Off the pitch
Spanish woman dies during celebrations
A 25-year-old Spanish woman died in hospital Thursday after she was run over by a car in the Lisbon during all-night street celebrations for Portugal's 2-1 semi-final win over the Netherlands.
A 27-year-old Spanish woman who was also injured in the accident is still in hospital but her life is not in danger, said hospital officials.
The driver of the car which struck the two women was detained after he was found to be under the influence of alcohol, police said.
"All across Lisbon people jumped into the middle of streets and in front of cars, forcing drivers to stop," added a police spokeswoman.
Van the man in the dock
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| Dutch forward Ruud Van Nistelrooy tries to get past Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho (L) and Miguel (R), 30 June 2004 during their European Nations Championship semi-final football match between Portugal and The Netherlands at the Estadio Jose de Alvalade in Lisbon. AFP PHOTO Hrvoje POLAN |
Dutch master striker Ruud van Nistelrooy celebrated his 28th birthday by being charged by UEFA with insulting Swedish referee Anders Frisk after the Netherlands lost 2-1 to hosts Portugal in Wednesday's semi-final.
The Manchester United star confronted the official after he blew the final whistle and will be dealt with by UEFA's control and disciplinary body on Friday.
Meanwhile UEFA fined the French Football Federation 6,600 euros after their team were late leaving the dressing room for both the start and the second half of their quarter-final defeat by Greece.
Five thousand Greek fans en route
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| Greek fans celebrate, 25 June 2004 after their team beat France 1-0 in their European Championship quarter-final football match between France and Greece at the Estadio Jose de Alvalade in Lisbon. AFP PHOTO ARIS MESSINIS |
Nearly 5,000 Greek football fans left their country Thursday to attend the national team's Euro 2004 semi-final against the Czech Republic in Oporto later in the day.
Around 3,000 departed from Athens on a total of 17 chartered flights, aviation officials said. Another 1,700 left from the northern port city of Salonika.
Some 5,000 Greeks are already in Portugal, witnessing their underdog team's stunning cruise to the semi-finals.
Some of the VIP's include chief Athens Olympics organiser Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki and the government deputy minister in charge of the Olympic Games Fanny Palli-Petralia.
Scolari milks media applause
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| Portugal's Brazilian head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari (R) celebrates with an unidentified person, 30 June 2004 at the Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, at the end of the Euro 2004 semi final football match between Portugal and The Netherlands at the European Nations championship in Portugal. Portugal won the match 2 to 1 and will play the final game of the competition. AFP PHOTO HRVOJE POLAN |
Portugal's Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was under fire not so long ago in the county's media for not being one of their own.
But the hired gun who led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup has clearly been belatedly accepted after leading the Portuguese to their first ever major final at Euro 2004 following the 2-1 defeat of the Netherlands on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Scolari made a fleeting visit to the press room at the Portuguese training camp in Alcochete just south of Lisbon - and basked in a spontaneous round of applause from the massed ranks of the host nation's journalists.
Last chance gone for Dutch stars
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| Portuguese supporters celebrate, 30 June 2004 at the Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, at the end of the Euro 2004 semi final football match between Portugal and The Netherlands at the European Nations championship in Portugal. Portugal won the match 2 to 1 and will play the final game of the competition. AFP PHOTO LLUIS GENE |
A generation of talented Dutch players have lost their last chance to win a major title, the nation's press concluded on Thursday after the 2-1 defeat to Portugal in the semi-finals.
The paper predicted that Frank de Boer, Phillip Cocu, Jaap Stam and Marc Overmars would not figure in the plans for the 2006 World Cup.
"What a pity for the Orange," said De Telegraaf. "It's over. The Dutch players can pack their bags. The team was easily beaten."
"A painful exit," said the Algemeen Dagblad daily. "A generation of players will leave the game without having won the big one."
De Boer bows out with caps and regrets
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| the Slovakian referee Lubos Michel (C) gives a yellow card to Dutch defender and captain Frank De Boer (L) for a fault on Swedish midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg (R), 26 June 2004 at the Algarve stadium in Faro, during the Euro 2004 quarter final match between Sweden and The Netherlands at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO SVEN NACKSTRAND |
Frank de Boer bowed out of international football with a Dutch record haul of 112 international caps and more regrets than he cares to mention.
Four times, de Boer was on the losing side in the semi-finals of a major tournament.
"It was a painful way for things to end," de Boer said after hobbling on crutches.
"Of course what I had in my mind was to lift the Cup. But life and football don't always go how you want them to.
"I am not an emotional guy. But I think when I sit around the table with the players for the last time and then say goodbye to everyone, then I'm going to realise that it is over."
2004 is vintage year for Portugal
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| Portuguese fans celebrate, 30 June 2004 outside the Estadio Jose de Alvalade in Lisbon after the European Nations championship semi-final football match between Portugal and The Netherlands. Portugal won 2-1. |
Win or lose in the final of Euro 2004 here on Sunday, Portuguese football has enjoyed a remarkable year of success that has shaken the established order of European football to its roots.
The hand-wringing over the failure of any of the so-called big five football nations - England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain - to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2004 does not take into account the fact that a Portuguese club won the UEFA Cup in 2003 and the Champions League trophy this year.
And FC Porto did it with a largely Portuguese-born team.
Portugal 'at the gates of glory'
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| (L-R) Portugal's midfielder Costinha, defender Ricardo Carvalho and defender Fernando Couto celebrate as Dutch captain Phillip Cocu (R) looks dejected, 30 June 2004 after their European Nations championships semi-final football match between Portugal and the Netherlands at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon. Portugal won 2-1. AFP PHOTO Francois Xavier MARIT |
The front pages in Portugal turned red and green on Thursday in a tribute to the national team's qualification for the final of Euro 2004 after their 2-1 win over the Netherlands.
"The unstoppable force," blared the front page of the Record sports daily. "We are at the gates of glory."
"Superb," said its rival A Bola. "Another great game and we're in the final. What a team and what supporters. We have made history."
"The Portuguese performance was always superior and the team deservedly reached the final," said the Jornal de Noticias daily.
Portugal erupts into party mood
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| Portuguese players celebrate next to Dutch midfielder Rafael Van Der Vaart (L) , 30 June 2004 at the Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, at the end of the Euro 2004 semi final football match between Portugal and The Netherlands at the European Nations championship in Portugal. Portugal won the match 2 to 1 and will play the final game of the competition. AFP PHOTO FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT |
Cities and towns across Portugal erupted in wild celebrations Wednesday after the hosts made history and reached the final of a major tournament for the first time by beating the Netherlands 2-1.
Thousands of flag-waving fans blocked Lisbon's main avenue, Avenida da Liberdade, as car horns could be heard blaring across the city.
"As I have said before, the sky is the limit. Now we are going to the final and God willing, we will win," enthused Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso.
Police reported no trouble as the thousands of Dutch fans who traveled to Portugal for the match commiserated.
Italian clubs face battle over stars
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| Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon looks dejected, 22 June 2004 at Henriques stadium in Guimaraes, at the end of the Euro 2004 group C football match between Italy and Bulgaria at the European Nations championship in Portugal. Bulgaria lost the game 2 to 1and his kicked out of the competition. AFP PHOTO Miguel RIOPA |
Italian Olympic committee president Gianni Petrucci fired the first shot in an expected legal battle with the Serie A soccer clubs when he announced Thursday a limit on foreign players from 2006-2007.
Petrucci said half the squad of 16 -- 11 in the starting lineup and 5 substitutes -- would have to be Italian.
"We are ready to fight the lawyers and club who will oppose us," he said.
Outgoing Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni suggested cutting the number of foreign players in a bid to make the national team more competitive after Italy failed to get beyond the first round of Euro 2004.