Off the pitch
Neville plays down hooligan fear
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| British football fans shout at a policeman 17 June 2000 a few hours before the Euro 2000 first round match between England and Germany in Charleroi. Ranks of riot police used water cannons in an effort to prevent fighting between England and German fans massed on opposite sides of the main Charles II square into side streets. |
England's Phil Neville is confident Portugal will prove a hooligan-free zone throughout the tournament despite incidents that marred the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
"Since Euro 2000 the government and the security people have gone to great lengths to sort out that side of the game," Neville said.
"Our fans behaved impeccably at the last World Cup and you very rarely see any hooliganism at club level so I think our fans will come out here and have a great time. I'm not worried at all about trouble as the security measures are all in place."
Latvian 'goldenboys' arrive
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| (from R) Latvian defender Oleg Blagonadezdins, midfielder Juris Laizans, goalkeeper Andrejs Pavlovs, defender Mihalis Ziemlinskis, and goalkeeper Andrejs Piedels arrive at Porto airport 10 June 2004 for the 2004 European Nations Championship. Latvia will play its first Euro 2004 match against the Czech Republic 15 June. AFP PHOTO JANEK SKARZYNSKI |
Befitting their status as debutants Latvia kept everyone waiting as they were among the last teams to arrive in Portugal on Thursday and they will be keen to disprove the theory that last one in is often the first one out.
The 'goldenboys' as they have been called by Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga are in for a baptism of fire grouped with powerhouses Holland, Germany and the Czech Republic.
The rank outsiders will be supported by an astonishing following of some 3,000 fans as they prepare for their opener against the Czechs on Tuesday.
The Euro and the Euros
The winners of Euro 2004 will be awarded a cash prize bonanza of over 18 million euros, Uefa have announced.
The figure is some 90 percent higher than the cheque picked up by the French Football Federation after winning Euro 2000.
Each participating federation will pick up a minimum of 5 million euros, again higher than in 2000 but just 56 percent this time. Each victory will be rewarded with 653,000 euros, the eight quarter-finalsts will earn another 1.9 million, the semi finalists another 2.6 million, the finalists 3.8 million and the winners 6.5 million.
Women benched at England hotel
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| Picture taken 07 June 2004 shows the Solplay Hotel Linda a Vehla in Lisbon, Portual, which will accomodate the English team during the Euro 2004 Nations Championships. The Euro 2004 championship starts 13 June with Portugal playing Greece in the opening game. AFP PHOTO PAUL BARKER |
The wives of England players may be staying at nearby Penha Longa but in their own Solplay hotel just north of the Lisbon coast there will be no female company for Sven-Goren Eriksson's squad.
Hotel sources revealed on Thursday that only male staff should serve the team in the restaurant and the bar of their four-star abode, while chambermaids are under strict instructions not to get too familiar with the establishment's renowned guests.
England are anxious that nothing should distract the team from winning their first major tournament since the 1966 World Cup.
French get thumbs-up from Eusebio
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| l'ancien international français de football Just Fontaine (D) plaisante avec l'ancien joueur du Benfica de Lisbonne, le Portugais Ferreira Eusebio, le 17 mars 2003 à Toulouse, à l'occasion de la treizième "table de Justo", repas où sont conviés les anciennes gloires du football mondial des quarante dernières années pour fêter le record mythique de treize buts marqués par Fontaine lors de la coupe du monde de 1958 en Suède. AFP PHOTO PASCAL PAVANI |
France and not host nation Portugal will win Euro 2004 according to Portuguese footballing legend Eusebio.
"France has fantastic players," he said.
"They play in the best teams in the strongest leagues in the world.
As for Portugal he said: "On their day they can beat anyone but they must take the lesson of the 2002 World Cup finals seriously," he added in reference to their first round exit in Asia.
Eusebio was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup with nine goals and European player of the year in 1965.
All bets are on
All bets are on when it comes to backing England's rivals for Euro 2004, or so it seems, with one supporter having wagered 33,000 euros (45,000 dollars) on his team losing to holders France on Sunday.
Should England indeed go down to defeat in Lisbon the anonymous punter would stand almost to double his stake.
The biggest sum staked to date among the betting-mad public is 75,000 euros which a florist has put on Spain winning the tournament.
Beckham snapped in his undies
Phil Neville has appealed to the media to respect the England players' privacy after two national newspaper published pictures of David Beckham in his underpants on the balcony of his room in the team hotel.
The highly revealing pictures were splashed across the front pages of two British tabloids on Thursday, despite appeals from the Football Association for them not to be published.
"I've not spoken to David about it really. But the way that football is going now with high profile players, it is something that you probably can't do anything about.
Premier League in force
There will be more players from the English Premier League in action at Euro than any other championship.
A total of 56 players from 17 clubs including eight each from Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United will be on view in Portugal representing various teams.
There are also players from less fashionable clubs such as Charlton and relegated Leicester chasing Euro glory.
But Bayern Munich, Benfica, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Juventus can all boast nine players on show down in Portugal.
Indonesians big-headed about Euro
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| Indonesian football lovers gather and dress themselves up with football hats in Jakarta, 10 June 2004. About two dozen young men with over-sized soccer balls on their heads took to a central Jakarta roundabout -- a popular location for political protests -- to show their love of football and support for Euro 2004. AFP PHOTO/Bay ISMOYO |
About two dozen young men with over-sized soccer balls on their heads took to a central Jakarta roundabout in Indonesia on Thursday to show their love of football.
"We are all football lovers," said Gusta, 25. The unemployed man was dressed as a referee, complete with whistle, while the others were divided into two "teams" dressed in green and yellow strips.
Most matches will be televised during the night here and Gusta said he was ready for some sleepless nights.
"I'm for Italy," he said, and several others voiced their approval.
Flags everywhere in England
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| British Prime Minister Tony Blair waves outside number 10 Downing street after signing the English flag to show his support to the English soccer team, in London 24 May 2004. The 50 foot flag will be taken across the country to give football fans the chance to sign the flag and demonstrate their support for England as the nation prepares for Euro 2004 in Portugal this summer.AFP PHOTO Nicolas ASFOURI. |
Sales of England flags are booming in the run-up to the Euro in Portugal, amid warnings that they pose a danger to life and limb on Britain's roads.
One supermarket says it has sold 38,000 mini England flags while a rival company has sold 75,000 giant flags and packs that include a car flag and bumper sticker.
But not everyone is convinced it's a good thing.
"Although a rare occurrence, flags that blow off at high speed can cause injury to other road users or an accident," said the Automobile Association, Britain's biggest motorists' group.