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Euro 2004 News

Greek Heroes

Otto Rehhagel's Greece win Euro 2004 1-0 over hosts Portugal with a header early in the second half from Angelos Charisteas. Greece goes mad in celebration.

The Fairy Tale Continues

July 2

Unheralded Greece pulled off yet another shock by beating the highly favored Czech Republic 1-0. A header from former Sheffield United defender Traianos Dellas in extra-time was the “silver goal” that sent Greece to the final—and the distraught Czechs back home.
Greece began its miracle run with a victory over other finalist Portugal. They are hoping to pull off a repeat—and make a few very lucky Greek punters very, very rich.
Coach Otto Rehhagel: "I just said to the dressing room that the fairy tale goes on. I also said we have been together for three years and during this time we tried to develop step by step. We have seen the results."
In the Final, however, Greece will be without the services of Georgios Karagounis, who got a second yellow card last night.
The Czechs started well but were never able to score. Rosick, Jankulovski, Baros, and Koller all came agonizingly close. By extra time, though, it was clear the Czechs had run out of steam and the Greeks dominated possession.
The final will be refereed by Markus Merk who, like Rehhagel, is German. “I have known him since he was 15, so I hope he will have a good match," Rehhagel said. The German coach dismissed out of hand that the fellow German might favor his side. "He has always been very strict with me," Rehhagel said. "He sent me to the stands once, so I don't think it will be a problem."
The Czech coach Karel Bruckner said Dellas's goal was the first he had conceded from a corner in 30 matches. "I have already told the boys I am proud of them," Bruckner said. "I think our appearance at this championship was not bad."

Officials Named

June 29

UEFA has named the referees who will take charge of the semi-finals and final of Euro 2004. Anders Frisk (Sweden) will officiate the Holland v Portugal semi-final and Pierluigi Collina (Italy) - appearing in his last major tournament - will referee the Greece v the Czech Republic game. Markus Merk (Germany) will referee the final. Urs Meier (Switzerland), who disallowed a last minute goal by England's Sol Campbell in the England v Portugal quarter-final - a decision upheld as correct by UEFA - has been passed over.

Trap Shown The Door

June 26

Marcello Lippi, the former coach of Italian giants Juventus, will replace Giovanni Trapattoni as national team boss when Trap's contract expires July 15.

The HoneymoonÃs Over: Eriksson Criticized After Euro Exit

June 26

Following England’s loss on penalties to Portugal, manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has come under mounting criticism for his defensive tactics during the match. In particular, the use of the heat-averse Paul Scholes has left many English supporters wondering if the Swede is the savior many had believed him to be.
Scholes is a cold-weather player. He proved this in Japan where he wilted in 2002, and now again in Portugal. In the Portuguese climate, he was good for an hour at best. When, on schedule, his battery ran down just under the hour mark, Eriksson replaced him with Phil Neville. An average player at best, Neville fell back into defensive position allowing wave after wave of Portuguese attack to commence.
Why, many are asking, wasn’t Owen Hargreaves—who eventually came on to take over on the left from Steven Gerrard—subbed in instead? Critics are saying that the cosmopolitan Swede reverted to form and fell into a “safety-first” posture.
In a bad sign, an official of the Football Association affirmed total support for the England manager. Still, Eriksson will probably be at the helm at the 2006 World Cup finals. England’s qualification group includes Wales, Northern Ireland, Poland, Austria and Azerbaijan—none of which should really test England or Eriksson.

Voeller Quits

June 24

Germany coach Rudi Voeller has quit following his team's failure to progress from Group D following defeat to the Czech Republic. He seems certain to be followed by Spain coach Inaki Saez.

Azzurri Blues

June 23

According to a Gazzetta dello Sport survey, 52.8% of people questioned think the Denmark v Sweden match was fixed. Italy failed to progress from Group C following the 2-2 draw between the Swedes and the Danes in Porto. All three teams finished on 5 points but the Scandinavians went through on goals scored.

England Fan Stabbed To Death

June 22

A 28-year-old England fan, Steven John Smith, has been stabbed to death in Lisbon by a pickpocket in an incident in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The fan had tried to intervene as the pickpocket targeted fans celebrating England's 4-2 win over Croatia. A Ukranian national has been taken into custody by Portuguese police. Ukranians make up the largest group of foreign immigrants in Portugal.

Younger Still

June 22

Swiss striker Johann Vonlanthen has surpassed England's Wayne Rooney as the youngest scorer in European championship history at 18 years and four months old, three months younger than Rooney, when he scored in the same goal at the same Coimbra stadium against France in his team's final Group B game, which the Swiss lost 3-1. Rooney (the "new Pele" according to manager Sven Goran Eriksson is now favorite to lift the 'Golden Boot' as the tournament's top scorer: W.ROONEY 5/2 Z.ZIDANE 5/1 T.HENRY 5/1 H.LARSSON 8/1 R.VAN NISTELROOY 9/1 M.BAROS 10/1. Euro 2004 betting

Balls

22 June

The Adidas Roteiro balls used at Euro 2004 are personalised for each match with the names of the competing teams, the stadium and the match date. Twenty personalised Roteiro balls are provided for each match, with another twenty "blank" balls supplied as spares. Adidas have supplied a total of 2,370 balls for use in the games and training sessions for the championships.

Croatia to Bait the Baby Bull

21 June

Signed Rooney Shirt

At yesterday’s training camp, the Croatian national team spent ample time on pondering just how to wind up England's teenage star Wayne Rooney.
"If we can provoke him in the right way, he'll definitely lash out," said Joey Didulica. "He's a fanatic and, trust me, when you play off emotion like that a red card is inevitable."
Team manager Otto Baric led a special meeting to go over the 18-year-old’s weaknesses.
"The manager has told us to prey on Rooney's weaknesses," continued Didulica. "Our defenders are under orders to slide in and try to take him a few times. Then, just you see, we will get the reaction we want. No problems."
The Croats are taking the line that all is fair in love and football. With a yellow card against Switzerland already notched on his belt—for what many thought should have rightly been a red card—Rooney will be out of action in a quarter-final if he is carded again.
The out-of-control Rooney will be looked after by David Beckham and Gary Neville on the field tonight. However, against the Croats—who are already running away with the most cynical side award in the tournament with five yellow cards against the Swiss and four against the French—it promises to be a trying evening for young Rooney.
Never one to miss an opportunity to wind up an Englishman, Scottish fans have sent Dado Prso, Croatia's striker, a piece of turf from Wembley following a 2-1 win over England in 1977. Prso, who is joining the Rangers next season, has said he will place it behind David James's goal.

Terror Threat?

20 June

Reuters news agency has reported that three "Arabs" have been caught on security cameras videoing underground car parks and the main square in Faro - where many English fans congregate. Supposedly the three men arrived from London and hired a car in Lisbon to travel to the Algarve. The Group A Russia v Greece game is taking place in Faro tonight and is classed as a high-risk event due to Russia's ongoing war in Chechnya.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

20 June

English fans recently deported from Portugal have been detailing reports of wrongful arrest and police brutality after they were taken into custody after the recent disturbances in Albufeira, on Portugal's southern coast. Portuguese police have denied any wrongdoing.

Tut tut Totti

Totti Caricature Tees

19 June

AS Roma and Italy international Francesco Totti will serve a three-match ban for spitting at Denmark’s Christian Paulsen. UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, announced the ban on Thursday, saying that Totti was guilty of “gross unsporting conduct.” Following a hearing that lasted three hours, Totti left without comment to the media. This means that Totti will miss the Azurris final two Game C games and, if Italy manages to qualify, one quarterfinal match. Coach Giovanni Trappattoni has constructed his offense largely around the prolific scorer Totti. He and his lawyers may appeal. Former England mangager Terrry Venables added: "He's got a huge responsibility to youngsters--the whole world is watching. Personally, I don't think (the punishment) was strong enough. I think the whole tournament, out." Without Totti, Italy was held to a 1-1 draw by Sweden and now looks set to fail to progress to the quarterfinals.

Empty Seats, Rooney & Totti

17 June

Just as at World Cup 2002 in Korea/Japan, games at Euro 2004 are being played in less than full stadia. There were at least 5,000 empty seats at the Group A Portugal v Russia game at Lisbon's Estadio da Luz, which has a 65,000 seat capacity. The seats were left empty as the Russian football federation had failed to sell its full ticket allocation and UEFA tries to ensure that opposing fans are strictly segregated.
England's Wayne Rooney became the youngest ever goal scorer in European championship history at 18 years and 237 days with his opening goal in England's 3-0 win over Switzerland in Coimbra.
Italy's Francesco Totti has been banned for three games for spitting at Denmark's Christian Poulsen during his side's 0-0 draw with the Danes in Group C. Spitting image of Totti

Italy Blame Footwear

16 June

Several of Italy's players blamed the high temperatures and problems with their footwear for the team's poor performance in their Group C opening game against underdogs Denmark. Francesco Totti had to change his boots midway through the first half and Christian Panucci blamed his socks for blistering his feet. Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta played down the socks and boots excuses and tried to focus the team on their next match against Sweden - 5-0 winners over Bulgaria.

Trouble Brews in Albufeira

16 June

Clashes between bottle-throwing 'fans' and police have broken out for a second night running in the Algarve resort of Albufeira - where most of the English support is based. Around 300 people were involved in the scuffles with police and some were taken into custody.

Euro 2004 Boost For UK Economy

Euro 2004 could lead to a £1 billion boost to the UK economy as consumers splurge on alcohol, snacks and a patriotic upsurge leads to an increase in sales of flags and St. George car stickers. Each England game will result in £116m spending in pubs, clubs and off-licenses. The 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan had a negative impact on the economy. Early kick-off times meant people skipped work and less was spent on alcohol and going out to pubs.

No Trouble So Far

NÃO À VIOLÊNCIA tees Show your support for a peaceful Euro 04

Euro 2004 has passed off without serious incidents of crowd trouble so far. There have been a few arrests for minor public order offences and ticket touting but no large-scale rioting to concern the organizers.
Violence did break out after England's dramatic defeat to France in the opening Group B game but this occured in England and not in Portugal, where the vast majority of English fans have carried on where they left off at the Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup: passionate but peaceful. Delays entering the stadium were reported in Lisbon before the England v France match due to stringent security checks but despite complaints from waiting fans the situation remained calm.

Beckham: No Respect for France once Match Begins

England captain David Beckham was quoted as saying that once tonight’s match against favorite France begins, England will fight tooth and nail for victory. Any respect he and his England teammates feel for the French will go “out the window” once they cross the white line. Many of France’s starting members play in the Premier League—Robert Pires, Thierry Henry, Mikaël Silvestre, Marcel Desailly, Patrick Vieira et al—and will be quite well known to the English players.
Speaking of his personal hopes for the game and tournament, Beckham said he expects to have a big impact. However, the humble Becks continued, “It’s not all about me. I’ve got to lead as a captain and I’ll try my best as always—but so will all the players.”
Speaking on the match at hand, Beckham said that in order to defeat the French England will have to play at the level of its 5-1 thrashing of Germany in Munich in a World Cup qualifying match or, during the World Cup itself, in the Argentina game in Japan. “In the World Cup things worked perfectly for us in the Argentina game—and hopefully the same will happen again.”

Tickets

25 of the 31 matches at Euro 2004 are sold out and there are just 35,000 unsold tickets for the tournament. Tickets are still available for six games: Switzerland v Croatia on June 13; Sweden v Bulgaria on June 14, Czech Republic v Latvia on June 15, Bulgaria v Denmark on June 18; Russia v Greece on June 20 and Italy v Bulgaria on June 22. Euro 2004 tickets

Sven Issues Plea for Peace

Sven Goran Eriksson

NÃO À VIOLÊNCIA tees

England's coach Sven Goran Eriksson issued an appeal through the British media for English fans to behave themselves as his team left for their Linda-a-Velha base in Portugal June 7. "I hope the supporters conduct themselves as they did at the World Cup. They left such a positive image - dedicated to their team, respectful to their hosts. We want to show England in the best possible light. The players and I will do our bit; we need the fans to do theirs. I am confident they will." he said. England face the threat of expulsion from the tournament by UEFA if there is a repeat of the ugly scenes at Euro 2000 in Holland and Belgium. England face France in their opening Group B game at the Estádio da Luz, Lisbon on June 13.

Sleep the Key in Portugal, says Neville

England defender Gary Neville is playing older brother to his less experienced teammates and warning that sleep may be the key to progressing through the Euro Cup. A veteran of the 1996 squad that made it to the semi-finals, Neville said the excitement of the tournament—in which “everybody in the country is going mad”—is incredibly draining.
Neville continued: “So let’s have a quiet build-up, let’s prepare ourselves mentally and physically for what, hopefully, is going to be a great three of four weeks because we’re going to need every ounce of energy that we can muster.”
England kicks off its campaign Sunday against France, the reigning champion and pre-tournament favorite.

MoneyMoneyMoney

Signed Beckham Shirts

The winner of Euro 2004 could walk home with as much as 27.5 million Swiss francs (US$22 million) in prize money, UEFA announced in early June. Even countries that didn’t qualify are expected to get a financial shot in the arm thanks to a slice of expected income from the 16-team tournament.
Each team at the almost month-long event will receive 7.5 million francs (US$6 million) just for taking part, the European soccer governing body said on Friday. That figure is nearly 60 percent more than at Euro 2000, while the potential maximum prize is more than 90 percent higher.
Teams also will get a 1 million franc (US$800,000) bonus per group stage win and 500,000 francs (US$400,000) for each draw in the first round. Each team will play three group games in this stage.
There will be no bonuses once the matches enter the knockout phase. The eight quarterfinalists, however, will receive an additional payment of 3 million francs (US$2.4 million). Teams that make it to the semifinals will earn an extra 4 million francs (US$3.2 million).
The two countries that make it to the Final, on July 4th, will also make out quite well. The loser will be awarded 6 million francs (US$4.8 million), while the 2004 European Champions will receive a 10 million franc (US$8 million) bonus.
Income & Expenditures
Total income at Euro 2004 is expected to reach 1.25 billion francs (US$1 billion), UEFA said. The money will be generated by a television rights contract with the European Broadcasting Union as well as non-European TV sales, sponsorship deals, and hospitality packages. Costs to run the tournament will be paid from this money.
On the other end, expenses are expected to total around 350 million francs (US$280 million).
The profit from the tournament will be used to finance UEFA’s costs in the years until the next tournament; to pay for non-money-making tournaments, such as youth and women’s tournaments; to fostser the stars of the future through a lump-sum payment to each of the 52 member associations.

UEFA: Extra financial rewards for wins and draws

UEFA announced that total income from the tournament would be 1,250 million Swiss francs (817 million euros). Each of the 16 teams will be awarded a fixed payment of 7.5 million Swiss francs (4.9 million euros), which represents a 56% increase from the previous tournament. Another 1 million Swiss francs will be awarded for every win, 500,000 Swiss francs for every draw in the group phase. In Holland & Belgium, in 2000, prize money was based on final group positions.
Quarter-finalists will pick up an additional 3 million Swiss francs, semi-finalists another 4 million; winners and runners-up will be awarded 10 million and 6 million respectively.
Explaining the greater payments, UEFA chief executive Lars-Christer Olsson stated: “We have moved on to a higher level and this is visible in the commercial results.”
The total expenditure of UEFA and Portugal to host the tournament is around 350 million Swiss francs.

Russians to Get Paid

Russian players can expect to earn at least 2.5mil Swiss francs (1.6 million euros) in bonuses for their participation in the Euro 2004, which begins on June 12 in Portugal.
“We already agreed on the bonus structure,” Russian football head Vyacheslav Koloskov told reporters in late May.
“The players will get half of what the Russian FA earn for taking part in the Finals. We're already assured of getting about 5 million Swiss francs for the three first-round games, so the players' share will be 2.5 million,” he said.
“It will be divided between the players, coaching staff and support personnel, masseurs, doctors and even cooks.
“Of course, if we lose all three first-round games, the players will get a lot less,” Koloskov added.

Portuguese Cops: Three-Tier Plan

According to news reports, Portuguese police are going to use a “three-tier plan” to combat any violence at Euro 2004. Also, police will focus on "flashpoint" towns as opposed to the venues.
The Eurocup will be the largest security operation for the Portuguese police since the Expo and Ibero-American summit in 1998. Some 20,000 police officers will be armed to the teeth with water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets; moreover, border controls will be tightened up, courts will operate at night to quickly process those arrested, and AWACs will patrol the skies.
The three tier plan will consist of the highly visible cop on his beat, so called “intervention officers”—who will handle trouble on the spot immediately—and forces on permanent alert. The Portuguese police studied tactics used in the last European championships, held in Belgium and Holland, during which English fans went wild in Brussels and Charleroi—while in the Netherlands there was hardly any trouble. Having absorbed this lesson, the Portugal police will adopt the Dutch model, with one officer saying “...the Belgian model failed.”
Of particular concern is Algarve, where many of England’s 50,000 supporters are expected to stay. In the resort town of Albufeira, officials are also gearing up for hordes of Dutch and German supporters.
According to the same official: "Albufeira is the critical spot. It's got a big population in a small area, people from various countries, a large English colony, some Germans and a lot of nightlife."

UEFA: Extra financial rewards for wins and draws

UEFA announced that total income from the tournament would be 1,250 million Swiss francs (817 million euros). Each of the 16 teams will be awarded a fixed payment of 7.5 million Swiss francs (4.9 million euros), which represents a 56% increase from the previous tournament. Another 1 million Swiss francs will be awarded for every win, 500,000 Swiss francs for every draw in the group phase. In Holland & Belgium, in 2000, prize money was based on final group positions.
Quarter-finalists will pick up an additional 3 million Swiss francs, semi-finalists another 4 million; winners and runners-up will be awarded 10 million and 6 million respectively.
Explaining the greater payments, UEFA chief executive Lars-Christer Olsson stated: “We have moved on to a higher level and this is visible in the commercial results.”
The total expenditure of UEFA and Portugal to host the tournament is around 350 million Swiss francs.

England To Have 24-hour Armed Guard

NÃO À VIOLÊNCIA tees

The England squad for Euro 2004 will receive round-the-clock protection from an elite squad of Portuguese police. A group of eight British ex-policemen assigned by the FA will also accompany the team. England along with Russia, France, Germany, Spain and Italy will receive extra security protection during the tournament.
The England team has also taken a collective decision to suspend their personal columns in the press for the duration of the tourament to increase their chances of winning it after pressure from captain David Beckham and coach Sven Goran Erikkson.

Wales Bid for Late Entry Denied

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled against Wales and in favor of Russia after the Welsh FA appealed to the Lausanne-based court to expel the Russians from Euro 2004. A Russian player failed a drugs test following the first-leg of the teams' play-off in November and then subsequently took part in the second-leg. Wales lost 1-0 but were looking to have CAS declare the result null and void. The Welsh FA spent £120,000 in legal fees on their appeal. A bitter Wales coach, Mark Hughes declared after the ruling that "cheats have prospered".

'Altogethernow' Chosen as England's Euro Song

The Farm.

The Farm's 'Altogethernow' remixed by Radio 1's DJ Spoony has been chosen by the FA as the official Euro 2004 theme song for the England team. The song is inspired by the World War I football game between British and German soldiers in a 1914 Christmas Day armistice. The Liverpool-based band's latest release of the song - which first hit the charts in 1990 - features the St Francis Xavier Boys Choir. The choice of the anthem by the English FA reflects the desire for a trouble free tournament devoid of the mayhem at Euro 2000.

Pressure On Scolari

Pressure is mounting on Portugal's Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari following the indifferent form of the hosts in their recent friendlies in the run-up to Euro 2004. A late Nuno Gomes goal salvaged a 2-2 draw with Sweden in front of only 14,000, mostly disgruntled supporters, in Coimbra, April 28. Scolari's abrasive style has not gone down too well with sections of the media in Portugal and the latest lacklustre draw follows a 2-1 defeat in the previous game against Italy.

Extra Money for Security

Tournament organizers increased the security budget for Euro 2004 by an two million Euros as a reaction to the terrorist attacks in Madrid in March. Euro 2004 vice president Mathieu Sprengers said that part of the extra funding would cover increased insurance costs for the 10 stadiums.

NTT Launches Euro 2004 i-mode Site

NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest communications company will launch a Euro 2004 i-mode site in co-operation with UEFA. The site will offer information on the Champions League and Euro 2004 from the official Japanese UEFA website. To visit Soccerphile's Euro 2004 i-mode site click here.
The content at www.soccerphile.com/i is best viewed on i-mode capable mobile phones.

Wales' Legal Battle Goes On

Wales have appealed to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to be awarded Russia's place at Euro 2004 following Yegor Titov's failed drugs test after the first leg of the teams' play-off in Moscow in November last year.
Titov did not play in the first leg but did take part in the second leg in Cardiff, which Russia won 1-0. UEFA rejected Wales' original appeal in March and issued the following statement: "The Appeals Body based its decision in particular on the failure by the Welsh FA to present evidence of any implication of the Football Union of Russia in the alleged doping infringement".
The Football Association of Wales responded: "The FAW feels that the UEFA Appeals Body did not give sufficient weight to the powerful arguments which the FAW submitted at the hearing and erred in not letting the nominated expert scientific witnesses give evidence in person."
The thousands of Russian supporters who have booked holidays in Portugal for the tournament will be following the events in Lausanne closely.

Blunkett Warning

Britain's Home Secretary, David Blunkett, has warned ministers not to make trips to Euro 2004 as the British Embassy's resources will be overstretched during Euro 2004.
England manager Sven Goran Erikkson and captain David Beckham will make a joint appeal to English fans to behave before the England v Japan friendly in Manchester in May.

UEFA Praise Hosts, Sort Of

Martin Kallen, Euro 2004's chief operating officer, praised the hosts Portugal for completing the 10 stadiums for the tournament despite delays in the construction work: "Nobody believed that Portugal could achieve what was put on paper in 1999," Kallen told Reuters news agency." Kallen added that problems remain, including parking and the positioning of hospitality areas and media facilities, as stadiums should have been finished a year before the start of the tournament. "The football will be played in any case," he said. "It's only the question of quality. We want to stage the best European Championship and for me, at the moment, we're balanced between tops and flops. The people in Japan and Korea did a fantastic job (for the 2002 World Cup) but they had a huge amount of money and resources that we just don't have here," added Kallen, who was involved with the organization of both Euro 96 and Euro 2000.

Briton Suits Italy

British designer Neil Barrett, who trained under Miuccia Prada and is based in Italy, will design the Italian squad's kit and off-field suits for Euro 2004 in association with Puma.

Aviero Barricaded

Aveiro stadium has been barricaded by contractors' trucks in a dispute over delayed payments. Trucks blocked the entrance to Aveiro's Estadio Municipal over the weekend of 17/18th April as local building contractors constructing access roads demanded they were paid arrears of €5 million before removing the obstructions.

Immigration Officers Threaten Strike

According to The Portugal News, immigration officers of the Servio de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) have announced week-long industrial action in June during the course of Euro 2004. The strike threat over non-payment of overtime, could impede thousands of foreigners from entering the country, or see them enter the country without any immigration controls whatsoever.

1.5 Million Fans to Attend Euro 2004

Great Gifts From Portugal.

More than three times the original estimate of fans are expected to attend Euro 2004, according to the tournament organizers. Gilberto Madail, Portuguese Football Federation (PFF) president told a news conference. "The estimates we now have say that Euro 2004 should bring over a million and a half people to Portugal." So far around 1.2 million tickets have gone on sale for Euro 2004, though enthusiasm seems not to be so high among Greek fans, who have returned many of their tickets for the opening match against Portugal in Porto. The PFF chief also said that the opening ceremony in Porto before the game will feature Portuguese sailing ships to reflect the country's maritime history. Madail added that he hoped fans would "remember a great sporting occasion but also take away something of our country, of our culture, to transmit it to the world." The closing ceremony after the final in Lisbon will reflect more on the future of Portugal.

Euro 2004 Official Song

Nelly Furtado.

The song 'Forca' by Nelly Furtado, a Canadian singer-songwriter of Portuguese descent - her parents emigrated to Canada from the Azores - has been chosen as the official song of Euro 2004. Furtado will sing her composition before the final at the Estadio da Luz on July 4 and is likely to release a new version in Portuguese for the tournament.
The song is taken from 25-year-old singer's best-selling second album "Folklore". Furtado's hybrid ballad style is influenced by UK pop, R&B, hip hop and music from Portugal and Latin America. Her hit single "I'm Like A Bird" won a Grammy Award in 2002. "I am very excited, I wrote the song 'Forca' especially for the tournament. It is about the love of the game."

"English Trouble Inevitable", According To Police Chief

Among The Thugs

According to David Swift, deputy chief constable of Staffordshire, the leading British police officer involved in tackling English football hooliganism, incidents of drunken disorder involving English fans are near certain this summer in Portugal. However, he stressed that this would be no worse than the average Friday night in most British towns and he was optimistic there would be no repeat of the mass mayhem at France '98 and Euro 2000.
"I think that with three weeks and the sort of individuals that routinely go out and get drunk in England, there is an expectation that there will be some minor drunkenness issues that will be no different from any town or city centre in England over the period," he said.
"British police have been advising their Portuguese counterparts on how best to respond to problems involving Englishmen. "We have been working with the Portuguese, visiting them, trying to affect their policing style so that they don't overreact to minor incidents and they graduate their policing response," Swift added.
English fans were on their best behaviour in Japan in 2002, let's hope they have learned to have a good time without spoiling someone else's.

Greece & Portugal Discuss Security

Portuguese and Greek officials discussed security in an April 5 meeting ahead of this summer's Euro 2004 and the Athens Olympics. Both governments have requested NATO assistance with air and sea patrols of their countries. Greek Public Order Minister George Voulgarakis held security talks with Portugal's Sports Minister Jose Luis Arnaut and Euro 2004 coordinating chief Vasco Lynce. Senior police chiefs from both countries were in attendance. "The meeting was about doing everything possible to be prepared when the two competitions start and to see how the two countries can help each other by exchanging information," a source told Reuters news agency. Portugal, which along with Spain, supported the US invasion of Iraq and has a small number of troops in Iraq, has requested NATO aircraft to monitor suspicious air traffic.

After The Terror

In the wake of the terror attacks in Madrid 3/11 Portugal has stepped up border controls and the Portuguese authorities are considering installing metal detectors at stadium gates. "These bombings make us feel that the world is more insecure," Leonel Carvalho, Euro-2004 security co-ordinator, told the AP news agency. "We must ensure security is handled in the best possible way." "Obviously these attacks are a cause for concern, especially for us, being Spain's neighbours ... We have prepared the security for the national teams according to an evaluation of the degree of threat to them,. and naturally, what happened in Madrid may alter that evaluation, but there are still three months to go, so anything can happen. But we have sufficient means to give protection to any team that might need greater attention."

Drugs Testing For All Euro 2004 Teams

UEFA will conduct drugs tests on all the 16 competing teams at Euro 2004 before the finals begin in June. Jacob Erel, the UEFA's director Euro 2004 operations, said the teams would undergo drugs tests at friendly games in the lead-up to the tournament or at their training camps.  UEFA would have five anti-doping officers in Portugal during Euro 2004 who will take urine samples from players before each match.  “All 31 matches will be tested, from the opening matches to the final round,” Erel added. 
Three players from both squads, and up to two reserve players, will face random urine testing before each game. 

England Kit / Squad

Signed Rooney Shirt

England will wear a new hi-tech away kit this summer at Euro 2004. The shirt, which was developed in conjunction with NASA, is made of over 99% pure silver weave, a material which helps to keep a player's temperature at a constant level in both hot and cold climates. The new shirt will also display the 1966 World Cup winners gold star above the England three lions badge. The team will use the new strip for the first time in the friendly international against Sweden in Gothenburg March 31. Sweden are the other team at Euro 2004 to try the new kits.
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson will name his 23-man party for Euro 2004 on May 17 two weeks before the official deadline of June 2. England have two final warm-up matches at the City of Manchester stadium against Japan on June 1 and Iceland on June 5.

Drunken Fans To Be Barred From Games

Signed Beckham Shirts

Drunken fans at Euro 2004 with a blood alcohol level of 1.2 grams per liter will be turned away from matches according to Lieutenant-General Leonel de Carvalho, head of the Portuguese government security committee for this summer's tournament. Portugal's legal blood alcohol limit for motorists is 0.5 grams per litre. A level of 1.2 grams per litre is considered a crime in Portugal. Carvalho said tests would be made on fans suspected of being over the limit at the entrance to stadiums with equipment similar to that used to check drivers' sobriety. Like much of the hot air emitted by the Japanese and Korean organizers before World Cup 2002, it is difficult to see this one getting off the ground.

The Roteiro: New Euro 2004 Ball

Roteiro

The new Adidas Roteiro ball - the official ball to be used at Euro 2004 - is playing to mixed reviews like its predecessor the Adidas Fevernova for the 2002 World Cup. After Spain's 2-1 friendly win over Peru last week, Spain's coach Inaki Saez joined several of his players in criticising the new ball. "As it has no seams it behaves very strangely," said Saez. "It's horrible, difficult to control and to pass." Real Madrid's Ivan Helguera went further, calling it a "beach ball." "I don't like it at all. To send it where you want you really have to hit it hard." Real Betis striker Joaquin is also not a fan of the 32 panel design, which features the latest thermal bonding technology. "It's hard to believe they can call this a ball," he said. "It lifts a lot and doesn't follow a true line." England's captain and free kick specialist David Beckham, who is sponsored by Adidas, praised the Roteiro: "The most important thing for me is to know that I can rely on the ball to go exactly where I want it to go. The new Roteiro reacts very well to my foot. I've noticed that the accuracy of my corners, my passing and, of course, my free kicks improved. Keepers are going to have a very tough time."

Portugal v England Very Friendly

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The February 18 England v Portugal friendly international in Faro passed off virtually without incident. 5 England fans were arrested for assaulting a police officer but overall the evening was peaceful. Over 1500 fans watched the game on a giant screen in a park in central Faro - again without any trouble. The match ended in a tame 1-1 draw after England had taken the lead in the second half with a scrambled goal by debutant Ledley King equalized by a blistering free kick from Pauleta.
However, traffic jams to the new stadium streched over 10 km for the approximately 7,000 cars that attempted to make their way to the ground and some car drivers left their vehicles and continued on foot. The 30-minute journey from Albufeira to Faro took over two-and-a-half hours on the night.

Industrial Action Threatened

Portuguese truck drivers are threatening strike action that would leave the country without fuel during Euro 2004 unless their demands over improved pay and working conditions are met. "What we are saying is that if there is no evolution in negotiations until June, we will go on strike during the Euro finals until there is a solution," said Vitor Pereira, a leader of Portugal's main truck drivers' union FESTRU, which represents over 40,000 truckers. The drivers are demanding higher wages, tax breaks on fuel and the continuation of collective bargaining. Earlier hotel workers also threatened to strike during Euro 2004, and police have also said they may stage protests over poor pay and working conditions.

England Portugal Sign Hooligan Agreement

Surprise, surprise...England, Germany and Holland top the list of supporters with the highest risk of causing trouble at Euro 2004, according to Nuno Magalhães, The Portuguese Secretary of State for Home Affairs. "We are getting ready, preventively, so that (hooligans) don't come. Second, if they do come, the security forces will have a reaction that is fast, effective and proportional, with the least damage possible," Magalhães said.
Portugal and Britain are to sign a cooperation agreement which includes a provision that allows the British authorities to seize the passports of about 2,500 known hooligans just before the tournament kicks off. The Portuguese are considering similar provisions with the Dutch and German governments.
In an effort to promote cultural exchanges and foster links between England and Portuguese football fans leading up to Euro 2004, the British Council supported by England fan groups has organised a series of good-will events to coincide with the February 18 England v Portugal friendly in Faro. See footballportugal.com for further details.

Wales Fight On

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) will appeal UEFA's rejection of their claim to have Russia thrown out of Euro 2004. The Welsh are demanding UEFA overturn the result of last November's playoff, which Russia won 1-0, following midfielder Yegor Titov's positive drug test following the first leg. [see below] UEFA turned down FAW's original case on the grounds that: Wales offered no proof Titov was doped in the second-leg, and teams are not considered liable when one player commits a doping offence. (The fact that Argentina were not expelled from the 1994 World Cup after Maradona's positive test is an obvious precedent). Welsh manager, Mark Hughes, who will address UEFA officials as part of the Welsh case at the new hearing, said: "Logistics of ticket sales, hotels booked, draws made, should not come into it. Yugoslavia dropped out in '92 and Denmark came off the beach to win the tournament and just took over their fixtures, so there is no need for a re-draw."

Wales Appeal Rejected

UEFA rejected Wales' appeal February 3 to have their 0-1 defeat to Russia in the Euro 2004 playoffs overturned following a positive drug test of Russian player Yegor Titov. The Football Association of Wales (FAW) argued that Titov, who played 60 minutes of the second leg at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, was ineligible as he had tested positive for the stimulant bromantan following the first leg in Moscow. FAW claimed the result should be declared null and void and a 3-0 victory awarded to Wales. UEFA's disciplinary committee declared the Welsh case "unfounded" and the result should stand. Titov has been banned for one year and will miss Euro 2004.

Tournament Costs

The Portuguese Prime Minister's office estimated the total cost of Euro 2004 at €611 million, with €185 million coming from public money.

Azzurri to Base Near Lisbon

The Italian squad's training camp for Euro 2004 has been announced and will be Belenenses Restelo Stadium, just outside Lisbon. The Azzurri are due to arrive in Portugal June 7. The beaten finalists in Euro 2000 will play their Group C matches in Guimarães and Porto. The Italians face Denmark in their opening game in Guimarães on June 14 and must also overcome Sweden and Bulgaria to reach the second round.

2000 England Fans Banned

Over 2000 England fans have banning orders imposed on them ahead of Euro 2004 and the number is expected to rise ahead of the tournament with the authorities seeking a further 600 court orders. Undercover police 'spotters' will also travel to Portugal in June to liaise with their Portuguese counterparts and police will check for known hooligans at UK ports and airports during the event. Over 200,000 Brits are expected in Portugal this summer with 50,000 there to see the football.
The Portuguese Secretary of State for Home Affairs, Nuno Magalhães, outlined a plan to deploy between 600 and 1,000 officers inside stadiums and 3,000 outside. About 60,000 police, coastguards, immigration officers, firefighters and emergency medical workers will be on duty, according to Magalhães. All leave has been cancelled for the duration of the tournament. These numbers were challenged by Alberto Torres - president of the Trade Union Association of Police Professionals (ASPP/PSP) - who claimed there were not enough police officers in Portugal to fulfill Magalhães' plan.

footballportugal.com

Crowd Trouble at Guimarães

Guimarães Stadium has been closed for 30 days by the Portuguese FA following crowd trouble at the Vitória de Guimarães v Boavista match on February 1. Fans ripped out seats and hurled them at players and officials as they left the pitch after the game. The authorities now plan to erect a cover over the tunnel ahead of this summer's Euro 2004.

Black Market Ticket Fears

Great Gifts From Portugal.

At a January 23 press confence, Portugal Euro 2004 organizers expressed concern over Internet sites purporting to offer tickets for the upcoming tournament. "All the tickets on offer through unofficial Web sites, around the world and especially in Britain, are attempts to ambush fans," Portuguese Soccer Federation president Gilberto Madail was quoted as saying. "Those sites haven't got any tickets." Madail acknowledged that fans were also selling on extra or unwanted tickets they had purchased and expressed concern over the disruption to the organizers' plans for fan segregation.
Euro 2004 ticket regulations state fans can purchase a maximum four tickets for any match up to a total of 19 matches. The buyer must retain one ticket and is held legally responsible for the other three.
Ticket requests are recorded on a database at the official site www.euro2004.com and cross-checked for known hooligans. Euro 2004 tickets will be issued nearer to the start of the June event.

Police Protest Poor Conditions

Portugal's 22,000 police officers are planning protests against government underfunding in the run-up to Euro 2004. Despite a €16.5m outlay on new riot gear (see below), Portuguese police have been protesting inadequate state funding for police stations and computer equipment. According to the president of the Portuguese police association, Alberto Torres, only eight of Lisbon's more than 100 police stations are in working order and officers must buy their own uniforms and even handcuffs. "The government claims it has modernized forces for the tournament," Torres told a news conference, "But as we do not feel that modernization has taken place, we have no option, whether there is a Euro tournament going on or not, but to continue to protest." Portugal is the EU's poorest nation having regained the bottom spot from Greece in 2003. See Portugal Facts and Figures.

Portuguese Police Gear Up For Euro 2004

Like their colleagues in Korea and Japan before them at the 2002 World Cup, the Portuguese authorities have taken the twin 'security threats' posed by terrorism and hooliganism to a large football tournament to retool their hardware. The Portuguese government has cancelled all police leave during the event and is spending €16.5m on seven water cannon trucks (the country's first), new batons, pepper spray and riot gear.
"In the case of terrorism, despite it being a worry, there is no specific threat linked to Euro 2004," police chief General Leonel de Carvalho told Diario de Noticias. "What we are concerned with is protecting the teams, monitoring the fans, the crowds who gather not just in the stadiums but also between matches."
"Most [fans] will come just for the competition but a small minority will take advantage of the opportunity to carry out violent acts," de Carvalho added. Portugal is not immune to incidents of football hooliganism - three men were seriously injured recently following fighting between rival Benfica and Sporting fans at a Lisbon train station.

England Fans Might Behave!

Liverpool University professor Dr Clifford Stott, a leading expert in crowd disorder, believes the expected 50,000 English fans who will visit Portugal this summer could be on their best behaviour. Dr Stott - who has been advising Portuguese police chiefs - believes a graded approach to policing, based on the Dutch model, could diffuse any potential outbreaks of violence. England risk being expelled from the tournament if fans misbehave again. Let's hope the peaceful Korea/Japan World Cup when the English fans' behaviour was exemplary is the way of the future.

Bessa and Braga Stadiums Inaugurated

Braga Stadium.

The renovated 30,000 capacity Estádio do Bessa in Porto was inaugurated at the end of 2003 with an exhibition match between home team Boavista and Spain's Málaga CF which ended 0-0. Braga beat Celta de Vigo 1-0, to officially open the spectacular new Estádio Municipal de Braga. The 30,000-capacity stadium, built in an old quarry, was designed by Portuguese architect Souto Moura and has only two stands along the sides of the pitch with the area behind the goals left as a natural amphitheatre. Both stadiums will host Euro 2004 group fixtures - Bulgaria will face Denmark and the Netherlands play Latvia in Braga; at the Estádio do Bessa Greece play Spain, Latvia face Germany and Denmark will meet Sweden.
The Estádio do Algarve also held its first match in December with a game between local Algarve rivals Louletano and Farense. The stadium was officially unveiled in November and will host the Portugal v England friendly February 18.

Portugal Stadiums Costs

The costs of building seven new stadiums and renovating three others to host the 2004 European Championships are expected to be around 640 million euros when the price of commercial areas and clinics are included, with the overall expense increasing to in excess of 800 million euros when the cost of new access roads are factored in. It is the first time that a host country is building new stadiums in order to stage the finals, previously other countries used existing facilities. No new stadiums were purpose built for the 2000 finals in Belgium & Holland or for Euro 96 in England.

Euro 2004 Tickets For National Associations

After a two-day workshop in Lisbon, Uefa has decreed that each of the 16 national federations taking part in Euro 2004 will receive at least 20% of the tickets for the games in which they are competing. If one of the federations in a given game requests less than 20%, the remainder of their ticket allocation may pass to the other federation involved.
In an attempt to restrict the sale of the tickets on the black market, Uefa also decided that the name of the buyer of any tickets from the federations, who will be allowed a maximum of four, will be printed on the tickets. Jacob Erel, Uefa's director of competition operations said: "We have taken several steps to avoid black market sales. There are very strict rules concerning ticketing sales. One big guarantee is that we collect all the data on ticket holders, so we can also reach them and give their data to the relevant authorities."

Rio Ferdinand Out Of Euro 2004

Pending any appeal, Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand seems certainly to miss out on Euro 2004 after his record 8 month ban for missing a drugs test in late September.

Van Basten Warning For Dutch

Former Holland great Marco van Basten has warned the current Dutch squad that they need to compete in Portugal as "sportsmen and not as superstars." Interviewed in the weekly magazine Voetbal International, the former Ajax and AC Milan striker said: "Some of the players behave like movie stars and that has to be handled directly. You are going for honor and country. Players should convince me that they are only thinking about soccer."

Portugal Economy Down

Portugal's economy shrank by 1.5 % in 2003 as consumer spending and business confidence continued to decline. Analysts believe the economy has now hit rock-bottom and will grow in 2004, thanks in part to Portugal's staging of Euro 2004.

England To Play Friendly in Portugal

England will face Portugal February 18 in the new 30,000 capacity Estádio Algarve. The match is being seen as a dry-run for policing procedures ahead of Euro 2004. In excess of 50,000 English fans are expected to attend the finals. The Portuguese government has cancelled all police leave for the duration of the tournament and allocated €16.6 million to procure seven water cannon vehicles as well as new police batons, riot gear, pepper spray and other security equipment.

Aveiro Stadium Unveiled

The 30,000 seat capacity Estádio Municipal de Aveiro was officially inaugurated December 11 with a friendly match between SC Beira Mar (who play their home games in the new ground) and Spanish Primera Liga club Osasuna. Construction costs have risen at the multi-colored stadium making it the most expensive per seat of the ten Euro 2004 stadiums at €2,700 per seat ahead of FC Porto's Estádio do Dragão at €1,900 and Benfica's Luz Stadium at €1,800 per seat.

Euro 2004; Tickets Sold Out Fast

Only 4 matches at Euro 2004 still have tickets available at the official Uefa www.euro2004.com.
Sweden v Bulgaria June 14 in Lisbon (Group C), Czech Republic v Latvia June 15 in Aveiro (Group D), Bulgaria v Denmark June 18 in Braga (Group C) and Russia v Greece June 20 in Faro/Loule (Group A). All the other fixtures have sold out in less than two weeks since the draw on November 30.

Legal Action Over Venue Changes?

The venue changes for England's Group B match with Croatia and the Group D match between Holland and Germany (see below) has prompted an angry response from many fans with tickets for the originally drawn matches in Coimbra and Aveiro. Some disgruntled fans are considering legal action in the Portuguese courts as Uefa is not transferring existing tickets to the new venues.

Euro 2004 Referees

Uefa has announced the 12 referees for Euro 2004:
Lucilio Cardoso Cortez Batista (Portugal), Pierluigi Collina (Italy), Anders Frisk (Sweden), Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain), Terie Hauge (Norway), Valentin Ivanov (Russia), Urs Meier (Switzerland), Markus Merk (Germany), Lubos Michel (Slovakia), Kim Milton Nielsen (Denmark), Mike Riley (England), Gilles Veissihre (France).
Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium), Kyros Vassaras (Greece), Alain Hamer (Luxembourg) and Stuart Dougal (Scotland) - will act as fourth officials.

Spain Base in Braga

Spain will set up their training camp in Braga. The team will stay at the Hotel da Falperra, in Santa Cristina de Longos, and train at the Estádio de Maio in Braga, Sporting Clube de Braga's home ground before the construction of their new stadium for Euro 2004, the 30,000 capacity Estádio Municipal de Braga.

Venue Changes: England, Holland, Germany.

©Warner Bros.

England's Group B match with Croatia [Game 20] originally drawn for Coimbra on 21st June has been switched to the Estádio da Luz, Lisbon with a 7:45pm kick off. Uefa officials sited this game as a source of potential crowd trouble and moved the match to the more-heavily policed capital. France will now face Switzerland in Coimbra at the same time.
Similarly Germany's opening Group D clash with Holland on June 15 has been relocated to Porto's Estádio das Antas from Aveiro and kicks off at 5:00pm. The Czech Republic will now face Latvia in Aveiro's Estádio Municipal in a 7:45pm kick off.
The moves make sense in the light of previous crowd trouble at a provincial venue at Euro 2000 in Charleroi, Belgium prior to an England v Germany game, as both Aveiro and Coimbra have similar small city centers and stadiums. It seems that ticket-holders to the original games will not be allowed to transfer their tickets.

Euro 2004 Prize Money Increased

The eventual winners of Euro 2004 could pocket up to €17m after Uefa announced an increase in the tournament's prize money after a two-day meeting in Kiev.
The total prize money for next year's championship is 66% up on Euro 2000 in Belgium/Holland from €74.8m to €124.6m. Each competing team is guaranteed €4.7m, with nearly €714,000 on offer for a group stage win. The eight teams that progress to the quarter-finals will each receive a further €1.8m, with another €2.4m going to the four semi-finalists. The tournament winners collect a cool €6.3m, with the runners-up pocketing €3.7m to ease their heartache.

England Hotel Headache

The England team's plan to stay at the recently built Hotel Solplay on the outskirts of Lisbon has run in to trouble following a legal dispute between the hotel's owners and the builders. The FA has reserved all 119 rooms at the modern luxury hotel. An action in the Portuguese courts is pending as the building firm CME seek to recover 'several million euros' in supposedly unpaid fees while Hotel Solplay maintain the construction work had not been properly finished. All in all, it sounds like normal procedure in the brick trade and Sven's men needn't worry about finding alternative digs.

10 Billion Viewers Expected for Euro 2004

Over 10 billion TV viewers are expected to tune in to Euro 2004 compared to the 7 billion who watched the Euro 2000 tournament in Holland and Belgium. The increase is due to the continuing rise in popularity of European football in the Far East boosted by the number of Asian players from Japan, China and Korea now playing in the top European leagues and Asian tours by European clubs. Real Madrid's pre-season circuit in the Far East helped to further raise the profiles of European stars such as David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Raúl, who will all be appearing at Euro 2004.

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