Whenever the statistics box pops up during a Germany match, Scweinsteiger is always the man to have covered the most distance. he clocked up more than nine kilometers against Turkey and about the same in the match against Portugal. He covers so much ground. One instance from the semi-final stands out for me: Germany lost possession in the final third, leading to a Turkey counter-attack down the left wing through goal scorer Ugur Boral. Rolfes backed off the Turk, allowing him to advance. Suddenly from nowhere, a blonde streak arrived in the frame, dispossessed the Turk and laid off the ball to a German midfielder. The ball was passed across the midfield line and the same blonde streak was at the end of the move to collect the ball, start a new attack and steam off in the direction of the corner flag. That blonde streak was, of course, Schweinsteiger.

Then there was that goal. If the Thierry Henry of old had executed such a deft flick the world would have been salivating over the nonchalant genius of it all. Schweini can expect marginally less reaction. But what a goal - arriving in the box at speed with a defender on his shoulder, Schweini diverts the ball past Rustu with the outside of his right boot without breaking stride.

Schweinsteiger has been Germany's best player in the last two games and has justified Jogi Loew's faith in him. He has not only battled for a place in the side after being left on the bench at the start of the tournament but he has won it and made it his own. It is a testament to how much of a creative spark and attacking danger he can be that Loew is sticking with the blonde streak. The coach sees the return of Schweinsteiger's belief and form and knows he is a potent weapon to have when in such a mood.

Bastian Schweinsteiger could not only prove to be a match winner for Germany but he could be the man to clinch the title for this team.

He still has stupid hair though...

The End is Nigh

There's a strange woman in my house. She's been here for about three days now. Usually there are 22 blokes hanging out in the living room but since Sunday, they've been missing and this woman has replaced them. I wonder what she did with them and what she wants. She asks me if I've paid the electricity bill. She asks me if I could pick up some milk on the way home from work. Why is she asking me these questions? Who is she? She shakes me, tells me to get a grip and assures me the football will be back on tonight and that everything will go back to normal. It turns out that this woman is my girlfriend and that she's been here all the time. Apparently, I haven't noticed that for the last three weeks…

It's been three days since the last quarter-final and, even though my work keeps me in constant contact with the tournament, I've been slowly facing up to the realities of life without the European Championships.

Since the knock-out rounds began, this gnawing dread has been building. Soon there will be no more Euro 2008 and I will have to wait at least six weeks to see a live competitive game. The English Premiership begins on August 16 for goodness sake! That's ages! The Bundesliga starts a day before that and I could even go and see Anderlecht in the flesh here in Brussels on that day. But it is still 52 days away.

It could have been so much worse of course. Without a summer tournament I would have been sitting around, reading the transfer gossip for three months - which can be as exciting and frustrating as dating a girl who says she won't sleep with you until "it feels right". Waiting to see if Liverpool sign David Villa or Andrei Arshavin is like wondering if you have made a strong enough connection to get lucky – it could end in sweet consummation or bitter disappointment. Either way, you're living on a prayer.

Looking on the bright side, we have two semi-finals to enjoy over the next couple of days. Germany versus Turkey is a biggie, as anyone who has lived in either country will know. A place in the final is not the only thing at stake in that one. Then there's the potentially exhilarating clash between Spain and Russia to decide who will meet the winner of the "Game of the Century" in the final.

The final. On Sunday. It's all so…well…final, isn't it?

After the Spain-Russia match on Thursday night, the dread will crunch up a notch as we count the days down to the title decider in Vienna. In between, there will be another void before the big finish. And then it will all be over. We will look back with heavy hearts but also with happy memories of a great tournament. We will then look ahead to our coming domestic seasons, fostering the hope during those dark soccer-less weeks of more great games to come.

Come Sunday, June 29 – we will bid "adieu" and "auf wiedersehen" to Euro 2008. Come Monday, June 30 – I'll be buying someone a bunch of flowers.

The Mother of All Battles

Wednesday's Germany-Turkey game is big -- you know this. Bigger still is the wave of worry that has swept Germany about how well the many fans of both national teams will be able to get along on the streets of Germany at about 10:30pm local time (11:30 in case of extra time and PK's). Somebody's got to lose, and how are they going to take it?

A lot of my older colleagues with kids are not letting them go to public viewing areas, and other friends are thinking about where to go watch that will be away from any drama. (Me, I live in a Turkish neighborhood, and thus have no choice but to take what comes.)

There's not exactly a wellspring of unequivocally warm feeling between Turks and Germans, so things could always turn ugly. But whatever happens may well hang on the game itself. If the teams stay friendly, if the referees judge fairly, the night should end peacefully. But should we get a red card or two, a galling offside or penalty decision...let the street fighting begin.

Anyway, my radio report on some of this stuff in Cologne in particular is pasted below.

The One That Got Away

While I am glad to see the back of Steve McLaren and believe that if anyone can drag England back into contention it's Fabio Capello, I must admit watching Guus Hiddink wave his magic wand again has me thinking what the great man could have done for the Three Lions.

Everyone thinks the biggest mistake the English Football Association (FA) made after Sven-Goran Eriksson quit was to appoint the perma-tanned clown McLaren as head coach. In fact, the comedy of errors started way before that when the FA completely blanked Hiddink despite his interest in the England job. The suits at Lancaster Gate didn't even ask Big Guus along for an informal chat, let alone formerly interview a man whose CV and character made him the perfect candidate.

Teams that play exciting, flowing football? Check. Proven winner? Check. Experience of guiding mediocre teams to the latter stages of major championships? Check. Does he want the job? Check. The FA's biggest crime to date is ignoring all the facts: Guus Hiddink would have saved England and we would have been talking about them as participants in this tournament had he been given the chance.

Who's to say that Fab won't complete the Italian Job on our pampered egomaniacs and make a competitive team out of them again? I hope (more than think) he will. Capello is probably one of only a handful of coaches with the standing and record to be considered as a rival to Hiddink. After scaring off Luiz Felipe Scolari and lacking the balls to appoint the maverick Jose Mourinho, the English FA finally got a man with the qualities needed to handle the job - but it was a tournament too late for many.

Russia's development into contenders on the pitch at Euro 2008 has much to do with the return of Andrei Arshavin but the man who put this team into the semi-finals is Guus Hiddink. He is the man who steered Russia to the last stages of Euro 2008 while the England squad sunned themselves idly on various expensive beaches around the world. That is Hiddink's victory.

If that fact alone isn't enough evidence that the FA got it wrong by ignoring the Dutchman, then cast your minds back to October 17, 2007. England arrived in Moscow with their qualification destiny in their own hands and looked to have done themselves a favor when Wayne Rooney volleyed home on 29 minutes. But two Roman Pavlyuchenko goals and a shell-shocked response by both England's players and coach left them needing to beat Croatia at Wembley a month later to have any hope. Again, England imploded while looking to an inadequate manager to inspire them. The rest is history.

In Moscow, Hiddink worked England out in much the same way as Scolari had managed to do as Brazil coach in 2002 and as Portugal chief in 2004 and 2006. It was simple: change tactics and formations regularly, get them with their backs against the wall and watch as their game plan unravels. Eriksson's England never had a Plan B and neither did McLaren's. Just imagine if the man destroying the dream with guile and bravery had been the one in an an England tracksuit?

We will probably never know what an England team would look and play like under Guus Hiddink. The FA probably denied him his last opportunity to take the job. But watching the Russians in full flow at Euro 2008, I can't help imagining what magic the master motivator and technician could have conjured up with the likes of Wazza & Co.

Hope Springs Eternal

While I would never be so disrespectful as to insult the world champions, I am very glad that this Italy team are on their way home from Euro 2008. Before I get waves of abuse from any Italians stumbling across my ramblings, I must point out the fact that I refer to THIS Italy team. In no way do I refer to Italy as a whole; the country, its people or any of its national team's past incarnations. I want to make that very clear. So…we're good?

Okay. An Italy victory over Spain last night would have left only one "flair" team left in the tournament (Russia) and that, after a mostly exhilarating and top quality championship, would have been a massive shame. The fact that the two most exciting teams left in Euro 2008 now meet each other in the semi-finals means at least one will feature in the contest for the title, which is better than nothing. Spain against Russia should be a joyous affair; a celebration of skilful, exciting soccer. Italy against Russia wouldn't have been.

If we needed any further evidence about the mentality of Roberto Donadoni's team then Sunday night's quarter-final was the red stamp which read "case closed". While negative might be too strong a term, Italy were definitely stifling and had the game by the throat from the start - and not in a good way. Rather than grabbing the match and rampaging all over it in a bid to win the game in 90 minutes, Italy seemed to be choking the life out of it, safe in the knowledge that having one of the best keepers in the world between the sticks meant they stood a good chance in the penalty shoot-out they were obviously playing for.

Italy were effective and well-organized as you would expect from the world champions but it was their game plan on the night that made for horrible viewing. While there should be admiration for the way they stopped Spain from playing their game and the shackles they put on Villa and Torres, the Italians showed little of the other side of soccer - you know, when a team tries to score.

Maybe Donadoni accepted the limitations of this team, shorn of Cannavaro, Pirlo and Gattuso, and decided his best chance was to cancel out the other team. Or perhaps, the limitations were not of the team's making but of the coach and that Donadoni just couldn't come up with a plan for beating Spain at their own attacking game.

My colleague Jefferson Chase wrote a very good opinion piece about the cock-up the organizers of Euro 2008 made when planning the permeatations of the knock-out rounds. He pointed out that the draw looked very unbalanced once the group stage was over. With all due fairness to Germany and Turkey - the other semi-finalists - their side of the draw could best be described as workmanlike while the other contained nearly all the so-called "flair" teams. In this way, by the time of the final, the chances of having an exciting play-off for the title would have been drastically reduced.

Had Italy progressed in the "flair " side of the draw, it would have taken an optimist - or an Italian - to suggest that a potential Italy vs. Germany/Turkey final would have been a carnival of soccer. (This is not a reflection on the quality of all the teams which contested the quarter-finals, just the different approaches and tactics).

The Germany vs. Turkey semi-final conjures up a very different image to the prospect of Spain vs. Russia. Anyone with any knowledge of the game will surely agree which contest looks more attractive. Thankfully, either Spain or Russia will be a finalist and their participation in the deciding match will mean that either Germany or Turkey will be required to play a team drilled and organized to make a match of it.

I fear that the same could not be said had the current Italian team made it.

Hmm...Are You Still Hungry?

Waking this morning, okay afternoon (got an old friend from home in town who needs to be partied with), I was hungry. Lacking the will to make much of a proper breakfast, I reached in the refrigerator for my bag of celery sticks and got digging in the peanut butter jar. Ate a good ten, still felt hungry.

Had a banana. Still hungry. Remembered there was still some leftover refried beans from the other night, heated them up and we ate a couple little burritos. Still hungry, we got out some chips and ate half the bag. Could have eaten a little more, but we put the bag away, thus staying a little hungry. Good, that.

It’s become clear now that we’ve seen three of the four quarterfinals that the teams who won the groups my well have filled up on bread and spoiled their dinners.

Turkey and Croatia’s abortion of a game (through the first 115 minutes or so) may not illustrate this as well as the other two, but who can honestly say Germany and Russia didn’t knock out their supposed betters as much through hunger as anything else?

Portugal’s silky skills were still in evidence on Thursday, but Germany had picked a team that tamped them down, as well as a veritable pack of rabid dogs up front. After a knock-down drag-out players-only bitch session during the group stage, Germany played hungry for the first time in the tournament and won convincingy.

Holland, whose game I watched in part at one of my favorite Cologne restaurants (I was hungry), seemed to have had a passion-dectomy. From the start, Russia's runs were better, passes crisper, tackles crunchier. Hungry boys, real hungry.

I watched the extra time in the loft of a nearby bar, furnished with low-slung couches and shaped like a Rollerball-set-decorated shipping container. It was muggy, smoky, and so many of the folks looked like they had reached the end of their football rope. It had been two punishing weeks of solid football-watching, and they were ready for respite.

By the 110th minute, the Dutch team, I thought, looked like they would get on well in this company. I could imagine Andre Ooijer plopping happily down, too gassed even to get up and order a beer, perhaps lighting a smoke and falling asleep, burning a hole in the sofa cushion. Arshavin, meanwhile still hungry, would have come in and kicked our lazy asses out, shut off the TV, thrown on some nasty electro and kept partying with the best-looking women we’d ever seen until five. Which is basically what happened on the pitch.

Are the Spanish hungry? If we take history into account, they ought to be.

Supporting La Seleccion

As many people have mentioned since this tournament began (myself included), Spain look like they may have a team capable of finally ending their 44 years of hurt. Just as many people have said (again, I count myself within this number) that this has often been the case and that when talented Spanish teams get this far, they get a severe case of the wobbles and undo all their previous good work by crashing out in lame fashion.

Despite this nagging doubt – and the weight of history which increases the nagging to fish-wife proportions – I am sticking with Spain as my tip for the title. My resolve has been bent by the increasing quality of the opposition homing in on Spain but it has not been broken.

Despite the strength of their title rivals, I feel a commitment to the Spanish after choosing them as my team for Euro 2008; a commitment based mainly on the fact that Spain has a prominent Liverpool contingent on duty with the squad, and in part to the other exciting talents coach Luis Aragones can rely on. I have found myself indulging in daily research of the scale usually reserved for a tournament in which England feature. From immersing myself in the Spanish team news and the constant re-runs of the match highlights, I feel I have deepened my connection.

I find it strange then, as an honorary Spaniard – at least for the purposes of this tournament – that my commitment is not shared by a proportion of the Spanish people. According to some reports I have come across, the Catalans and the Basques are not particularly bothered whether "La Seleccion" does well or not. Rather than having a whole nation behind them as they enter the crucial phase of a tournament they might win, Spain appears to have the backing of a few parts of the country interspersed with the indifference of others and sheer hatred of a few.

Of course, the limited geopolitical knowledge I have of Spain provides some background to this phenomenon. The people of these proud regions consider themselves to be Catalans and Basques over being Spanish, due to their historical pursuit of autonomy and the protection of their regional cultural identity. But this is soccer! The beautiful game! Surely they can't turn their backs on Spain when the team needs them most.

I dug further. It appears that soccer fans in these areas tend to put club allegiances in the same bracket as regional loyalty, choosing to devote all their love to their home team rather than the squad of the nation. The lack of support for the national team in these regions is such that "La Seleccion" has not played in either region for over 20 years. This attitude was typified by the reaction to Spain's explosive opening to Euro 2008. While David Villa was destroying Russia with the tournament's first hat-trick in Spain's Group D debut, Bilbao and Barcelona remained relatively calm whereas most cities in the rest of the country were going totally nuts.

Still finding it hard to believe, I went in search of some insight from my Spanish colleagues in the hope that they would shed some light on this.

"The Catalans have a different view of the national team than the Basques," said Luna Bolivar, a journalist with our Spanish department. "Many Catalans support Spain, many would even support Spain if there was a Catalonia team... although the hardcore nationalists would never be seen dead with a Spain flag.

"The situation in the Basque Region is very different," Luna added. "The politics of the region make it a lot harder. The Basques have a team, Atletico de Bilbao, where only Basques can play for them...The level of nationalism in the Basque Region is a lot different than in Catalonia and much fear comes with it."

Luna explained that regional allegiances are heavily politicised in the Basque Region which makes it very difficult for some. She quoted the case of the French-Basque defender Bixante Lizarazu who chose to play for France and received death threats from Basque terror group ETA.

"For the Basques, there can be a real threat to show the Spain flag and allegiance to the country... it is a betrayal," she added. "In the big cities, maybe not so much, but certainly in smaller villages. I believe many don't dare to support Spain - I certainly wouldn't!"

A quick phone call home assured me that there was no evidence of any Spanish, let alone Basque blood in my lineage so I breathed a sigh of relief...and donned my Torres shirt in prepartion for the match against Italy without fear of reprisals.

All About Andrei

There have been a few bandwagons rolling through Austria and Switzerland these last couple of weeks; the "bash the Greeks" chorus, the campaign to "pension off the French", and the "blame Chelsea for Portugal's failure" brigade among them. The most recent, and most credible, is the "Andrei Arshavin Supporters Club" which has grown considerably in just a few days. It's hardly surprising when you look at how incredibly good this guy is.

I bought my ticket for this particular bandwagon way back in the midst of Zenit St. Petersburg's run to the UEFA Cup title and since Saturday's masterclass against the Dutch, I've shuffled up to proudly sit beside the driver and lead the chorus of approval.

If anyone had told me after the first two group games that Russia would beat Holland at their own exhilarating game to reach the semi-finals, I would have checked the vicinity for empty vodka bottles. While the Netherlands were destroying the supposed cream of European soccer to stake their claim as the neutral's favourite, Russia were getting spanked by Spain and fluffing their lines in a narrow win over the Greeks. Putting them together at this stage would have been like shooting fish in a barrel for the Dutch.

What a difference a game makes? Or rather, what a difference a player of supreme skill and vision makes? Arshavin came back for the game against Sweden when qualification was hanging by a thread and not only showed his quality but his influence over the team.

And that is his true worth. The Russian star would have had a hard job beating the Dutch on his own had his mates failed to show up. This was not an easy Holland team to turn over. Marco van Basten's boys did not suddenly lose the plot and become rubbish. It was just that, when faced with a team inspired, Holland discovered their limitations. They were beaten by a better team – and that should strike fear into the heart of who ever has to challenge Russia for a place in the final.

Arshavin's contribution to the defeat of the Netherlands was huge. With Russia matching the electric Dutch for speed and guile, it was the No.10 who soon took the lead in conducting the pace.

With half an hour gone, Andrei signalled his intent, dancing past Andre Ooijer into the Dutch box before curling a right-foot shot goalwards that Edwin van der Sar had to tip away for a corner. Ten minutes into the second-half and Arshavin gutted the Dutch like fish – clipping a sweet chip down the left for Sergei Semak whose cross was volleyed in at the near post by Roman Pavlyuchenko. After Ruud van Nistelrooy's equalizer had forced extra-time, Arshavin and the Russian engine room went into overdrive. With 112 minutes on the clock, Arshavin flighted a tantalising cross over van der Sar and watched as Dmitri Torbinski poked in. Then, grabbing the goal that his performance deserved, the No. 10 then sealed the semi-final spot in the 116th minute as he ran through and fired low past the Dutch keeper.

It wasn't only Arshavin who was on his game. Pavlyuchenko, ridiculed in the group stages for his ineptitude, has grown in confidence since Arshavin's return. The Spartak Moscow striker looks more like the player who wreaked havoc in qualifying and could even eclipse that level of deadliness if he scores the numerous chances he continues to miss. At least he is getting into positions to have a shot now and is at least scoring the odd goal.

Another player to impress was defender Denis Kolodin. With a hammer of a right foot, Kolodin belted some testing shots at Edwin van der Sar from range and as late-arriving support for Russia's attack, he was more than just an accomplished stopper.

But when all is said and done, Saturday night was all about Andrei. With few of the world stars making good on their claim for the tournament's best player, Arshavin could well turn out to be Euro 2008's star man.

A Victory for Belief

Congratulations must got to Turkey for putting out the team most likely to do a "Greece" this year (and, in doing so, taking over that mantle as unfancied and unlikely potential European champions) but I cannot hide my disappointment that Croatia are now out of the tournament.

Friday night's quarter-final between the two surprise packages was a horrible game for 119 minutes until Ivan Klasnic gave what Slaven Bilic and his team thought was a last gasp winner, before Semih Senturk volleyed the equaliser with the last kick of the game. This proved to be too much for Croatia's broken players and their hearts and legs were gone by the time penalties arrived. Even Bilic, who I rated as the most exciting and progressive coach at Euro 2008, couldn't lift his players after being robbed of a hard-fought victory at the death.

Turkey again showed what a resilient and persistent team they are by playing not just to the end of regulation time with the belief that they could get something from the game, but 30 minutes beyond that and into the make-or-break scenario of spot-kicks. Their spirit was the winning factor in the end.

Croatia for me were the better team going into this game. They played with verve and confidence with the growing belief that they could shock the continent. With the scalps of many of Europe's top teams nailed to their dressing room wall, they had every right to think so. But on Friday, they were undone by a team that may not excite of enthuse as much but certainly don't know what it means to quit.

Turkey deserve their semi-final place against Germany and it will not be the foregone conclusion that everyone thinks it will be when the two teams meet for a place in the final. Turkey will be missing Arda Turan, Tuncay Sanli, Volkan Demirel and Emre Asik through suspension but such hardships are unlikely to undermine a growing belief in Fatih Terim's squad that Turkey have a destiny to fulfil at Euro 2008. Whether sheer hard work, boundless energy and that faith will be enough to overcome Germany, we will have to wait and see but Joachim Loew's boys will not underestimate a team which has made it this far against many odds.

It would have been interesting to see how a newly restored Germany would have dealt with having a second go at Croatia in the semis, the only team to have beaten them so far. But instead we will a very different yet no less interesting clash. We can expect blood-and-guts displays from both teams as their cultural and historical links add extra spice to the most important game in their shared sporting history.

As for Croatia who prepare to head home today, the future remains bright. With Slaven Bilic in charge - and if anyone has any sense he should be the man to continue to lead them - Croatia should look to the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign which starts in September with optimism. Besides, they face England again and we all know how that turned out last time.

Sing up for the Stripes!

I hate to say I told you so...actually, that's a lie. I am actually, physically rubbing my hands with glee over this news - not out of self-satisfaction but out of the fact that my faith in football fandom has been strengthened.

As I predicted in my first blog entry on June 1, the insipid and un-footie-inspiring, corporate sell-out single "Can You Hear Me?", the official tournament song by Enrique Inglesias, has been exposed as utter dross by the discerning fans at Euro 2008. I'm also glad to inform you that it will be joined in bargain bin purgatory for eternity by the shameless cash-in, "Feel the Rush" - the official mascots' theme (yes, they get one too) by Shaggy, a man who sounds like he needs to be directed to the nearest toilet - and fast.

According to a recent report from Reuters, these two heinous examples of how wrong the people who run soccer events can be have been eclipsed by a luminous piece of rawk'n'roll that has won the hearts and voices of supporters in every host city and stadium: "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes.

The song has become ubiquitous due to its thudding "der-de-de-de-de-der-derrr" guitar riff which can be sung just so as a catch-all celebratory cry or can be used as a basis for an adapted chant. (The Italians sing "Cam-pioni-del-Mon-do" - world champions - to the riff). It can be heard accompanying the arrivals of teams from the tunnel onto the pitch, on the packed terraces, in fan zones across Austria and Switzerland and on TV and radio shows. It is THE unofficial theme song of Euro 2008 and proves that the fans - and not the suits - know what makes a soccer tournament tick. And that's a ballsy tune that can get everyone in the stands rocking, regardless of country or allegiance.

Good work people!
After three...1,2,3..."Der-de-de-de-de-der-derrr..."

Who the Hell is Hansi?

Germany looked a different team on Thursday night to the one which had limped through the qualifying group generating more anxiety than praise. They were incisive, calm and focused on the task at hand – which was beating Portugal, something not many of us in all honesty expected to happen.

In times like these, the cameras and the eyes of the pleasantly surprised fan turn to the bench to look for the coach who has finally found the right motivation and formula to get the best out of a good team which seemed to be wilfully underperforming. On Thursday, as Germany once again extended their lead to two goals, the gaze turned in this direction in the hope of a satisfied look or a passionate celebration. How would Joachim Loew react to Michael Ballack's header – a goal essentially which put Germany in the semi-finals?

"Hang on," the world said, hesitating. "Who's this bloke?" The outfit was the same: a crisp white shirt, open-necked and taut, sleeves rolled-up in a workmanlike fashion and a pair of pressed black slacks. The hand on the chin suggesting concentration was also in evidence as were the darting, dark eyes under a furrowed brow. But where had six inches of height gone and where was the inky sleek hair? "Hang on again," the world added. "That's not Jogi?" And it was right.

Let us introduce Hansi Flick, or as he may become known "Mini-Loew". Not many people outside of Germany had heard of Hansi until last night. The first appearance of his name for many may have been the credit he got as national coach under the graphic of the Germany team before kick-off. Those who had been following Germany would have known of Loewie's suspension but may have been wondering if he had somehow lost his job in the meantime and had been replaced by this miniature usurper. Any fears were, of course, unfounded. Hansi, for those who still don't know, is Jogi's right-hand man. To make things more complicated, Hansi is Jogi to Jogi's Klinsi. Still with me?

Hansi's appointment to the national set-up after the 2006 World Cup was something of a surprise given his previous coaching experience with such titans of the German game as FC Bammental and 1899 Hoffenheim. However, as a midfielder for Bayern Munich in his playing days, Hansi did collect four Bundesliga titles and was a European Cup runner-up. Just as Jogi Loew dallied with almost-greatness in his coaching career pre-Germany, so Hansi did as a player.

Make of this what you will but managing a couple of lower league clubs seemed to stand Hansi in good stead for coaching Germany on Thursday night. Although the team would have been well-drilled by Loewie before he was consigned to his purgatory in the stands, there was no audio link-up between assistant and coach during the game. Hansi reacted to the events on the pitch and organized as the need arose. The tactics and substitutions were almost certainly pre-planned but the orders passed on to pitch were delivered clearly and with authority. Hansi, despite his diminutive stature, did not look out of his depth.

All of which suggests the creation of a German legacy. In the olden days when they were good, Liverpool built their success on the continuity of the backroom staff. The Anfield Boot Room was a famous production line of coaches and managers which brought titles galore. Knowledge and tradition were passed down while successors were promoted from within. Could it be that history will record such a lineage in regard to German success? "And lo! Klinsi did bequeath the mantle to Jogi, who bequeathed it to Hansi…and it was good."

JOGI UPDATE: The national team did their bit to aid our campaign to keep Jogi Loew in a job on Thursday night so we offer them our thanks. Oh, and did anyone else see the Germany coach spark up a cigarette in his glass cage in the stands when things started to get tense? Not only has he shown us his dark, angry side, Jogi also has a bit of a rebel thing going on too. (Although the fact that he never smokes on the bench or in public and has to skulk in the back of a badly lit director's box to get a crafty puff reminds me less of James Dean and more of some spotty, sixth former behind the science lab.)

Russia and Radio

As it seems the season to praise Andrei Arshavin, let me join in the chorus started by those two consistently class football writers, Guardian Unlimited's Barney Ronay and Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl. (UPDATE: How could I forget my boy Nick Amies?!? Tip of the cap, Nick.)

Arshavin really does look to be the missing piece to Russia’s puzzle, lending their fast, well-trained, but somewhat inflexible team a whiff of the unexpected.

I was starting to be convinced by Russia after their match against Greece, but thought their attack looked a little rote, in that they were always looking for the same ways in once reaching the final third. (Which can work against a team like Greece, of course.) I wouldn’t be surprised now, with an injection of Arshavinity (Arshavineity? Arsha-Velva?) if they give Holland a genuine scare on the weekend.

Still worrisome, however, is the finishing of Russia’s other ‘striker’ Roman Pavlyuchenko. I know, I know, he scored a goal against Sweden and everything, but the man should have scored at least three, and the same goes for the Greece game. He hasn't yet had any misses in the same league as Mario Gomez, but give him time and he might well conjure one. (It was no surprise when, in the midst of the second-half Russian offensive pile-on, Arshavin thought better of passing to Pavlyuchenko when the two were through on goal.)

I’ll post another of my radio pieces, one whose flavor is far from red-sports-meaty. It’s a visit with some Portuguese here in Germany who are getting ready for the big match tonight, and who ruminate a little on the difference between the teams and fans.

In Defense of Jogi Loew

I'm going to get this one in early as there is a good chance that after the quarter-final between Germany and Portugal on Thursday night, the opposite camp might have a lot more power: "SAVE JOGI LOEW!!"

Jefferson Chase among them) as hanging onto his job by a thread despite being awarded a new contract to see him through to the 2010 World Cup after steering Germany to Euro 2008 qualification. Lackluster and uninspired performances so far in the European Championships have heaped pressure on Jogi to the extent that a defeat to Portugal in Basel could end the Incredible Loew's tenure.

Normally we could shrug this type of hysteria off as a knee-jerk reaction by the rabid German press who demand world class performances AND trophies. (Only after the silverware is at home do they tend to forget about how it was won – which is often by way of luck and bluster over finesse and skill). This time however the stress is palpable and manifested itself in the Incredible Loew's outburst against Austria on Monday.

That outburst led to Jogi being banned from the touch-line for the quarter-final and so he will watch his team play out his and their fate from the stands.

It seems unbelievable that we are now talking about the possible removal of a coach who is widely credited for Germany's return to form at the 2006 World Cup and whose record as sole coach remains impressive: 18 wins, four draws and three defeats since taking over after the World Cup. (DW-WORLD.DE Reviews Loew's First Year as Germany Coach)

This tournament was always going to be Jogi's big chance but as yet, he has not been able to get the Germans firing on all cylinders. He has appeared paralyzed by some of his own strange decisions: retaining Jens Lehmann in goal, persevering with the misfiring Mario Gomez and Miro Klose up front, keeping Lukas Podolski – Germany's most likely goal scorer – shackled in midfield, and leaving the creative livewire Bastian Schweinsteiger on the bench for long periods of time. Taking these and the performance to date into consideration, the "JOGI OUT" camp has a lot of ammunition.

So, you might well ask, what has the "SAVE JOGI" camp got to offer? Well, as unofficial chairman of this campaign, I must say that so far I have not been impressed with the Germany team. But I will not join the voices of discontent against the coach. I don't think that Loewie has suddenly become a terrible manager or one which cannot rally his troops when their confidence seems to be ebbing away.

Previously I mentioned that Germany has only suffered three defeats during his tenure so far. Count them…one (0-1 against Denmark)…two (0-3 against the Czech Republic)…and three (1-2 against Croatia). The first loss ended an undefeated streak of eight games and was a friendly used to blood new stars; the second was a shock in a largely competent Euro qualifying campaign and the Croatia defeat? I don't think we need to go there again, do we?

These games aside, the majority of Jogi's reign has been filled with the attacking verve that he is credited with bringing back to the national team. There have been a few dull performances and some scraped wins but Loew has kept Germany on a slow, upward curve. Let's not forget that everyone looks back on the 2006 World Cup as the moment of Germany's renaissance but The Dog & Duck Sunday XI could have got that crowd behind them if they had been wearing Germany shirts. Germany were crap for long periods against Argentina in the quarter-final and only equalized with ten minutes to go. They were also quite ordinary against Poland and for most of the game after taking a very early 2-0 lead against Sweden.

It would be wrong to think that Jogi Loew has somehow spoiled a good team just because Germany go into their quarter-final against Portugal as underdogs. Take off the Klinsi-tinted glasses, Jogi-haters, and face the truth: Germany did not win the 2006 World Cup, even though it may have felt like it. They showed promise while surfing a wave of huge public support. That promise continues under Jogi Loew. And if the Euro adventure ends on Thursday night, I urge you all to stick with the man who has done the most to nurture that promise.

Because the next man they hire could be Lothar Matthaeus. Think about it.

The Baby Blues

After France's disastrous Euro 2008 campaign was finally put out of its misery by the (albeit quite lucky) Italians, former Les Bleus defender Marcel Desailly called for a new generation of stars. Had the ex-AC Milan and Chelsea hard man – a player with both European Championship and World Cup medals at home – been watching the same match as everyone else? Had he in fact stumbled into a room where a video of France's tired attempts to retain the world crown in Japan/Korea in 2002 was being replayed? Maybe he wasn't clutching at straws…maybe Desailly really does believe a bunch of toddlers could have done better than the mostly prodigious team Raymond Domenech sent out to face Italy.

Okay, so it wasn't a team of teenage tyros but to claim that France needs a new generation to spice things up is overlooking the fact that five of the players used on Tuesday night were 25 or under, with Karim Benzema leading the line at the tender age of 21 and the baby-faced 22-year old Sami Nasri entering the fray as a replacement for the almost geriatric Franck Ribery (25).

Coach Raymond Domenech seemed to be hoping that the formula which worked in the World Cup qualifiers and the competition proper in 2006 – mixing previously retired superstars with a hopeful new crop – would pay similar dividends. It didn't. And while the quarter-finals may have had a different complexion had Zinedine Zidane's legs been as enduring as his legend, even the great Zizou would not have been enough to save this French team from elimination.

Domenech was right to a certain extent when he lamented after Tuesday's match that his team lacked luck. Losing Ribery after just ten minutes and then having Eric Abidal sent off nine minutes later for a challenge that gave the Italians their opening goal through the resultant penalty was hardly what you could call fortunate. But bad luck had nothing to do with the fact that France entered their last match with their destiny in their hands with a single point and a single goal to show for their troubles.

Maybe Marcel Desailly meant that a new generation should have been given its chance at Euro 2008, rather than suggesting the current squad be chopped for a completely new one. If he meant that players like Lilian Thuram, William Gallas, Claude Makelele and Thierry Henry should have been sacrificed for players with less experience but more hunger, then I whole-heartedly agree. Raymond Domenech had the chance to launch a new era of French soccer on the world but just didn't quite have the gumption to go all the way.

(And, according to Paul Doyle in The Guardian's blog, he didn't have the tactical nouse either).

Okay, so the senior players mentioned above are far from candidates for the glue factory but would a team full of young colts have done worse than the carthorses we saw over the last week-and-a-half? Maybe a squad with an average age of 25 would have failed to qualify too but at least the youngsters would have gotten a taste for the big stage and would have taken a first step to something potentially great in the future. Would going out due to youthful inexperience be any worse than limping out on old legs?

France could be accused of many things which contributed to their failure but, in my opinion, the worst is lack of vision. And for a country which has led the world in youth development and has rebuilt itself time and again with the products of its famous youth system, that is the biggest disappointment.

No More Mister Nice Jogi

I have to admit that I have always been a fan of Joachim Loew. Apart from the fact that he was the actual brains behind Germany's run to the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup and the assumption that he was the fashion consultant for the impeccably co-ordinated coaching team, he just seemed like a decent bloke and one of soccer's nice guys. One thing that was missing was a bit of an edge. He always seemed so mellow; a thoughtful and considered coach rather than a ranter, raver or teacup thrower.

Funny how things change.

Germany's frustrating form in their last two Group B games has finally forced Jogi to show his teeth. This new darkness has really added something to his overall appeal and getting sent off during the Austria game was just the icing on the cake! Some might argue that he showed a lack of discipline to argue with the fourth official over the latest of a long list of dubious decisions before ranting at Austria's coach Josef Hickersburger but, apart from being removed from the coaching area, Jogi's outburst may have been just the catalyst Germany needed.

While the nice-and-easy approach gives your team a calm environment to retreat into and helps take the pressure out of a tournament camp, an added blood-and-guts variable can be used to stoke the fires in your players' bellies when needed. Loew's passion, rarely seen except in celebration, seemed to ignite the Germans after his touchline spat. The flames in his own gut surely inspired the team talk at half-time which led to the resurgent performance we saw after the break.

If Jogi Loew is going to get angrier and angrier as this tournament goes on, maybe it'll be enough to drive Germany on to glory on June 29. Either that, or sometime in the next two weeks the Germany coach is going to turn green and shred his Boss shirt and slacks on the sidelines. It will take a brave referee to send the Incredible Loew to the stands if that happens.

Staying the Course

Just after Germany’s Germany’s loss to Croatia, coach Jogi Löw told the press they “would see a different team on the pitch“ against Austria, and many took that to mean that he’d be ringing in the changes to the starting 11.

Perhaps the disappointing Mario Gomez would be left out in favor of Lukas Podolski, whose place on the Left wing would perhaps be taken over by Thomas Hitzlsperger. Perhaps Tim Borowski would play on the right in place of Clemens Fritz, perhaps Marcell Jansen’s injury would be serious enough to shift Philipp Lahm over to the left, making way on the right for Arne Friedrich. Perhaps Heiko Westermann would play at the back, as Christoph Metzelder was due for a break after some shaky sequences against Croatia.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that’s a lot of perhapses, and now they appear to be all for naught. If Germany’s omniscient oracle of news the Bild Zeitung is correct, the only one of those changes that looks like it’s going to get made is bringing in Arne Friedrich at right back, and moving Lahm over. This seems unwise.

Germany has looked fairly uninspired thus far in the tournament, a much less zestful side than the one that lit up the World Cup two years ago and changed a lot of minds about the Germany team, including mine. Klose and Gomez are not playing well off of each other, and Ballack is shackled to a too-deep position in midfield as he covers for the (admittedly effective) adventures of Lukas Podolski on the left. The options available to Löw with Schweinsteiger suspended are limited, but clearly this team could stand for some tinkering.

I’ve been troubled by the conservatism of Löw’s selection policy for some time now, ruing his sticking by Jens Lehmann, and questioning his leaving out Marko Marin, Patrick Helmes and especially Jermaine Jones in favor of more familiar faces when picking his final squad in Mallorca. This latest episode of stay-the-course-ism may get Germany past a very mobile but largely toothless Austria side, but it doesn’t give me a lot of faith in Löw’s flexibility in tailoring sides as situations arise.

On a side note, i'll post the radio report I adapted for DW’s main current affairs program Newslink, my other (real?) job. Austria is still fixated on 1978 and Cordoba…

Notes from a Small Island #4

When it comes to summarizing the first week of action at Euro 2008, who better to ask for their opinion than an impartial observer? I tracked down a couple of experts who could give knowledgeable insight without the possibility of partisan allegiances coloring his comments. Enter my dad and brother:

"What's this for again?"
"The Deutsche Welle Euro 2008 blog."
"So this will be on the Internet."
"I'll make you famous, father."
"Infamous more, like. Okay number three son, fire away."

After hours sat in front of all the first round games, there's no-one I feel is better qualified to review Week One of Euro 2008 than these two. And considering how inane the English pundits have been so far, I thought I would extend the discussion and put it to the panel in the hope of generating some pithy comments.

Which team has impressed you most so far and why?

Richard: Croatia and Holland. Some teams rely on their stars but in terms of teams which play together as a unit, then Croatia and Holland have impressed me so far. They understand one another, they play for one another and get in positions and they work hard. They don't rely on one star player. One of those two teams will win.

John: I think you have to look at the managers. (Croatian coach Slaven) Bilic does his homework, he knows what his team can do and what they have to do to beat the team they're up against. And they do what he tells them to do. (Holland coach Marco) van Basten is the same. You have to see that these teams all have to be of a similar standard to be at Euro 2008 so I think it's the managers who will make the difference. But I picked Croatia to win it before the tournament started so I'll go with them.

Who have you been disappointed with?

John: Italy and France. I think these two…and some of the other so-called better teams…rely too much on individuals. I thought I would enjoy this tournament more because England weren't in it because the pressure would be off but I've been disappointed with the standard as a whole, to be honest.

Richard: Some of their players play brilliantly at their clubs and should be included in the national teams but when they do, they don't perform. You wouldn't leave any of the Italians or French out of a league team but the way they've played for their countries this week, a lot of them look like shadows of their former selves.

Any surprises so far?

John: They've been true to form so far but one team which might surprise you is Spain. They have to come good sometime, surely. Getting past the quarter-finals would be a big surprise for them, knowing that they usually flop around that stage. They have so much potential but never seem to perform when it matters.

Has any player really stood out for you?

John: Ruud van Nistlerooy. I watched the Holland-Italy game and I was very impressed with him. Also Dirk Kuyt's been playing well. He had a good game against the Italians. His work rate is tremendous. I think he's a good player without being a great player but he makes up for it with the amount of work he puts in. At the other extreme, Thierry Henry has disappointed me. He was far from terrible but he was nowhere near the player he used to be…he didn't get a lot of service, I must admit…but he was a big disappointment.

Richard: The whole Italian defense – what's happened to them? They may have lost Cannavaro, perhaps their best player, but they just haven't shown up at all.

Have you picked up on anything which has really annoyed you so far?

John: The theatrics. Players are getting a little tap and they're going to ground like they've been shot by a sniper. That is done for the sole purpose of getting someone booked or sent off. What kind of sport is it when your success depends on someone getting sent off? That's what gets me – how these highly paid professionals are trying to achieve success through deceit.

What's the atmosphere like here in the UK, considering there's not a single representative from the British Isles taking part?

John: One of the main things that I've noticed about England not being there is that when they are involved, you pick up your paper a week before the tournament and its full of information; wall charts, player profiles, potential opponents in the later rounds…they have it all. What have we got this time? A profile of each team about a week ago and a feature from some psychologist saying what effect team colors have on players! What sort of rubbish is that? There's hardly any coverage this year. And the streets…you wouldn't know there was a tournament going on.

Richard: There were flags out all over the place for the World Cup and four years ago for Euro 2004 but there's nothing. Well, nothing to do with England anyway. But even the amount of other national flags are a lot less. No-one seems to be bothered. Last time, the pubs were full, there were England shirts everywhere, and being out in the town was fantastic. Some of the pubs have the games on but no-one's going out of the way to watch them.

Finally, why did England fail to qualify?

Richard: Bad team selection. The pressure is to put the best players you have out on the pitch but they don't always play as a team. You're picking individuals and hoping they'll gel as a team.

John: Lack of self belief. Pure and simple. Do you want a cup of tea?

Notes from a Small Island #3

Did you know that Wayne Rooney married his childhood sweetheart Colleen in a £5 million wedding in Italy this week? Of course you didn't because you're too busy following the European Championships. This was the main news in the UK (even eclipsing the Irish "no" vote in some cases) during my sojourn across the water to check on how my country folk were dealing with not being involved in Euro 2008. And while there weren't exactly tumbleweeds blowing down the deserted roads of old Blighty, there weren't any lobster-coloured skinheads rolling in the streets either. It was kinda eerie.

Taking to the city in search of some enthusiasm for Euro 2008, it soon became obvious that retail therapy was the chosen crutch of my disappointed countryfolk. While the sale and rent of widescreen televisions were reportedly taking a massive knock in relation to figures during the World Cup in 2006, the amount of people swarming through the shops suggested that while the rest of Europe was glued to the soccer, the English were making up for losing their party invite by trying to aid the shell-shocked economy.

The figures which forecasted a huge hole in the British coffers come this summer due to the failure of England to qualify couldn't have taken into consideration the fact that the only thing we English do better than drinking is running up huge credit card bills. Maybe the government thought that the sale of any old crap with the St. George's cross on it was the cornerstone of our island's financial stability. If this indeed had been the case, then we may have soon become the subject for some UN donor conference. My country's optimism is both enduring and endearing when it comes to soccer but it can also be our downfall. Judging by the endless bargain bins full of unsold tacky England souvenirs, many a hopeful entrepreneur was suffering along with the broke-hearted fans who had lost their lust for cheaply made, plastic merchandise. The lack of flags, shirts and other sundry rubbish was glaringly obvious.

However, some things seemed the same; there was the muffled sound of soccer statistics floating on the stagnant breeze and a few continental colors on show in the sun-kissed beer gardens, but the differences from previous summers were still very much in evidence. I could get to the bar in any chosen pub, in the middle of a game, and get served without having to squeeze between bulldog tattoos and rancid armpits. I could relieve myself in the facilities -- which would normally be reminiscent of the Somme -- without having to weave my way across a carpet of my fallen brethren. There were seats available near the screens and there were no out-of-tune renditions of Three Lions drowning out the pundits. It was, dare I say it, very civilised and relaxed.

I engaged a couple of lads sat nearby in conversation during the half-time break in the Greece-Russia game. They were devoid of team colours and while there were a few Greek shirts on show, I safely assumed that these two would be locals – or Russians with strong Norfolk accents.

"What's the atmosphere in the city been like so far during the tournament?" I asked.
"This is the first game we've seen in the pub," said one. "We're out clubbing later and thought this would be a good starting point."
"Have you watched many at home?" said I.
"A few but only when a decent team is on, like Portugal or Holland," said the other. "These two have been rubbish," he added, waving a derisory hand at the television.
"Do you think the English are bothered about Euro 2008?" I asked.
"Those who like footie will watch it all, I s'pose. But what's the point really when your team's not in it?"

The obvious dearth of clientele suggested many others felt the same. I went unhindered to the bar for a refill. While waiting patiently for my Guinness to settle I asked the landlord if business was suffering yet. "Looking back to the World Cup, this place is a ghost town in comparison," he said. "I reckon my takings will be down by around 40 percent by the end of the tournament, in comparison to the same period two years ago. The only thing which would make matters worse would be if the bloody Germans win it."

I returned to my seat, which had remained vacated, safe in the knowledge that at least some things never change.

Notes from a Small Island #2

As I mentioned in my previous post, the media response to Euro 2008 in England was muted to say the least and the coverage which was dedicated to the tournament was tinged with schadenfreude and barely concealed bitterness. I realised after writing my first post from the island that I was basing this on a very small section of the media.

Knowing how the British press love to expand their daily editions into weekend tomes capable of stunning a Rottweiler, I though I would give them one more chance to show that they were actually getting into the spirit of things.

Against my better judgement, I picked up the Times again, hoping that their reputation for quality had just taken a dip on the day that I arrived. I was wrong. It was still full of Premiership-centric reporting and, worse, cricket. (One thing many soccer fans forget is that England's participation in summer tournaments helps to distract from the fact that the world's dullest sport is back for another season – cricket's return to sporting dominance is another extremely sad aspect of England's failure to qualify).

The Times had a nice picture of some Croatian rubbing Germany's nose in it AGAIN (despite the game having taken place on Thursday) while the back page was dominated by the story of Luiz Felipe Scolari's fantasy football shopping list for Chelsea. Turning the page, Big Phil was still Big News, enjoying a double spread which filled us in on everything from his reliance on a sports psychologist to how much meat the manly new Premiership celebrity eats (enough to put a fully grown puma to shame, trivia fans!).

Four pages in and the Euro 2008 coverage began – and ended. Crushed into three columns (with a tedious commentary on golfer Colin Montgomery on the side), the entirety of the European Championships fought for attention, dominated again by a re-hashing of the Germany defeat, as if to reinforce the view that losing to Croatia suddenly exonerated England from its own ignominious failure. Newsflash: It doesn't.

Perversely turning in hope to the tabloids, I was initially enthused by the glorious colour spread of what appeared to be an in-depth feature into Spain in the Daily Mirror. However, once past the flashy photos, the story actually centered on Fernando Torres and how great the Premiership is. "Nando", apparently, was going to "do the Premiership proud" by beating Sweden single-handedly that evening (Saturday). Far from doing so to ease Spain's route into the quarter-finals, the Liverpool striker was going to show that he plays in the best league in the world by leading the line for some sweaty little holiday destination which was apparently taking part in some kick-around with a bunch of other Johnny Foreigners in the place where they make Toblerone.

It appeared in most papers that Euro 2008 was just an excuse to give articles about English domestic soccer a new angle over the summer. Many seemed to be taking up the BBC's rallying call to support another nation by highlighting the progress of certain countries based on the performance of their Premiership stars. The BBC, who had tried in vain to drum up enthusiasm with their "Who Will You Support?" campaign on their web site, unfortunately forgot to send this memo to their TV presenters.

The lack of any interest and excitement in the tournament during the Beeb's television coverage has apparently been so obvious that the papers are starting to pick up on it. It seems that it's not only the print media which can't be bothered to do more than the bare minimum just because England aren't involved.

Apparently, according to one surprisingly pro-Euro commentary, the Beeb commentators are not only going through the motions but doing it in such a way to send those who are actually interested to sleep – or worse, to Sky Sports where the cricket is being shown.

I set the papers aside and hoped that I would find more support for Euro 2008 on the streets. More of that to come…

Notes from a Small Island #1

Ahhh...England's green and bitter land.

The equation back in my homeland currently looks like this: "Euro 2008 - England + crappy weather = not bovvered". I might as well be in the United States for all the interest the European Championships are generating. I bet some guy on a farm in Idaho is more excited about Euro 2008 than the English right now.

The first indication that things are far from okay here in my homeland is the dearth of proper media coverage, especially in the newspapers. I picked up a copy of the Times at Schipol Airport before flying off the continent, hoping to get my fill of insightful soccer comment. What I got was a page about Scolari's plans for Chelsea and a cursory report of the Germany - Croatia game. Binning the sad excuse for a paper after digesting this minimal reportage, I plumped for the tabloids. Soccer as the game of the people would at least be covered in more detail by the red tops, or so I thought. While the majority savored Germany's defeat to Croatia with headlines like "See? Not So Easy Are They?" and "SOUR-KRAUTS", few of the pages behind the back spreads provided much in the way of analysis.

On arrival, the indifference became even more clear. No-one in arrivals was talking about the tournament; there were very few signs outside the bars advertising televised games and when I asked for the score of the Holland-France match, not one person I approached knew or even seemed to care. One even asked me if I was sure if they were in the same group.

Today, while searching my home city for signs of soccer life, I was amazed to find the population in a state of lethargy. Sheltering between showers, I found no evidence that the rest of Europe was embroiled in an increasingly dramatic and quality soccer competition. Finally, after searching for a venue to watch the Spain-Sweden game and failing miserably, I headed back to my ersatz home for the weekend. After missing the entire game through the public transport system's indifference to my urgency, I finally made it back in time to catch Russia vs. Greece.

At least, I thought, the TV at my accomodation would provide me with the injection of Euro 2008 I had been missing since leaving the continent the previous evening. True - there was the game, in glorious technicolor. But whereas in previous years the commentators would be delivering their tired attempts at witicism with the excitement of being involved in such a showpiece, the pundits sounded more like they were reading a eulogy at a wake.

In some ways, they were. Greece lost to Russia, ending their defense of the European title in the process. The champions had been dethroned. Forgetting that their own team had not even made it to Austria and Switzerland and that their own players were feeling up their bikini-clad wives on beaches in Dubai rather than gracing the fields of play at the continent's premier tournament, the so-called experts set about ripping Greece apart. They were glad they were going home and that the Greeks would soon be taking their anti-football with them. Euro 2008 would be better without them.

How these apparently well-paid and allegedly knowledgable men could sit there and comment in such a way when the majority of the country was obviously in grief is beyond me. The nation would have given everything to see England in Greece's position. If the 'experts' had looked around them, as I had for most of the day, they would have realized that England were not there - and that the reason they weren't there was because they had failed. Maybe then they would have offered those who had qualified - only to be knocked out early - a little more respect.

The Fast Show

Phew, just got back from some unexpected work at the radio station, and was set a little back from sitting down to write what I wanted to earlier.

Holland is punishing people, and there’s a good reason why. They are playing like a team. No I’m not talking some unselfishness blather, or even about a sea change from their well-publicized past problems with team togetherness (black vs. white, Ajax vs. PSV vs. Feyenoord kids, etc.), I mean their team is functioning on the pitch like a real team. Like a club team.

It’s an old saw that international tournaments are often showcases for individual talents more so than teams because national sides just plain don’t spend enough time together to develop that sixth-sense spatial awareness of each other’s presence on the pitch. Now, when presented with a side that’s showing us the alternative we see it’s true.

Holland is the only team who’s been able to make fast, sophisticated plays with their heads down. They play balls into space rather than at men, as good teams do, and do it without checking first who’s going to be there because they already know who’s going to be there. The simple discipline shown by the Dutch thus far of knowing their running lanes on the break, keeping to them, and hitting those spots with precision has already torn two teams full of talent asunder, and will likely do the same to several more, should it continue.

A handy point of comparison is Spain, whom I’ve just watched dither their way to a win over a very game Sweden. I couldn’t help cheering for the Spaniards when David Villa put in his late, late winner, but had also spent the last half hour cursing them as they probed and probed and probed -- pointlessly.

Never willing to touch the ball once when two, three, or even four times would do, the most expensive team in the tournament by some reckonings were pathetically static in attack, nearly lounging around the area while in possession, waiting for a tiny opening to appear. As they learned a minute from time, sometimes the best way to open a heavy, bearded, oaken door is to run at it before it can close up tight.

For their sake, and that of the frustrated fan, I hope they learned that lesson well.

The Big Phil Factor

The biggest news to come out of Euro 2008 so far is the announcement that came earlier this week that Luiz Felipe Scolari will stand down as Portugal coach and take over the reins of Chelsea - the day after the tournament final. This is excellent news in general for the English Premiership (but maybe not such a reason to celebrate for Chelsea's rivals). The league is certainly in need of another big character and with Sir Alex Ferguson due to retire at the end of the 2010 season and Jose Mourinho now the property of Serie A, Big Phil is made to order.

But the timing is curious to say the least. Portugal have been flying so far in Euro 2008 and The Family Scolari (as his teams often get called due to his paternal guidance) are looking strong and happy. Despite obviously being in good form and fettle, one wonders what – if any – detrimental effects this announcement in the first week of the tournament may have on the Portuguese.

Germany will be hoping that the coming to an end of an era for their likely quarter-final opponents will unsettle Portugal. Germany should dispose of Austria in a cathartic response to the Croatia defeat which would then set up a rematch of the 2006 World Cup third-place play-off. Maybe Portugal will be plunged into doubt over their future post-Scolari and play with heavy hearts. Unfortunately, I expect Scolari's departure to have a galvanising effect on his team.

As mentioned previously, Big Phil treats his players with a firm but human touch and they respond like willing sons, wanting to make their father proud. He drills them, organizes them and sends them out in his image but he is not afraid to defer to their natural talents when it comes to on-field tactics. There is a certain amount of give and take with any of Scolari's teams but none have ever been in any doubt who is ultimately in charge. It is an approach which has generated a huge amount of respect and one which has brought the Brazilian coach much success.

Chelsea are obviously taking a risk but it looks to be a calculated one. The last time they looked truly awesome in the Premiership was when they were gathered together under the wing of the Special One. Scolari is a different animal but will bring those players to him and earn their trust. In response, they will play for him.

This is what any side facing Portugal in the next two weeks can expect. Far from weeping over an inevitable separation or sulking about a perceived abandonment, Portugal will more than likely raise their game for the man who has brought them to the upper echelons of the international game. If this is to be Luiz Felipe Scolari's farewell, then rest assured that his players will do their best to ensure it ends in glory.

All of which bodes ill for their coming opponents.

The Curious Case of the Missing Ballack

If ever there was a game in need of a strong leader to take it by the scruff of the neck it was Thursday night's Group B match between Germany and Croatia. The chaotic early pace, the slipshod passes, the ill-timed tackles; the match needed a firm master, someone who would play the ball and control movement. It was an occasion crying out for Michael Ballack at his best.

Instead of mastering the situation around him, Ballack seemed dictated by it. He chased the lung-bursting pace; he wasted possession through harried thought and on more than one occasion left a cynical stud behind in the challenge. At times, he was petulant where he should have been imperious.

Croatia were very much up for it and Germany found themselves to be over-run for most of the first half. The team's youngsters were knocked off their stride and hassled into hastily taken decisions which often resulted in a Croatian counter-attack. Even seasoned internationals looked overwhelmed. Frustration was written all over the face of Torsten Frings after every fluffed cross and Miroslav Klose looked even more goal-shy than he had against Poland. Everyone needed pulling together. Someone needed to have a word. The only words the Kapitan gave were the constant complaints he directed at the Belgian referee.

Leadership and influence. On form and in the right mind, Michael Ballack can exude both. He can drag the collective sock up, roll the sleeve and get stuck in – more often than not while encouraging his team to do the same. But if something is ever so slightly off, he can disappear – or worse.

For one reason or another, the Germany captain still does not realise that he is one of those players who can lift a team and raise the crowd; he seems oblivious to the fact that his performance can bring out the best in everyone.

In some ways, he is a more robust version of Denis Bergkamp in his pomp in that respect. And just as precious. A journalist asked assistant coach Johan Neeskens before the 1998 World Cup semi-final whether or not Holland would beat Brazil. "Maybe, just maybe…if Bergkamp plays." This raised questions over the player's fitness. "No, he is not injured, he will be on the field – but will he play? Who knows?" The very same can be said for Ballack.

He is a player you can't leave out. I'm sure there are statistics to back this up when I say Ballack has proportionately more good games than bad. And you wouldn't want to leave him in the hotel if he was having a better day. But when he has a game like he had on Thursday night, you just have to be hoping you're playing a friendly at the time.

He didn't disappear. He was there or there about but very little of what he did went right. A number of times, he would have been more useful if he had been invisible. Croatia started numerous attacks from his loose passes.

What made it worse was that he was not alone. It seemed as though the Poland victory had made winning Euro 2008 a distinct possibility and everyone had suddenly got the impression it would be a breeze. By the time Germany had realised that Croatia were a very different proposition to the Poles, they'd already been worked out. Croatia's pressing game soon had the Germans struggling for cohesion.

If the jolt of realisation they received in Klagenfurt was sufficient to stun them into disbelief at the final whistle, hopefully the shock will have soaked in by the time Germany wrap up the group stage against Austria. But even if they successfully qualify, question marks will still remain over whether this Germany team is ready to scrap for the title – and whether or not their captain is prepared to flex his muscles.

One Exit Switerland Can Enjoy

As a downpour equivalent to last night’s in Basel roars outside my window here in Bonn, I can only think how sweet it is to be not out in it playing football.

I would love to see a video compendium of the hapless looks on players’ faces after their neat passes skidded astray, or died in puddles long before reaching their intended targets. (This did work out well once, however.) How about it, internet? Are there any deranged YouTubers out there who are ready to take care of my whimsical request? Or has it already been done?

Now I've just spent nearly a week down in Bern with a great group of Swiss friends, and was impressed by the pluck of the mountain folks’ national side in their losing effort against the Czech Republic. I was rooting like hell for them, and took the loss hard. Exiting to a deflected goal in injury time is about as bitter as a bag of unripe persimmons.

Still, when the Swiss manage to wipe the pained puckers off their faces, they should realize that something very good may have come out of the match. The cutting of the cord with the Nati's most rubbish player, Marco Streller.

He’s a funny case, Streller, a shooting star in his younger days, lighting up the Swiss league with Thun and Basel and earning himself a big-money move to the Bundesliga with Stuttgart. There, and at Cologne, the club to which he was briefly loaned, Streller was a monstrous flop, averaging four goals a season. Now back in his hometown of Basel, he scores again.

After years of picking the man nearly every time he was fit (first to reward him for good form, then sticking by him in lean times in Germany, now rewarding him again), Köbi Kuhn finally listened to his mates down the ‘Stirrup and left him out against Turkey.

The drunk retirees in flat caps, along with the teenagers who come in to sneak cigarettes had been telling him for years now that Streller’s early success (he scored 9 goals in his first 19 matches for Switzerland) had gone to his head, and that he hadn’t done squat but sulk and not score since.

At seeing the sight of Young Boys Bern’s Hakan Yakin and Streller’s own FC Basel strike partner Eren Derdiyok starting up front in place of Streller, who was nursing a “groin injury” from the bench, the ‘Stirrup crowd no doubt let out a wheezy hurrah.

Streller has heard the criticism loud and clear the whole time. He told Swiss television after their warm-up win over Liechtenstein, "I like playing for my country, but at some point it is enough. I've heard that (booing) long enough."

Now, I’ve never been razzed by tens of thousands and feel for the guy but, alas, this is what happens when you are an international striker and look like you have no hope of scoring against Liechtenstein. You get booed.

Thus at just 26, Streller said before the tournament that he would be quitting international football after it ended. He got his release a couple of games early, and I reckon few will be asking him to change his mind.

Streller’s saga got me thinking -- who is the worst player for your national side to get picked again and again, seemingly regardless of form?

I will get the ball rolling with the USA’s current bane up front, Eddie Johnson. He's Remarkably similar to Streller in some ways, in that he’s been known to kill it in MLS, had a roaring start to his Nats career (piling up goals against the likes of El Salvador and Panama), is now a fringe player at best at his club in the big leagues (in his case Fulham in England), and how looks lost on the pitch for the US too.

What albatross has your national team had hanging around its neck? Tell me a tale of woe.

Mine's a Large One

While watching the coaches of Switzerland and Turkey attempt to adapt their tactics to the Alpine monsoon which descended on Basel on Wednesday evening, a question entered my mind. Which one of these two blokes would I most want to share an evening down the pub with? This is, of course, the age-old way that males determine the compatibility of characters and so what started out as just a stroll off the path of concentration soon turned into an exercise in finding my coaching "soul mate".

First I imagined myself going for a beer with Switzerland's "Uncle" Kobi Kuhn. It would be in one of those Olde Worlde-type pubs where the dust in the air catches the sunlight piercing through the small, dirty windows. Old men would inhabit the dark corners, hunched over their newspapers while an arthritic Labrador would struggle to lick its genitals by the roaring fire. Uncle Kobi would order real ale, something with a name like Old Feathered Trollop and I would be polite and have the same. Then we would retire to an authentically ancient wooden booth where Kobi would sigh and savor his pint. He would say little and I would talk of my problems while he nodded sagely.

Hardly a blast.

Leaving Kobi in the Gaffer's Stirrup (that's the pub's name, by the way, not a Swiss athletic support for men of a certain age) I would call Fatih "Laughing Boy" Terim on his mobile. I would just be able to make out the Turkey coach's excited voice and guttural chortles over a blast of cheesy Balearic dance music. I would then meet him at Chrome Dreams, the club his brother-in-law (now divorced) owns. Fatih would already be half-cut when I arrive, his large collared shirt open to the navel. He would greet me with a bear hug and order some spirit which is probably illegal. He would then usher me to a booth where two ladies, introduced to me as Crystal and Tufty, would be sitting. After a few more shots of the lighter fluid Fatih is quaffing like the elixir of life, things would turn nasty. The booze would get the better of Mein Host and he'd start getting tasty with the male half of a couple out for a quiet drink. I would be making my excuses as the first misdirected punch was thrown.

Also not my idea of nocturnal entertainment.

So which coach would be the best company? If I was looking for a classy night out, I'd probably tag along with Joachim Loew. It would be a low-key establishment, quite minimalist…a place where tight black polo neck sweaters would be de rigueur. But after a while, Jogi's incessant calorie counting would get a bit boring and after the third call to Juergen Klinsmann I would just leave in a huff.

While he would undoubtedly have a good knowledge of beer, the Czech Republic's Karel Brueckner would probably be tucked up in bed at about the same time as I would be about ready to hit the town. The poor old boy is nearly 70. The same with Sweden's Lars Lagerbaeck who looks like he would rather be in his favourite armchair with a good book than larging it in some Stockholm nightclub with a gaggle of blonde underwear models. Raymond Domench might be a bit of a surprise, given the French coach's reputation for being a bit of a kook, but one mention of his fascination with astrology and I'd be off.

Big Phil Scolari would probably provide a similar experience on the tiles as Fatih Terim but at the end of the night, the guy he punches out would be me.

Marco van Basten and Roberto Donadoni appear to be students of the game so instead of getting their glad-rags on and hitting the town, both would probably be poring over endless videos of past games with a notepad open on their knee and a steaming cup of cocoa on the designer coffee table.

There can only really be one winner in this competition to be my fantasy drinking buddy: Slaven Bilic.

The Croatian coach likes his smokes, obviously enjoys a few beers, wears a beanie hat with his suit and plays guitar in a rock band. He even has an earring for goodness sake. I'd be on the guest list for a gig he and his band Rawbau are playing in some scuzzy dive in the backstreets of Zagreb; there'd be rowdy but friendly locals rocking out to the show while some happy hookers clap along in the corner. And then after the music, there'd be an after-show trawl of the happening places where Slaven's tab is always open. The night would be so good that I would even forgive him for once playing for Everton.

So that's that sorted then. Mine's a pint, Bilic!

Greek Tragedy

In terms of a wake-up call, Zlatan Ibrahimovic's stunning 67th-minute strike against the Greeks on Tuesday night rates up their with a bucket of ice-cold water in the face.
I was slowly slipping into a comatose state when the lanky Inter Milan forward struck his sweet half-volley to finally inject some dynamism into one of the most boring matches I have ever had the misfortune to dribble into my beer in front of. I actually very nearly missed the goal as I was preparing to insert a specially honed cocktail stick under a fingernail in an attempt to stay awake. Luckily for everyone involved, Sweden's opening goal brought us all back from the brink.

Until that moment of sublime brilliance, Greece vs. Sweden was sliding towards infamy. It was in danger of going down in history as the first match to be used in certain clinics around Switzerland as an aid to euthanasia. You could see the will to live ebbing away in the faces of the people in the crowd – it sucked that badly. It made Romania vs. France look like Christians vs. Lions.

As I searched in vain to find something other than the dross on the TV to keep me interested, I started to wonder who was to blame for this soccer atrocity. My conclusion – and I say this with the knowledge that even my dear Greek friends will agree – was that Otto Rehhagel's team were the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

Before I get accused of jumping on the Greece-bashing bandwagon which has been steadily rolling through the Alps, I know it takes two to tango. Sweden were equally devoid of any flair or inspiration for large periods of the game and it took an individual's brilliance to push them in front. But let's call a spade a spade – Greece were awful.

King Otto himself offered his own take on his team's failings: "I didn't want my defenders to keep the ball at the back for an extended period of time…I didn't want them to do that. (Sweden) simply played too quickly and our midfield play took too long."

"The Greeks didn't play with heart like they normally do."

Stodgy possession, labored movement and lack of heart: I would have expected the first from Greece but the last two aspects were a surprise. When Greece became champions in 2004, one of the main factors behind that success was the fact that no-one could break them down. They held onto possession and frustrated their opponents before delivering a sucker punch. And while it was very seldom an entertaining sight, it was effective. At least they had the added vim and vigor to attack quickly four years ago and a combined heart of Olympian magnitude.

Last night Greece looked at times like a pub team on tour. They struggled with the pace, got their collective wires crossed and looked for all the world like they were counting down the minutes to a scoreless draw and a cold pint or five in the clubhouse.

"I did what I thought was right," Rehhakles added, almost apologetically after the 2-0 defeat. "But if we play like that we won't win the tournament again." He didn't say "ever" but the amount of revamping needed to make Greece a force capable of shocking the world again certainly suggests a very, very long wait.

Fan Fashion File: Holland Over Italy

While I agree with Nick that Italy didn’t look nearly as bad as the headlines following their 3-0 defeat have suggested, the result of the fan fashion battle on the streets of Bern where the match took place was indeed a blowout.

Holland’s supporters were, like their heroes, mighty offensive. Italy’s occasionally stylish conservatism, reliant as it was on the proven, just didn’t get the job done.

Let’s get right to the visual aids:

Milkmaids and stable boys, wild-and-crazy-guys, sumo ‘rasslers, sophisticated ladies, and Dirk Kuyt look-alikes in pseudo-baseball getups, the Dutch pushed past the accepted boundaries of the color orange, and reaped the dividends.

Meanwhile, Azzuri fans half-assed it, preferring the tried and true girl-getter “Italian-guy-in-blue-shirt-and-sunglasses.”

Okay, okay, you get the idea.

If anything, the fan fashion result was more like 11-0 than just the three.

(I considered deducting points for the hijinks of this guy, who refused to have his picture made unless I posed with him…)

But then found out I wasn’t the only one in danger of getting licked.

Un Disastro Conduce a Vendetta

The soccer world is still reeling from the 3-0 "thrashing" the Netherlands handed out to world champions Italy last night. I emphasize the "thrashing" because this is the operative word in the majority of press reports that followed the Dutch victory (DW-WORLD.DE deviated slightly to say that the Italians were "crushed").

Getting beaten 3-0 is a comprehensive defeat when you look only at the scoreline but I would not go as far as to say this is a "thrashing". If your team gets thrashed then you're looking at 5-0, 6-0 and upwards. Maybe 4-0 could qualify as a "hiding" or a "spanking" but the manner of the defeat would have to be taken into consideration before it was elevated to the status of "thrashing".

As is the case with the Holland-Italy game. Okay, so the world champions let in three goals with no reply; conceding one goal more than they did in the whole of the 2006 World Cup. For a team of Italy's quality, this result could be seen as less of a disaster and more of an embarrassment. Let's take nothing away from the Dutch who put on a performance way beyond anyone's expectations - including their own - and they were clearly the better side on the day. But those commentators who are writing Italy off on the strength of this game are maybe jumping the gun a little.

This was a game when the footballing planets all came into line for the Dutch. They had a dubious Ruud van Nistlerooy goal allowed, then Wesley Sneijder decided to play out of his skin and finally Gio van Bronckhorst got in on the act. In turn, Italy looked short of ideas and a little shell-shocked but they were not overwhelmed as much as everyone is making out. When one team gets the majority of what they do right and the other the majority of their work wrong, even the best teams can get gunned down.

It seems unlikely that Italy will play to this standard again, at least in the group stage. Pride is a great motivator for the Italians and they will want to erase the memory of this defeat and make their doubters eat their words as soon as possible. I wouldn't fancy being in Romania's shoes on Friday 13th - it could prove very unlucky for them.

With Romania and France both looking poor, an angered Italy side could still do enough to qualify from the group. If they manage this, then the Azzurri will surely be looking for the draw which may bring them back into contact with the Dutch. The longer the wait, the better it will be. The dish of revenge would be served up that much colder. And what better way to end a vendetta than by punishing your foe at a time when it matters most. The final stages of Euro 2008, perhaps?

Watch what happened when Italy met the Dutch in the classic semi-final of Euro 2000:

(A)Side Parting

Hopefully the 2-0 win over Poland will finally put to bed those ridiculous claims that Joachim Loew is coasting along with the team Juergen Klinsmann built. Despite the fact that Loewie was the brains behind the attacking formation and tactics which turned Germany into an entertaining team, some people still see it as Klinsi's team due to the number of players still in the squad who featured under the former coach.

One way to make sure everyone is clear that this is Joegi's team is for Loew to rebuild the side in his own image – starting with Bastian Schweinsteiger. While Loewie stands immaculate with his inky, smooth Toni & Guy hairdo, Schweini appears to have got a Saturday special at Frisur Salon Giselle, some small town hairdresser which specialises is bad dye jobs, perms and poodle crimping.

My advice would be to get the boys in line, Joegi. Get them kitted out in the same Hugo Boss finery as the management and get that Schweinsteiger to sort his hair out. That'll show the world who's in charge.

Watch Joegi try and bring a bit of style to his team. (In German)

Germany's Unsung Hero

The fans and media in Germany will quite rightly lavish praise on a handful of heroes after their team's efficient but hardly earth-shattering win over Poland on Sunday night.

Two-goal hitman Lukas Podolski can expect plaudits for his well taken double, his ability to adapt to the left-sided midfield role he is now being deployed in and the fact that he didn't ram his success down the throat of the country which bore him.

Coach Joachim Loew will be lauded for finally putting an end to a woeful record in European Championships for Germany, a winless streak which went all the way back to the final of Euro 96. He will also enjoy having his managerial reputation enhanced by the 2-0 victory, despite the fact that his loyalty to Jens Lehmann almost backfired a couple of times and a couple of his choices in defense looked dubious.

Michael Ballack might even receive some kudos for his performance which was commanding at times and displayed the kind of leadership which was lacking during some of the World Cup when his colleagues found their inspiration from other sources. The Germany captain showed the rediscovered drive and vision which had started to slowly return during the latter stages of this season's Premiership campaign.

There will be others who get a pat on the back, namely the tireless Phillip Lahm and the unselfish Miroslav Klose, although the latter might also get a bit of stick for leaving his own shooting boots at home (whereas his striking partner Mario Gomez seemed to be wearing someone else's…and on the wrong feet).

But you will have to comb the columns of congratulations with a fine tooth comb to find a statement of respect for one of the most unsung of German heroes – Torsten Frings.

Frings was quietly imperious on Sunday night - as he is on most occasions when he pulls on the Germany shirt. His is a thankless task but it one he takes on with ruthless professionalism. His is a role which often gets overlooked but becomes glaringly obvious when he isn't there to perform it – as in the 2006 World Cup semi-final defeat to Italy.

Charged with breaking up the opposition's attack before it gets to the back four, Frings drops from his central midfield position within Loew's 4-4-2 to become a sweeper, almost taking on the role of libero, made famous by Franz Beckenbauer. In this deployment, Frings provides the opportunities for central partner Ballack to shine, allowing his captain to prowl and read the game for possibilities.

Once back in possession, the Werder Bremen captain turns into the starting point for Germany's attack. Ballack moves into a higher midfield position, ready to execute headline-grabbing through balls or hone in on goal, while Frings quickly assesses the play and dispatches the ball to the necessary offensive catalyst. He then sews up the deep midfield while Germany push forward, always watching for the chance to burst onto the ball and either join the attack or close down an opponent should possession become lost.

Frings was that stocky, long-haired figure you may have seen snapping at the heels of Poland's harassed midfield on Sunday; the brief flash of white and black which dispossessed with a crunch before feeding a colleague and retreating from the camera's frame. He was that unassuming link in the long chain from defense to attack which helped the smooth transition from one to the other which Poland had trouble with from time to time. He was also the thundering hooves charging towards the opposition penalty box in support of Germany's strikers and the drenched locks heading the ball out of danger from a melee in front of his own goal.

Germany's run in these European Championships will be reliant on the performances of many key players but a successful one may hinge on whether Torsten Frings remains fit and available for work throughout this tournament.

Fantasy Football

Once they'd got bored with kicking lumps out of each other last night, Portugal and Turkey actually put on a show worthy of the European Championships. To be more precise, Portugal showed the attacking, incisive flair which makes soccer such an exciting game to watch while Turkey did their best to keep up. In all fairness to the Turks, they could have lost by a lot more and for sporadic periods of the game made life very difficult for the Portuguese. But offensive, slick and skilful play won the day eventually over huff, puff and bluster.

I don't know many soccer fans who would prefer to see a tactically astute and patient performance over a hell-for-leather "score more than we concede" kind of game. I know it all depends on what approach gives your team the win but in terms of entertainment for the neutral, I would much rather see two teams sent out on to the field with a goal fest in mind than opponents ready to cancel each other out with the hope of a snatched victory lurking in the mind of their cautious coaches.

Portugal toiled for a good 50 minutes before eventually finding that flow and fluidity they seem built for. The reports coming out of Spain that Deco is a spent force looked laughably inaccurate last night. The little maestro looked the creative genius of old on many occassions. Supported by a cast of tricky wingers and ambitiously attack-minded defenders, Deco sprayed ball around the pitch to great effect, setting up chances at will

Portugal's approach got me thinking. If I were to build a team which would be recklessly entertaining while standing a chance at actually winning a few games, who would feature from the stars on show this summer? After much deliberation, I came up with this:

Built with offense in mind, I make no claims that this would be a Euro 2008 winning team (even if they all shared the same nationality) even though I thought long and hard over many positions for many hours.

Luca Toni may not be a forward who can strip anyone with his pace over more than a few yards but he wouldn't have to in this team. Andrei Arshavin would drive at the defense, supported by the fleet-footed wingers Robben and Ronaldo on either side. Toni would just have to get on the end of any final ball from this speedy triumverate. Should the opposition nullify the three-pronged support attack, Deco would be on hand to deliver balls behind the defense for any of the forwards to latch onto.

Counter-attacks would be built from defense through pacy wing-backs Evra and Sergio Ramos, providing overlap possibilities for Robben and Ronaldo as the team surges forward.

Knowing that Deco is not exactly the most enthusiastic tackler, I've stuck Gennaro Gattuso behind him to play as the holding midfielder. This team will at least have to make it look like they're willing to defend so Rino is backed up in central defense by the granite-like Carlos Puyol and the man-mountain that is Georgio Chielleni. The Italian is also a more-than-capable exponent of bringing the ball out of defense, which will also aid the swift counter-attacks.

The Amies XI may leak a few goals and probably crash out somewhere around the quarter-finals but at least they will have entertained a lot of people.

I wonder if we will be saying that about the Portuguese come June 29.

Were You Ready for Some Football?

Well then. It would be hard to conceive of a more crushing way to lose than Switzerland conjured up yesterday. Outplay opponent? Check. Give up fluke goal against run of play? Check. Have arguably reasonable penalty appeals denied? Check. Hit woodwork? Check. Lose captain and best player to injury? Big ugly black check.

Ever since the Swiss, along with Austria, were named hosts of the tournament, an early exit for both has seemed on the cards. But I’ll be sorry if that happens, if only because folks here in Bern are trying so hard, in their sometimes timid Swiss way, to get into this whole football-fandom thing.

This is not to say that there’s a shortage of the hardcore, beer-swilling, slurred-word-fan-song-singers that every club or country needs to keep the coals of support well stoked.

Switzerland has these, but more remarkable is the flood of new fans, especially women and folks who appear to be from immigrant backgrounds. I suppose this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, in that Switzerland has one of the highest non-native-born populations in Europe, but still it was interesting to see Muslim mothers in headscarves shopping for national team gear with their kids.

A similar thing happened in Germany two years ago, of course, though I chalked much of that up to the bandwagon effect. As much as Germans doubted their national team’s chances to go very far in that tournament before it opened (and did they ever), once they began beating the heady likes of Costa Rica and Poland, the old German self-confidence set in. Except this time, the country was ready to wave flags and paint their faces and celebrate not just the Nationalmannschaft’s dominance, but how nice it was simply to be German. And German identity suddenly had nothing to do with blood or ethnicity, and everything to do with being lucky enough to be hosting the world’s biggest party in your own backyard.

Naturally, the Swiss organizers of Euro 2008 have sought to re-create as much of that feeling as possible. And yes, so have their corporate partners.

The fan zones here are the expected monstrosity of commercially-encouraged ‘good times’, where everything that can be plastic is plastic, where the beer is non-local and non-good, and there’s no way you’re finding a toilet that flushes. The one bright spot I could see was that the Carlsberg-Coke-pizza slice merchants were willing to let me pay with some of the Euros (otherwise worthless in Switzerland) that I had in my wallet.

As UEFA keeps such a tight rein on the use of its names and logos, local merchants are getting in the spirit with more neutral items.
I saw perfume boutiques and women’s shoe stores with arrays of footballs and Swiss flags, and found the football sandwich meal deal at Migros Express so enchanting I had to buy one.

If you don’t know Migros supermarket, all I can say is it’s about the most Swiss thing in the world. Simultaneously posh and stodgy, its larger locations have dizzying selections of gourmet everything, especially chocolate, as well as an admirable focus on cheap own-brand items. Don’t try to buy beer or smokes there though – the chain, run as a cooperative society with the public good in mind, refuses to sell them. (You will find plenty of Rivella, though, a surprisingly yummy, tangy soda flavored with whey.)

Did I mention how ugly the weather has been here? (You might have guessed from the awful light in my photos.) On Saturday the sky was pathetically gray, and the temperature can’t have gotten much higher than 15 degrees. More of the same is expected today, and without a Swiss game on, I can’t imagine nearly as many folks will make it out to the fan zones.

In truth though, the biggest crowd that’s come out yet was not to watch football, and appeared on the day with the worst weather of all – Friday, a day on which rained more or less all day long, and late into the evening. About 25,000 people packed Waisenhausplatz and Bundesplatz to see the mega-bands Patent Ochsner and Züri West.

What? You don’t know these bands? Or their hits like 'Fingt ds Glück eim?' and 'W. Nuss vo Bümpliz'? Well then you would have been feeling just about as lonely as I was on Friday, seemingly the only one who wasn’t singing along with all the songs.

I got all excited when Züri West began playing Prince’s ‘When You Were Mine’ at the end of their set, thinking I could finally jump in for a verse or two, but it turned out to be singer Kuno Lauener's handy Bernese German version…sigh.

Let Shopping Commence!

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has gone on record saying he is at the European Championships to "splash the cash". If that's not a starting pistol for every top manager in Europe to sprint to Austria and Switzerland, I don't know what is. While supporters from all around the world will be arriving to watch a festival of football, coaches and scouts from the continent's biggest clubs will be stampeding their way to the tournament with check books in hand. Euro 2008 is not only a contest to see who the best team in Europe is, it's also the soccer equivalent of the summer sales at Harrods.

Wenger has allegedly already picked himself out a nice little French number before the doors have even opened. After presumably setting up his camp bed in the street outside, Wenger heads the queue to sign France's Samir Nasri, the latest tyro to be saddled with the title of "The New Zidane". If Internet rumors are true, the Arsenal manager is about snap up the Marseille attacking midfielder for a cool 16 million euros ($25.2million).

Other covetous eyes will fall on the France squad during Euro 2008, most notably the beady ones of Manchester United supremo Sir Alex Ferguson. The manager of the newly-crowned European champions will undoubtedly be spying on the progress of Lyon striker Karim Benzema (left) despite the player's assertions that he is staying in France and that he would choose a move to Italy or Spain above the English Premiership. Sir Alex is unlikely to be put off by such piffling details.

While Ferguson is busy casting his stony glare over Europe's most sought after talents, he may want to keep the eye in the back of his head trained on his star player. Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the most sought after item in the luxury goods section and as such is being pursued by teams for whom money is no object. Real Madrid have made all the (vehemently denied, yet hugely obvious) running in this summer's drawn out "will he, won’t he" saga and are reportedly ready to part with a record 75 million euros for the Portuguese winger. Not to be outdone, Barcelona are ready to break more than a few banks to bring Ronaldo to Camp Nou.

While the giants of Spanish soccer are hand-bagging over Ronaldo's talents, a few of his Portugal team-mates may slip quietly from their clutches. Ricardo Quaresma is another on more than a few shopping lists this summer with long-term admirers Liverpool keeping tabs on the Porto flyer while Brazilian-born midfielder Deco is also a potential target for Chelsea.

If Italian labels are more your thing, there are some established brands and some new trends reportedly ready to strut their stuff down the Euro 2008 catwalk for potential customers to salivate over. AC Milan's veteran midfielder Andrea Pirlo (right) is apparently on the market with a view to a move to the rough-and-tumble of the English Premiership while Juventus prodigy Giorgio Chiellini could follow him out of Italy. Roma's Alberto Aquilani has pledged allegiance to his home team but with the majority of Europe's top clubs circling, we'll see how strong his resolve is after a summer lighting up the European Championships ups the ante.

When it comes to causing scenes of careless spending and wild, consumerist abandon, it seems the Spanish squad tops the list this summer. If the Spanish hotel was a shop, there would be a sign on the door saying "open for business" while a queue of billionaire club owners would stretch down the street outside. If your budget allows, a Spanish shopping spree could include any of the following classy players: David Silva, David Villa, Daniel Guiza, Ruben de la Red and Raul Albiol.

Valencia's disappointing mid-table finish and their on-going plans for a new stadium mean that the Mestalla could see a fire sale this summer. If that is the case, attacking midfielder Silva, striker Villa (left) and right-back Albiol may be offloaded to capitalize on their soaring value. Barcelona are circling the hugely talented Silva, while Liverpool's Spanish coach Rafa Benitez is known to be an admirer. Villa is a target for London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal, and with Wenger at the Euros ready to spend, it could be the Gunners that succeed. Albiol is generating interest from within Spain but also in England too.

Mallorca hit-man Guiza, the continent's silver boot winner behind Cristiano Ronaldo in the scoring stakes, will feel the attention he's getting from various European clubs increase should he enhance his reputation at Euro 2008 while Real Madrid-bound midfielder de la Red may find his route to the Santiago Bernabeu diverted to Old Trafford.

All in all, it could be a busy summer of transfer activity accompanied by the sweet sound of ringing tills.

First Blood

While losing your first game of a tournament is not the end of the world, or your challenge for the title for that matter, a defeat can sow the seeds of doubt as efficiently as it can steel the resolve to do better. In more tangible terms, starting your campaign with a loss puts you at an obvious disadvantage in terms of points. The point gained from a draw may be seen as a compromise, a fair reward for a cautious opening and a basis from which to find your feet, but when all is said and done, a team will want to prepare for their second group match with a first victory under its belt.

The beauty of soccer is that, even when there is a clear favorite on paper, there is always a chance of an upset. But faint heart ne'er won fair maid, as they say (or at least used to in a time when it wasn't weird for men to wear tights), so there will be no sitting on the fence here. Here are my tips for the opening round (and no doubt I will stand or fall on what's written here):

Switzerland vs. Czech Republic
The opening game of the championship in Basel could prove to be Switzerland's best chance of victory in Group A. The euphoria of the occasion, the combined will of their own fans packed into the 33,433 capacity St. Jakob-Park stadium and the adrenaline rush of finally taking to the field in their own tournament could provide the Swiss with a twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth man. However, I predict one major factor will spoil the party and that, quite obviously, is the opposition. The Czechs are tough as old boots in defense and have the potential to rip the Swiss apart with their attack. They wowed everyone at Euro 2004 with their fast flowing style and were as shocked as everyone else to lose to Greece in the semi-final. Okay, that was an upset but I can't see one of those happening here. Three points to the Czech Republic.

Portugal vs. Turkey
Later on Saturday, the flamboyant Portuguese take on the tenacious Turks in Geneva. Turkey have been slowly rebuilding after failing to qualify for Euro 2004 and then the World Cup in 2006 while Portugal reached the final of one of those tournaments and the semi-final of the other. The Turks tend to take to the soccer pitch as if it was a battlefield and are notorious for making stylish teams fight hard. Saying that, the Portuguese are no featherweights either. Turkey may make it difficult for Portugal to play at their high tempo by turning the game into a scrap but it only takes a moment of sublime brilliance in the midst of 90 minutes of toil to win this kind of match. Luckily for Portugal, they have a number of flair players capable of turning a game and a certain Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro who has been known to show the odd flash genius from time to time. Three points to Portugal.

Austria vs. Croatia
Co-hosts Austria kick-off their campaign in Vienna on Sunday with a very difficult game against Croatia. Many people are saying we should write the Austrians off at our peril but then most of these people come from Austria. Everyone else with any knowledge of the game will advise Austria to enjoy their three games in the tournament and then take a well-earned break. Group B may not be cut-and-dried but the safe money would be on Germany and Croatia going through as qualifiers. In my opinion, Croatia will get their first win at the Ernst-Happel stadium which will set them up nicely for the remaining group matches. Slaven Bilic's team would be my outside bet for the title, making them this tournament's Greece. However, this match, I fear, will not be a dreary 1-0 in the Rehhagel mould. Croatia could put Austria to the sword. Three points to Croatia.

Germany vs. Poland
Sunday's other match is already looking like a grudge match. Those tasteless Polish tabloid reports aside, these two countries rarely need an excuse to bring historical and geo-political beefs onto the pitch, although neither will admit to doing so. Their dislike for each other, however, nearly always makes for good entertainment. Poland don't look as fragile and devoid of ideas as they did at the World Cup and have apparently been reacquainted with the concept of scoring since limping out of Germany two summers ago with barely a clue between them. The Germans look strong as always but as Matt mentioned below, there is a defensive frailty lurking at the back somewhere and while it might take the Croatians to really open them up, don't discount Poland nicking a goal or two here. Saying that, Germany's attacking prowess is likely to win them the game. Three points to Germany.

Romania vs. France
The Group C games on Monday begin with the much-fancied French taking on the revitalized Romanians. Matt gushed over Les Bleus and their potential to be champions and I have to agree to a certain extent that they look a good, safe bet. However, I don't think they will get off to the flyer that everyone expects. If Thierry Henry, Franck Ribery and Patrick Viera sit this one out through injury, I see the Romanians stealing a point at least. Romania are strong and direct and without the cutting edge Ribery can provide, France may look a little blunt. But the French are instilled with a winning mentality -- or at least a never-say-die attitude -- so in the end they won't come away empty-handed. A draw.

Netherlands vs. Italy
Later on Monday, it's the tie of the first round but I expect the fireworks to be replaced by a damp squib. This has a 1-1 draw written all over it. Roberto Donadoni will be cautious not to lose in Italy's first clash in the Group of Death with a repeat of the 2006 World Cup final on the horizon against a wounded France. The Dutch will go all out for the win, knowing a victory over the Italians will be both morale-boosting and integral to their qualification hopes. However, no-one builds a defense like the Italians and 90 minutes of frustration will never bring out the best in any Dutch side. A draw.

Spain vs. Russia
Spain are my tip for the title and I think they will take full advantage of the fact that Russia's star man Andrei Arshavin is suspended for this match. While Russia is not a one-man team by any stretch of the imagination, the Zenit St. Petersburg star makes them tick and without him, they look a very different proposition. Guus Hiddink is no fool and he will have a team ready to stretch the Spanish to the max despite not having his captain to call on but I see Spain stealing this one in a narrow win. Both are my favourites to qualify from Group D but I see a win for Spain in Innsbruck, leaving Arshavin to return for the final qualifying game to help Russia go through in second place. Three points for Spain. (The New York Times agrees).

Greece vs. Sweden
The title holders get their defense underway in Salzburg in the last Group D game on Tuesday night. Despite the fact that it might be interesting to see how the Greeks have evolved since they shook the soccer world four years ago, I might be inclined to go to the movies or maybe have an early night when this match is on. Neither team excites me much and while a new Greek dawn may shine while I'm reveling in my ignorance, I'm not going to feel too bad come the next day should I miss it. The Swedes can be entertaining at times but so often they have proved to be the trophy wives of the soccer world – nice to look at but ultimately a bit vacuous. Bore draw.

(Have I offended you or your national pride? Good. Tell me about it. That's what the comment button is for.)

Best Bet: Les Bleus

Over the past decade-and-change, France has been Europe’s most successful footballing nation, and I think bettors and pundits are mad not to consider Les Bleus favorites to win Euro 2008.

Yes, they are saddled with a succession of group-stage opponents that could be perhaps described as frying pan, fire, and molten lava (Romania, Holland, and Italy), but for my money they simply have the best squad in the tournament. I’ll explain why in a moment, but first let me take the three teams ahead of them in punters’ eyes down a peg.

Favorites Germany (on around 4-1) have Michael Ballack, a splendid big-game player and proven leader who, considering he only returned from injury in December, comes into the tournament in midseason form. What’s more, the Chelsea player has a supporting cast that’s skillful and experienced at nearly every position, yet is still rather young. And in Joachim Löw, Germany has a coach who’s schooled the core of the side for nearly four years now, having taken over for his old boss Jürgen Klinsmann.

But Löw’s reliance on this core, especially at the back, will likely be his undoing. His mooted first-choice squad includes a goalkeeper and a central defender who each played sparingly for his club this season (Jens Lehmann at Arsenal and Christoph Metzelder at Real Madrid), along with another center back, Per Mertesacker, who played quite a lot for a Werder Bremen side who seemed to spend the season working on a new self-help book called “Maximizing Your Goals, At Both Ends” – not really one on which any good defender should be listed as a co-author.

Sooner or (more likely) later in the tournament, that underbelly’s softness is going to be found out and exploited.

Second-favorites Spain are the only team that has the top-to-bottom quality to match France. Nick profiled them on Tuesday, so I’ll skip the gory details, but as he and others so rightly point out, 44 years of history is not on their side. I’d love to see Spain finally make some noise in a major tournament, and believe they well might, but not nearly enough to throw my money after them at 11-2.

Italy are third favorites, available at 15-2, and it’s not hard to see why. Aside from the loss of Paolo Maldini and Franceso Totti to retirement and Fabio Cannavaro to a bum ankle, they enter the tournament with all key players that took them to the final in Berlin.

But a closer look at those ‘asides’ yields a gloomier outlook. Italy’s defending corps, with names like Zambrotta, Materazzi, Panucci and Grosso, is a strong group, but none are even in the same orbit as Maldini and Cannavaro. Totti’s creative slack may one day be taken up in midfield by his young Roma colleague Alberto Aquilani, but not yet.

Moreover, more established fixtures in Italy’s midfield at present – like Gennaro Gattuso, Mauro Camoranesi, and Andrea Pirlo – are all two years older (30, 31, and 29, respectively), and thus not hitting the upper heights of form quite as often as they were two years ago. It’s no surprise, then, that the Italian press, along with Gattuso himself, is putting the fate of Italy squarely on Luca Toni’s shoulders. They’re broad, those shoulders – 24 league goals for Bayern Munich broad – but depending on the form of a striker, all of whom have dry spells, does not make a team a solid tournament favorite.

Which brings me to France, a team who used to have a man shouldering the load. A man among the few players that helped define irreplaceability, a man who defied the laws of form, coming into the last World Cup on the back of a downright indifferent final season in Spain with Real only to skin defenders with boggling ease in Germany with his national side. That man is now gone, of course, which could lead one to believe there is a Z.Z.-shaped hole in the current France team.

But there ain’t, and that’s because France is the hydra of European football, producing top players at a rate no other country can hope to match. Constant regeneration is their secret, and one that has served them well.

They went to the semifinals of the Euros in 1996 and won the World Cup in 1998 with one side, then blended in several key youngsters and promptly won again with an improved one in Euro 2000. After stale performances in 2002 and 2004, France built yet another new side for 2006, though they wisely kept on a set of training wheels in the form of Zidane, Claude Makelele, and Lilian Thuram.

The latter two are still there, but are less stanchions than cogs in this 2008 France team. 2006 newcomers Eric Abidal, Florent Malouda and especially Franck Ribery have matured since the World Cup, and 20-year old Lyon striker Karim Benzema is so good he may keep Thierry Henry out of the side, depending on coach Raymond Domenech’s preferred formation.

Domenech, much maligned for his tactical tinkering and capricious selection policies (including a prejudice against players with the starsign of Scorpio – sorry Robert Pires), is widely considered to be the weak link in the France set-up. But he has some things speaking for him.

The former Lyon and Strasbourg defender had the guts to select an uncapped Franck Ribery in 2006 for the World Cup side, and has, since then, helped turn Enigmatic Striker™ Nicolas Anelka into a force at the international level. Looked at in this light, Domenech’s current inclusion of the Marseille youngster Samir Nasri and internationally unknown striker Bafetimbi Gomis of St. Etienne looks potentially canny – especially since Gomis scored two last week against Ecuador.

At 9-1, I’d say France is the best bet going.

Arrival of the Euro WAGs

Austria and Switzerland are expected to rake in several hundreds of millions of euros in profit from the European Championships. But just think how much more they could have counted on had England qualified. Forget about the boozing hordes, I'm talking about those notorious Wives and Girlfriends – the dreaded WAGs.

While the residents of Baden-Baden – the England team's base during the 2006 World Cup – may not have been the biggest fans of Posh & Co., the local boutiques, however, may be thinking of opening up again now, some two years after the moneyed lasses of the Three Lions went credit card crazy in the exclusive German spa town. Most of the owners probably took that month's profit and shut up shop for a while, taking an extended break on the island of Mustique or somewhere equally expensive.

Marathon shopping sprees, drunken wine bar nights and threats of assault with a deadly check book may not be hitting the headlines this summer, but that doesn't mean that Euro 2008 will be WAG free. While no other country can "boast" such a high profile group as the English, the wives and girlfriends of the biggest stars are still likely to feature…just not in the gossip columns and local police reports.

The closest there is this year in terms of a "gang" - although in terms of behavior they're at the opposite end of the spectrum - are the Germans. The WAGs of the Germany team showed a united front during the World Cup, all sitting together in matching shirts, cheering on their men. On the surface, at least, there were no signs of the bitchiness that split the English camp into splintered groups, presumably over a Marc Jacobs clutch bag or a preposterously unfounded slur over someone's lack of singing talent.

The likes of Sylwia Klose, Petra Frings, Lena Borowski and Michael Ballack's partner Simone Lambe showed a togetherness off the pitch which mirrored the harmony their fellas showed on it. Germany's men will go confidently into this tournament knowing that, at least in public, there won't be any cat fights upsetting their preparations.

Elsewhere there are some more welcome distractions in the form of Dutch playmaker Rafael van der Vaart's model wife Sylvie (left), Italian goalkeeper Gianluca Buffon's other half Alena Seredova, a former Miss World contestant, and Eva Gonzalez, the former Miss Spain who shares her life with Spanish goalie Iker Cassilas.

And if Sweden's campaign starts to flounder, maybe midfielder Andres Svensson's girlfriend Anine Bing can stand behind the Swedish goal. Posters advertising the Danish model had to be removed from the streets of Birmingham after they were blamed for a number of car accidents. She could prove useful in distracting the opposition strikers.

So while there will be less scandal this year, and a drastic reduction in the sale of luxury goods in comparison to the World Cup, there will be no lack of glamorous female support.

Getting the glamor ball rolling ahead of the arrival of the Euro WAGs is Dominika Huzvarova (right), who was named Miss Euro 2008 on Thursday. The 22-year-old Czech student was elected after competing against 15 other candidates, one from each participating country. While the soccer stars of her country had to endure a long qualification process in far-flung European lands before even reaching the final stages, Ms. Huzvarova had a simpler challenge: she just had to look good in a ballgown, a swimsuit... and her national team shirt.

If only winning Euro 2008 was that effortless.

The Emotional Game

There are many things which set the modern soccer star apart from the players of the past. While flashy sports cars and model girlfriends have been trappings of the game's success for many years now, the power players hold over their own destinies, the rights they have to move freely in an open employment market and the income they rake in from external endorsements would spin the heads of the legends of old. But one thing more than any divides the modern era from soccer's bygone age: players tend to show their emotions a lot more.

Soccer players have always been prone to public displays of their feelings. In fact, soccer without them would be a rather drab affair. I remember celebrating a goal I scored in a minor local league match like I'd just won the World Cup. My celebrations prompted a rather large, bear-like defender to dourly comment: "It's not the effing San Siro, you know." And of course he was right. It was some windswept municipal park, playing host to 22 fat, sweaty blokes who'd tumbled out onto the threadbare turf and dog droppings after a night on the booze. But he was missing the point: soccer is all about emotion. Anything which equates winning and losing with life and death can't be about anything else.

However, one must wonder if things have not edged past the boundary of decency in recent times. In olden days, players would shake hands after a victory, maybe even risk a pat on the back or a manly hug if they were feeling particularly fruity. Nowadays, if a winning team doesn't indulge in a scene reminiscent of a National Geographic documentary on rutting deer, there are rumors of rifts within the camp.

The idea of watching Berti Vogts and Uli Hoeness trade French kisses after the 1974 World Cup final is not only highly disturbing but impossible to imagine in that day and age. Okay, they leapt around and embraced - they had just become world champions after all - but it was all very innocent in comparison to what goes on now. Maybe it's because winning comes with such huge financial rewards in the modern game that this current trend of faux copulation is the ultimate celebration of more wealth to come.

Then there's the losing. A defeated team 30 years ago would trudge off the field with hardened features; eleven stiff upper lips heading for a session of quiet private reflection. In the modern game, if you don't have a complete mental breakdown and cry like a little girl being denied a new Bratz doll, then you are a traitor to your team and a heartless mercenary for whom the badge on your shirt means nothing.

With so much at stake this summer, we're almost certainly in for a good show and I for one feel that all the emotion should not go unrewarded. Maybe along with the Golden Boot award for most goals scored at Euro 2008, there should be prizes for most outrageous winning celebration and most uncontrollable collapse in defeat.

Usually we would look no further than the Italians for the winners of both but since their highly-strung striker Filippo Inzaghi has been left out of the squad, their challenge for both titles has been seriously undermined. The frequently moist Inzaghi becomes unhinged in most situations and would surely be a shoo-in for both awards. His absence, however, leaves the field wide open.

Portugal could step up a level this year and make a claim for both titles. Fond of the kind of team pile-ups which make swingers parties look tame, a huge writhing mass of Portugeuese victory could win them the celebration prize - and if his rapidly expanding ego hasn't eradicated the need to weep copiously in defeat, Cristiano Ronaldo is always a good bet for some theatrical tears if they get knocked out.

Maybe we're in for another shock and an outsider takes all the titles. Who knows? Perhaps the Czechs are fond of celebratory nudity and the Croatians are a bunch of little cry babies.

This Summer's Must-Have Injury

As it is in fashion, it can also be in soccer. While black may be last year's blue -- or the previous year's brown -- it's starting to look like snapped ankle ligaments are this year's broken metatarsals.

After Dutch winger Ryan Babel limped out of Holland's Euro 2008 preparations on Saturday with the injury, Italy have been dealt a similar, yet more drastic, blow. World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro will be out for a "few months" after tearing ankle ligaments in Italy's first training session in Austria on Monday.

The Real Madrid defender sustained the injury when he was tackled by team mate Giorgio Chiellini. He is expected to have an operation on Wednesday but the recovery time certainly rules him out of the tournament and perhaps the start of Real's title defense next season.

Cannavaro was expected to retire from international soccer after Euro 2008 but hinted that, after being denied what would have been his last major tournament, he would fight to be fit and in contention for a place in the 2010 World Cup team.

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni refused to say who he was considering as Cannavaro's replacement in the starting line-up with Zidane head-butt target Marco Materazzi, Andrea Barzagli, Chiellini and Christian Panucci also vying for a starting berth in central defense.

Ligament damage can often take a lot longer to heal than the metatarsal injury which has been the bane of a number of top players over the past few seasons. The increase in metatarsal breaks has been blamed by some coaches on the evolution of soccer boots. Some say the new generation of footwear offer greater comfort and style but are far less protective that those in the past.

The cracked toe bone was de rigueur during the recent World Cup with England striker Wayne Rooney the highest profile casualty. With ankle ligaments making a comeback in 2008, I'll bet there are a lot of nervous coaches hoping their fashion conscious stars don't follow suit.

Viva España?

Given that they haven't won a major tournament in 44 years and have consistently been one of Europe's serial underachievers in major competitions, the fact that Spain are being touted as second favorites for the Euro 2008 title may come as some surprise.

But then the Spanish have always flattered to deceive. Their squads normally arrive at European Championships and World Cups bulging with stars who carry with them the kind of reputations and pedigrees which only come from playing for the top teams on the continent. At the first whistle, they fly out of the blocks, brushing aside lowly group make-weights with fluent and extravagant performances which get the pulse racing. There may be the odd stumble on the way but usually they make their way out of the group stage and even through the first knock-out round. Then things start to come unstuck. They suddenly forget how to play and spectators can almost physically see the belief ebb from the team as the weight of previous failure comes to settle on their uncertain shoulders. When destiny calls for Spain, it's hardly ever a pleasant visit.

And yet, this year Spain are just behind Germany in the ratings for potential champions. But haven't we been here before, only to be disappointed by another submissive exit?

There are signs, however, that this is more than the usual hype. Any team which can afford to leave Cesc Fabregas out of the midfield must have some very special players capable of making up for his omission. The diminutive maestro was imperious for long periods of Arsenal's Premiership season; his superiority in the creative role underpinned by a performance of fast feet and fast thinking which undid the weary challenge of AC Milan's ageing stars almost single-handedly when the two teams met in the Champions League.

And yet, the little genius can only hope to feature in coach Luis Aragones' plans should he field his 4-5-1 formation. If the coach chooses his other favored option, a traditional 4-4-2, then Fabregas is the man to make way for the second striker in this equation.

The fact that Fabregas is struggling to claim a place above David Silva and Andres Iniesta says much about these two young stars of the Primera Liga. Valencia's Silva has staked a claim as the roaming, attacking midfielder above Fabregas and is likely to consolidate that position at these championships. Barça's Iniesta, meanwhile, is the embodiment of Spain's philosophy of soaking up pressure before hitting the opposition quickly and incisively. Together they have combined to put Fabregas, one of the English Premiership's shining lights, in the international shade.

Another Spanish import to the Premiership, striker Fernando Torres, is likely to lead the line despite the fact he hasn't scored for his country since September last year. His 33 goals in all competitions for Liverpool this season will surely be enough for him to remain either the lone striker or part of the two-man partnership in whatever formation Aragones goes with. In another example of the confidence the Spanish have in depth, should Torres feel the effects of a long debut season in England, Spain can fall back on the 23-goal David Villa or Dani Guiza, the 29-goal hitman from Mallorca.

Strength in depth is often quoted as one of the main factors behind successful teams. With potentially world class performers fighting for first team opportunities in every position, the pundits who see Spain as second favorites may just have a point.

Holland Robbed of Babel's Talent

Training camps and friendlies are a necessary evil in the prelude to a major competition and while they give a coach time to refine his strategy and finalize his starting line-ups, each session and every game comes with the risk that instead of cementing plans, they can throw a whole campaign into chaos.

While the cruel injury sustained by Dutch winger Ryan Babel on Saturday may not mean the end to the Netherlands' assault on Euro 2008, the ligaments the Liverpool forward tore in his ankle during preparations for a practice match with Wales will rob the "Oranje" of a potent attacking option and the tournament of young talent itching to make his mark.

Liverpool supporters on the whole have been extremely impressed with Babel's first season in England. Once coach Rafa Benitez decided where the 21-year old Dutch flyer's talents could best be utilized and gave him a run in the starting eleven, Babel started to look like a snip at 17 million euros.

After a shaky start, the former Ajax forward's most valuable talents -- electric pace, confidence on the ball and an eye for goal -- began to gel to make him an unpredictable threat, flitting in from the sidelines to compliment the blooming partnership of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard. By the time the whistle went on Liverpool's league campaign, Babel was just getting into his stride. He looked like a player who didn't want to stop playing – and at the time, he seemed buzzing at the prospect of a whole summer of games in which to stretch himself further.

It remains unclear whether Holland coach Marco van Basten was thinking of using Babel as an impact substitute or playing him from the start as part of his rapid attacking formation. However, it matters not now as Babel will neither be on the bench or the pitch with his nation this summer but on various treatment tables and crutches for anywhere between six weeks and six months, depending on how bad the injury turns out to be.

While the Dutch will dig deep into their squad and find another attacking possibility to replace him, Babel's non-involvement in Euro 2008 will undoubtedly be a loss for Holland and even more so for the crowds who were expecting to see how this special talent handled the big international stage.

Sing When You're Winning

Welcome to Alpine Kicks – DW.WORLD.DE's Euro 2008 Blog.

Well, the 2008 European Championships are almost upon us and we know this because the official tournament song has been announced. "Can You Hear Me?" by Enrique Iglesias will be the soundtrack for Euro 2008 and UEFA can barely hide their excitement at getting the Spanish pop star to lend his dulcet tones to the championships: "Enrique is the perfect choice for us," said UEFA commercial director Philippe Margraff. "He is an international superstar who loves soccer and has European roots. 'Can You Hear Me?' will help create even more of a party atmosphere for the fans at Euro 2008."

Apart from the dubious title of the song -- which after hearing it, prompts the answer "Yes, unfortunately" -- and the fact that is hardly the kind of rousing tune that unites a soccer crowd, the biggest question must be why UEFA chose a Spaniard to sing the official song for a tournament held in Switzerland and Austria.

Looking at the list of potential local stars which could have been lined up to belt out the theme tune, it becomes clear why UEFA looked to the man that most male soccer fans will recognize as the swarthy type hanging around Anna Kournikova. While Austria could have fought for the inclusion of pop-punkette Christina Stuermer or even Vienna's reluctant Singing Cistercian Monks, the Swiss would have been hard pressed to offer more suitable choices. Maybe pint-sized occasional dentist DJ Bobo could have put on one of his bacofoil-clad extravaganzas for his home nation. Failing that, Basel-born heartthrob Baschi could have tried his floppy-fringed best to woo the beer-bellied masses with one of his Justin Timberlake impersonations.

Thankfully Switzerland didn't reactivate Celine Dion's honorary Swiss nationality to drag the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest winner back to the Alpine nation to croon for the championship co-hosts. Back in the days before she sang about hearts going on and ships hitting icebergs, the Canadian diva apparently represented Switzerland just because they were nice enough to ask her to. If accepting a polite request to be Swiss for the day was all it took, surely the co-hosts could have opted someone in to make a stand for Switzerland.

Maybe, to keep the Eurovision theme going, Finnish monster metallers Lordi might have been coaxed from the dungeon they’ve been hiding in since 2006 to crank out some Black Sabbath-esque stomp called "Soccer Rocker Shocker"…or something. Considering Finland bombed out in qualification, they could have been brought on as a neutral substitute. Anything would have been better than the insipid Enrique and his inoffensive, yet soulless, call to arms.

Nick Amies

Nick has been covering soccer tournaments for Deutsche Welle since the 2002 World Cup and has written many articles about how disappointed he is that England always fails miserably. As his team won't be in Euro 2008, the challenge this year is to find a way of keeping his bitterness out of his reporting while remaining upbeat and enthusiastic about all the other teams' chances.

Matt Hermann

Matt is a sometime host and producer of Deutsche Welle's Sports Report, and has written about soccer for Greenpitch magazine and The Guardian among other places. Being an American, he has no horse in this particular race and will thus praise the deserving and bash the un- with impunity.