Johannesburg ready for 2009

With almost six months left before the opening game of the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009, the spotlight has now shifted to Johannesburg, the city that will host the tournament's opening game between the hosts and Asian champions, Iraq on 14 June.

Now preparations are underway by the city to create a lasting impression to the scores of visitors who are likely to make the trip to the tip of the African continent to watch the eight top teams as they battle for supremacy in the FIFA Confederations Cup.

So much, rightly or wrongly, has been said and written about Johannesburg but the FIFA Confederations Cup will afford the city a unique platform to market and position themselves as a favourable destination to the scores of visitors expected to flock in the country to watch the world's biggest sporting extravaganza.

"We want to change the misconception some people have about our city, we want showcase to the rest of the world exactly what Johannesburg is capable of doing. I'm confident that we will make the right impression to our visitors," Johannesburg 2010 executive director, Sibongile Mazibuko told FIFA.com.

A double opportunity
It seems as though there is a dual incentive to do well in ‘Joburg'. Bafana Bafana are hoping to win the game against Iraq to give the team greater confidence, while the city also wants to show the world what it is capable of achieving.

Although the recent draw for the Confederations Cup held at Sandton City in Johannesburg went without any hitches, its citizens will realised that they will be even more under the microscope come June 2009.

"People of Johannesburg are very excited about both the Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We understand the work that goes behind organising an event like the Confederations Cup and we are therefore preparing for all situations," said Mazibuko.

"We have already identified places where we will have public viewing facilities because we know that not everyone will get a ticket inside the stadium. This is an African event and we want to make sure that our people get to experience both events."

A vibrant city
Johannesburg is home to the country's biggest football outfits, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

The city has attracted some major international events over recent years, including the forthcoming Miss World gala, something the organisers believe will raise Johannesburg's profile to the rest of the world as its official seek to bolster its claim as being South Africa's main city during the 2009 and 2010 FIFA events.

Last week, Johannesburg hosted the Soccerex exhibition attended by hundreds of footballing executives from different countries and in the past, Johannesburg has played host to both the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup.

football home - Bloemfontein: SA

‘Welcome to Bloemfontein, the city of roses,' reads a bold signage as you approach the beautiful artistic city in Mangaung.

The introduction's irony is, besides the dry vegetation that is paraded along the roadside, the only blossoming flowers you are likely to encounter are in the city centre - and even there, they are in a clear minority.

But maybe the signage's creators had their mind on the city's colourful football supporters, often clad in green-and-white hoops of Bloemfontein Celtic, who you will encounter on almost every street corner, irrespective of whether it is a match day. Such is the penchant for the sport that it is, locals will attest, firmly part of the culture.

Situated at the heart of the country, Bloemfontein has transformed itself into a preferred football destination over the past few years, and South Africa will be banking on the excitement consistently generated there to flavour the FIFA Confederations Cup in six month's time. Indeed, Bloemfontein is one of four Host Cities for the competition, along with Johannesburg, Rustenburg and Pretoria/ Tshwane.

Plans are already afoot to raise Bloemfontein's appeal, which include engaging locals in adopting some of the teams who will play their games at the replenished Free State Stadium. "We are satisfied with the upgrading of our stadium and we are looking forward in hosting the football giants and our Bafana Bafana," George Mohlakoana, Mangaung's CEO for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, told FIFA.com.

"Recently we hosted the tour of the world agencies and the feedback we got was very positive. Everyone was impressed with what we have achieved so far. We are not resting, we are working around the clock to make sure we meet all stipulated demands, including IT&T services required for the stadium media centre and outside broadcasting."

Bloemfontein is the capital of the Free State province and also acts as the judicial capital of South Africa. Its city hall is a magnificent sandstone building built by Sir Gordon Leith, and Bloemfontein also has an inner game reserve. The Free State is bordered by four of South Africa's nine provinces, and the country of Lesotho. It has a wealth of culture and history, reflected by its rich architectural heritage, numerous museums and monuments.

The Free State Stadium has hosted major football and rugby union matches before, and Bloemfontein's natives are renowned for their passion for both sports. While the former played second fiddle to the latter for decades, football's popularity explosion - aided by the emergence of Bloemfontein Celtic - is changing this.

The Celtic fans are known as Siwelele, a Sotho term. Sotho is one of the 11 official languages in South Africa and, along with Afrikaans, the most-spoken in the Free State, although English is also widely used. Free State Stars, formerly Qwa-Qwa Stars, are another established team from the area.

Fairy tale endings still open

Major contenders such as Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco and continental champions Egypt look well placed to progress to the last phase of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ preliminaries, but there might yet be a fairy tale or to two to tell after Sunday's contests in the Africa.

Swaziland, for example, are aiming to reach uncharted territory by beating Togo, while Burkina Faso aim to finish ahead of mighty Tunisia in their section, underlining once again the unpredictability of football in Africa. FIFA.com continues its focus on the weekend's matches, across the 12 groups, with a preview of games in groups seven to 12.

Group 7: It would be one of the biggest upsets in the history of FIFA World Cup qualifying in Africa were Côte d'Ivoire to be beaten in their last group game and have their chance to take top spot stymied. A home encounter against Madagascar is likely to deliver the point that the Elephants need to win the group, given they beat the islanders 6-0 at home last year. Chelsea ace Didier Drogba misses the match again through injury but there is still an overwhelming amount of attacking talent available to the Ivorians. Botswana and Mozambique chase second place when they meet in Gaborone. Both sides can still progress to the next phase but it is a must-win encounter for both the Mambas and the Zebras.

Group 8: With the expulsion of Ethiopia, the group has been reduced to three and Rwanda have completed their campaign with a credible nine points from a possible 12. However, they are still likely to be usurped at the head of the standings by Morocco, who host Mauritania in Rabat in the final game on Saturday. A single-goal win would be enough for Morocco to take top place in a successful start to the reign of veteran French coach Roger Lemerre.

Group 9: Burkina Faso and Tunisia are both likely to advance to the next stage, as either group winner or among the best-placed runners-up. The Burkinabe will seek to finish in a morale-boosting first but play away from home in Bujumbura against Burundi while Tunisia seek a goal fest in their game against Seychelles, who have lost all five of their qualifying games to date. Injury-hit Tunisia are to start Saturday's match at Rades with Racing Lens striker Issam Jomaa in attack alongside newcomer Mohamed Selliti.

Group 10: Mali sit in the driving seat in the group, sharing top place with Congo, but with potentially a much easier finish. Mali's star-studded squad, including the Spanish-based trio of Frederic Kanoute, Mahamadou Diarra and Seydou Keita, host bottom-placed Chad in Bamako on Saturday and should finish top. Congo are away at Sudan, who are three points behind in third place and can still grab second spot from their visitors if they win by two goals. Mali coach Stephen Keshi told FIFA.com: "This generation has the potential to provide Mali with what they have been looking for for the last 30 years. A place in the World Cup finals."

Group 11: Tiny Swaziland are living a dream, hoping they will get further than ever before in the FIFA World Cup preliminaries. The southern African kingdom can take top place in the group if they beat Togo in their final match, being played on neutral turf in Accra, Ghana. The odds are in their favour, with Togo's star Emmanuel Adebayor continuing his one-man boycott of the side. Swaziland's performances, meanwhile, have gone from strength to strength since Ephraim Mashaba took over as coach.

Group 12: Egypt are almost certain to finish top of the standings as they take on lowly Djibouti in their final game in Cairo on Sunday. It leaves Malawi and Congo DR to chase second place in Saturday's meeting in Blantyre. Malawi's Flames have home advantage and their two foreign-based strikers Russel Mwafulirwa and Esau Kanyenda return after missing their last game through injury. The Leopards, however, are also a formidable side, with a rich tradition in qualifying.

Tim Howard: There's no perfect game

Tim Howard's rise to the top tier of club and international football has been nothing short of meteoric. Plucked from the semi-pro leagues as a teenager in New Jersey, the spring-heeled keeper became an icon in New York with the MetroStars (now Red Bulls), went on to succeed Fabien Barthez at Manchester United before settling in at Everton.

Now 29, the undisputed USA No1 sits down for an exclusive chat with FIFA.com ahead of a decisive qualifier with Cuba on Saturday. Touching on the Americans' perfect start to qualifying and the Toffees' troubled start to the current campaign, Howard is ever hopeful, never satisfied and wise beyond his years.

FIFA.com: The US is top of their group with three wins from three games. Obviously the results are right, but how do you feel about the way the team's been playing?
Tim Howard: You can't complain about results like those, but all coaches and players are perfectionists and we know we can always play better. After each game, we sit down and dissect it and find ways to improve. There is no perfect game; you can always make improvements.

How hard is it to get focused and ready to play with only a week of preparation, and with everyone jetting in from their clubs?
Obviously the longer we're together, the better it is. The easiest answer is that it's hard to get yourself prepared in such a short space of time. The responsibility falls on the coaches, but also on the players. We, as players, need to forget about everything that's going on at our clubs and leave our English, French, Spanish mindsets behind, and come and perform for our national team. This team gets along really well on and off the field, so that helps too.

Can you comment on the defence's performance so far? You have not conceded a single goal.
As a goalkeeper, you're only as good as the defenders in front of you. Carlos (Bocanegra) and Oguchi (Onyewu) have been amazing in the games so far, but so have our midfielders and forwards. We've been defending in packs and pushing the other teams into positions they don't want to be in. We've been clicking defensively and doing well to not let our opponents get comfortable.

Clicking, that's a pretty good way to describe the last performance, a 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in Chicago on 10 September.
It was our best game so far. It's the perfect example of keeping a team off-balance and away from the danger zones.

A win against Cuba in DC this weekend would put you in the final round of North, Central American and Caribbean qualifying. Do you enter a game like that with a special mindset?
We'll be playing Cuba for a second time now, and at home, so the onus is on us to take the game to them. We know what's at stake, but at the same time we can't get consumed with it. We just need to dictate the pace of the game and aim for the three points.

From the days of Tony Meola, through to Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller, the USA always seems to produce strong goalkeepers. Why do you think this is?
(Laughs) I get this question a lot, and I don't really know the answer. We have managed to do well exporting players in the goalkeeper position. I think at the end of the day it's about producing good athletes in America, and good athletes tend to become good goalkeepers.

Being a fellow Jersey boy, was your boyhood idol Tony Meola?
I didn't really have a soccer idol growing up. It wasn't like it is today, where you have soccer on TV all the time. I had to take my sporting heroes from other sports.

It's been a long road for you, from semi-pro ball in New Jersey, to (MLS) to Manchester United and now Everton, it's all happened pretty fast. Do you now look back and put it all in perspective?
While it was all happening, it was hard to really focus on what was going on. It was all I could do to keep my head above water and survive and try to improve enough to keep my place. Things just kept happening year after year. But now, in my third season with Everton, I can look back on just what a wild ride it's been. And to be honest, I am pleased with where I am right now, with my development and the level I'm at.

Speaking of Everton, it's been a rough start, eliminated from the UEFA and League Cups and without a home win. All this after two years of sustained success.
It's true, we're having a rough start to the season. In the top leagues in the world, you have to get off to a good start, and we haven't. Now we need to fight our way out of it and we have the guys to do it. We all understand that we have no divine right to finish fourth or fifth, and we are going to have to sort out a way to get out of this. But we have the spirit, as we've shown in the last two seasons.

Lastly, you've not had the chance to be the No1 at a FIFA World Cup. Do you let yourself look that far ahead, maybe to South Africa?
Inevitably, yes. I think about it just like you write about it. But there are a lot of things between now and that opportunity. First, we have to qualify; I have to keep my spot. Nobody in our team is untouchable; no one has a right to their spot. And that's a great thing. Playing in a World Cup is a great goal of mine and it's something I'm working toward, but it's important to keep your feet on the ground.

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Manchester United Videos - Sexy Soccer

Manchester United Videos - Sexy Soccer

Love them or hate them, Manchester United Football Club is probably the most famous soccer club in the world and one of the richest and most successful. The club's fan base is, quite literally, world-wide and it invariably plays to sellout, capacity crowds wherever it performs. The club's success is due partly to its free-flowing, attacking tradition initiated by its great manager of the 50's and 60's, Sir Matt Busby, and which continues to this day with great flair players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, and Wayne Rooney.

Based at Old Trafford Football Ground, Manchester, the club is one of the most successful English football clubs, having won the FA Premier League/Football League fifteen times, FA Cup eleven times, the League Cup twice, the European Cup twice and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup once. The club has had the highest average attendance in English football for the majority of the past fifty seasons. In 2005/06, their average attendance was 68,765.

Man United 7 Roma 1 - 2007



Glory days



Recent heroes - Cantona, Beckham, Rooney


Ronaldo - watch and admire



1999 Champions League final

A big season for...Michael Tonge - football

No longer merely a promising youngster, midfielder Michael Tonge enters the new season at Sheffield United with nearly 300 appearances under his belt for the Blades.

Now 25-years-old, Tonge came to prominence during an unforgettable 2002/03 season at Bramall Lane as part of the United side that reached two cup semi-finals (netting twice against Liverpool in the league cup semi-final 1st leg) and also came within one game of reaching the Premiership.

Since then his name has regularly cropped up in the transfer gossip pages, something that has not changed this summer with Sunderland in particular named as a potential suitor.

Tonge remains in South Yorkshire however and although his loyalty to the Blades is commendable, the nagging doubt remains that no top-flight club has been sufficiently convinced of his qualities to make a bid that cannot be turned down.

His one season in the Premier League of course saw Sheffield United relegated and like a number of his team-mates, Tonge appeared to be feeling the hangover of that during the first-half of the 2007/08 campaign.

The arrival of Kevin Blackwell revived his fortunes to an extent although a return of only 1 goal during the season was a disappointment.

Now approaching what should be his peak years as a footballer, Tonge will be expected to spearhead a promotion push at Bramall Lane this time around and ensure, whether that is succesful or not, that he is playing top-flight football in the 2009/10 season.

Teething troubles for Rangers ahead of European return

Luton Town go into 2008/09 with a 30 point deduction, unless any of their appeals fall on sympathetic ears. If that penalty stays it begs the question of who would part with money to watch the Hatters next season?

The Football League hierarchy might not have noticed the credit crunch but it's a fair bet that most Luton fans- and crucially their casual followers -have. With spending constricted how many irregular football fans are going to spend their cash watching a team effectively condemned to the drop from August?

Simple geography makes it plain that Luton is in a position to offer many other football options- indeed the League itself plonked a rival club up the road in Milton Keynes.

No one doubts that there were irregularities at Kenilworth Road but the penalties being paid are positively draconian. The League are giving no incentive to the consortium that have taken over the club- or what was left to take over. Presumably the League administrators are cushioned by the knowledge that there are many full-time professional outfits in the Blue Square Premier these days, only too happy to step into the breach.

Luton fans are innocent in this, as were Leeds and Rotherham fans before them, yet they are expected to turn up and pay hard-earned money to watch a competition stacked against them from the start. The diehards wll be there but the next generation and the occasional supporter will be somewhere else every Saturday- and promising young players won't sign contracts with the Hatters, threatening their long-term stability.

Brian Mahwinney claims to protect the 'integrity of their competitions' but in what sense are Luton, now consigned to League Two, trying to gain an advantage at the moment? The 20/20 group is trying to save soccer in Luton not trying to flout rules and extract money from the game.

If the League falls back on the 'rules are rules' argument then the rules are stupid if they continue to penalise a club years after the initial errors were made and the perceived attempt to gain an unfair advantage was happening Luton are two divisions down from where they were so it's hardly been a cunning master plan.

If the League are indifferent to Luton's plight and are sanguine that another club can just be admitted to replace them then they should just say so and we can be spared any crocodile tears about balancing the needs of fans against wider considerations.

The fact is most football fans- even those whose clubs can benefit from the deduction- believe the punishment of Luton has gone too far and is making a farce of the competition whose integrity the league is defending.

If the League is concerned at the number of clubs falling into financial adminstration it might look back on the part it played in ITV Digital fiasco when any knowedgable fan could have told them that the sums promised to clubs from that deal were ridiculous and bound to break down.

Draw a line under the saga from here on in, put an amnesy in place for the current crisis clubs and limit deductions to 10 points in future, or relegation for more serious situations. At least then the demoted sides have a chance to survive and the 'integrity' of the competition is preserved.

Teething troubles for Rangers ahead of European return

Just a matter of weeks after their epic UEFA Cup run ended in defeat at the hands of Zenit St Petersburg, Rangers are back in European action at the end of July with a Champions League qualifier against either Kaunas of Lithuania or Santa Coloma, the champions of Andorra.

Walter Smith moved quickly after the double blow of defeat in Manchester and Celtic's SPL title win to beef up his side's attacking options, signing Kenny Miller from Derby County, Kyle Lafferty from Burnley and former Hearts striker Andrius Velicka.

The transfer trail has since gone cold however with Rangers' status in Scotland and on the European stage counting for little it seems against the backdrop of an increasingly wealthy Premier League and Championship in England.

Fulham's £4m valuation of midfielder Steven Davis has halted progress on a deal for the Northern Ireland man while Watford's Danny Shittu talked himself out a move to Ibrox this week with some hefty wage demands.

That leaves Smith short of bodies in midfield and at the back, a situation worsened by the pre-season injury blow suffered by skipper Barry Ferguson.

And although his options have increased in attack, the return of Miller to his former club (via Celtic) has caused problems, with reports of a negative reaction from some fans during the pre-season tour of Germany.

Star men such as Allan McGregor and Carlos Cuellar remain though, with one of the financial upshots of last season's heroics being that Rangers have not had to fend off too much interest in their key men.

McGregor and Cuellar will again be important figures while David Weir will again be asked to defy his age at the heart of the defence.

Early progress in the Champions League shouldn't be too much of a mission but Smith knows his side need a fast start in the SPL to blow away the demons of the final few weeks of last season.

Increasing the size and quality of his squad is a must if that aim is to be squared with matching Celtic's achievements in reaching the last 16 of the European Cup.

Euro 2008 Top 10 Goals

Here is one fan's opinion of the top goals from this year's Euro 2008 tourmanent won by Spain over Germany. Some good stuff here. The video comes courtesy of AOL Fanhouse, which goes into more detail about what it all means, including the techno song (is that the right term?) accompanying the highlights. Definitely could have done without that one. If you want better quality, you can try double clicking on the video to open the YouTube page and then clicking the "watch in high quality" link below the video.

Here's someone else's compilation though it's interesting that there's not one goal on this list by a player from the Netherlands. There is some overlap though:

They think it’s all over… It is for the time being!

Euro 2008 is over, pre season transfers have begun in earnest, and as the footballing brains of Europe settle down to the domestic season, and the distant thoughts of qualifying for World Cup 2010, it is with some reluctance we leave behind the fervour of the last few weeks. We’ve seen some magnificent football, skills that would befit any of the world’s great stages, and some truly breathtaking solo performances.

One can only relent that the fluid, free-flowing football of the Dutch was cut short in the Quarter Finals, but who could deny the plucky Russians their dues. Turkey summed up the spirit of do-or-die heroic comebacks, and Spain led from first to last with a sublime team of precociously talented individuals.

It’s been hectic, but on behalf of myself and Tom, I can thoroughly say we’ve enjoyed every minute of this tournament. We’d like to thank you all for getting involved with us over the last few weeks. From the casual reader email, to the comment hungry amongst you, those who have posted about us, or simply downloaded the wall-chart – thanks!

And for anyone pining for an excellent way to fill the next few weeks before the domestic season kicks off again, why not get involved in Ole Ole’s exciting new development. Starting the week of 21 July, their Fantasy Football game features 6 different leagues including an exclusive European Super League that combines all the top European leagues in one game so you can pick players from any of the top clubs in Europe and put them in a single team. Fans have the opportunity to manage a team of players from the 2008/09 Bundesliga, English Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.

Awesome – oh and it’s free, it’s fun, and it’s competitive (with prizes to be won)… So sign up now, and we’ll see you soon.

Aragonés gets it right for overdue win

If the talent was always there for Spain to lift a major trophy – and their record of perennially winning youth tournaments suggests that is true – then by sheer logic there must have been key differences in this shimmering squad that allowed them to take UEFA EURO 2008™ by storm.

Change of attitude
First, factor in a magnificent coach. Many will forget that Spain entered the finals with their media grumbling about the nature of two friendly victories over Peru and the United States. All the while, however, Luis Aragonés was refining his team, deciding that Marcos Senna, not Xabi Alonso, would start, and continuing the process of educating his troops. The message was: if you can play well and win, all the better, but if you cannot play well for any given reason, then win anyway. When that lesson was put into practice it produced a seismic shift in Spanish football – achieved by a 69-year-old who knew better than everyone else.

'Not much football'
When Sir Bobby Robson was coach of FC Barcelona, he would always cite the day his side scored seven times in a home win only to be greeted by the headline: "Lots of goals but not much football". It was endemic in Spanish soccer that winning was not enough and so the national team often defeated itself in search of style to go with victory. Aragonés taught differently and Spain bought the logic. Next came the realisation that if you are more technically skilled, fitter and more united than your opponents – and have the game already won – then you can add the brio and dash which Spain supplied in buckets and which prompted claims they now play 'total' football.

Right decisions
The engine for Spain's mighty victory in Vienna came from a run of 22 unbeaten matches since 2006, with confidence and attitude growing by the month. But this had to be fuelled by Aragonés making correct decision after correct decision. The starting lineup was always right, with the substitutes wisely chosen and introduced at the appropriate time. For example, midfielder Cesc Fàbregas was one of the players of the tournament yet he started only two games. And even though this was at the end of a long, hard club season, Aragonés chose to use double training sessions every three or four days – was it a coincidence, then, that Spain finished more strongly than every opponent?

Sweet harmony
Moreover, in an echo of Italy's 2006 FIFA World Cup triumph, an already harmonious atmosphere in the camp was enhanced by the courteous treatment of the press and the symbiotic relationship that developed out of this. Central to everything, though, was the unity within Aragonés's 23-man selection – whether it was because of those that were absent, or just pure luck that the group were perfectly suited to one another, their togetherness was the spring to success at crucial moments.

Perfect blend
Goalkeeper Iker Casillas and midfielder Xavi Hernández had told euro2008.com that the intense pressure of delivering for the senior national team could undo a Spanish title charge, as so many times before. Here in Austria and Switzerland, however, La Furia Roja turned potential into power, and this strength proved irresistible. There was harmony in the squad, the coach was the unquestioned leader, the media were onside, and the nation understood that Spain would play the Aragonés way. And here, the coach was fortunate to have wonderful individual players to bring his own work to fruition: Casillas, the leader and penalty saver; Fernando Torres, the worker who made the difference in the final; David Villa, the tournament top scorer; the inimitable Fàbregas; and talented youngsters such as David Silva, Andrés Iniesta and Santi Cazorla.

Golden boys
Some had honed their skills in the UEFA Champions League, others had toughened up in England's Premier League. However they got there, though, they formed a golden generation for Spanish fooball, with plenty more vibrant young talents already knocking at the door. This could be just the beginning, and if so, what a wonderful way to start.

Xavi emerges as EURO's top man

Spain midfielder Xavi Hernández has been named the Castrol Player of the Tournament for UEFA EURO 2008™ after his stirring displays helped his country to the title.

Technicians' approval
The 28-year-old FC Barcelona player appeared in five matches at the finals, scoring once in the semi-final against Russia, as Spain earned their first major international success since beating the Soviet Union to win the 1964 UEFA European Championship. His ability to dictate the pace of the game from midfield brought him to the attention of the UEFA Technical Team who decide upon the Castrol Player of the Tournament, taking into account votes from the public. UEFA technical director Andy Roxburgh said: "We chose him because we think he epitomises the Spanish style of play. He was extremely influential in the whole possession, passing, penetrating kind of game that Spain played."

Growing reputation
The 1-0 final victory over Germany in Vienna marked Xavi's 63rd cap for Spain since his debut – made together with team-mate Carles Puyol – against the Netherlands on 15 November 2000. He had been an unused squad player with Spain at UEFA EURO 2004™ in Portugal but was a first-team regular by the time of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, and showed maturity and no small amount of brilliance in Austria and Switzerland.

Spain celebrate after the Euro 2008 final

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

Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger lies on the pitch

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

Spain wins first major in 44 years

By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports Writer

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Spain's Sergio Ramos, Cesc Fab…

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Indeed, Lehmann, who helped the Germans to third place in the 2006 World Cup, kept it close with several tough saves.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No one can say that anymore.

Torres ends Spain's long wait for glory

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vienna Fan Zone nears million mark

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

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

Who will win Euro 2008 Final – hear the people!

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

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

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

Fenerbahçe trio come good for Turkey

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

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

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

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

EURO bonus for Vienna

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

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

Final destination just a step away

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

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

Zidane's expert eye on EURO

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

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

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

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

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

Daina Zagata Dutch Oranje Angel

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

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Daina Zagata picture the Dutch orange angel

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

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

And she isn’t even Dutch.

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

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

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

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Smile of Bastian Schweinsteiger girlfriend

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

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Bastian Schweinsteiger girlfriend Has Come

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

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Sexy Bastian Schweinsteiger girlfriend

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

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Bastian Schweinsteiger’s girlfriend Sarah Brandner Drink

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

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(Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Bastian Schweinsteiger hugs his girlfriend Sarah Brandner

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

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Hot Kisses Bastian Schweinsteiger girlfriend Sarah Brandner

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

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Nihat the miracle-maker

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

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

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

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

Bilić wary of the Turkey factor

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

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

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

Two-match ban for Volkan Demirel

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

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

Knockout ticket sales via national FAs

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

EURO drama just gets better

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

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

Ballack setting sights on Portugal

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

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

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

Nihat enters Turkish football folklore

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

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

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

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

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

'Football-Bike' wows Klagenfurt crowd

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

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

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

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