Live from Euro 2004
Lights, Camera, Action!
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| Portugal's Luis Figo controls the ball during the friendly soccer match against England at Faro Stadium, south Portugal, 18 February 2004. The match finished 1-1 and Figo played his 100th match with portuguese team. AFP PHOTO/ Miguel RIOPA |
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| General view of the Euro 2004 opening ceremony taken 12 June 2004 at Dragao stadium in Porto, before the beginning of the Euro 2004 group A first football match between Portugal and Greece at the European Nations Championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Francois Xavier MARIT |
Host nation Portugal got the Euro 2004 ball rolling on Saturday to bring the curtain up on the 31-match tournament with a tie against outsiders Greece following an opening ceremony under the theme "Portugal discovered the world.
With Euro 2004 the world will now discover Portugal.
The 16 strongest nations in European football are bidding for continental supremacy in a potentially fascinating event that pits reigning champions France against England in the first major clash of the event in Lisbon on Sunday.
Italy and Spain, who open their campaign against injury-blighted Russia on Saturday, will meanwhile seek to produce a performance in an international tournament that matches the success of their club sides.
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| France's midfielder and captain Zinedine Zidane jubilates after scoring a goal during the friendly football match against Ukraine, O6 June 2004 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, North of Paris, six days before the beginning of the European championships in Portugal. France won 1-0. AFP PHOTO FRANCK FIFE |
The Italians, beaten finalists in 2000, are many peoples favourites to win this time out but coach Giovanni Trapattoni on Friday likened his role as coach to that of a priest as he tries to keep his nervy 23-man squad happy.
Another squad often riven with internal division is the Netherlands, who also have the quality of players to win the title for the second time.
Usual suspects Germany have won the tournament a record three times and despite a current run of miserable form will surprise few pundits if they get it together when it counts.
Co-starring
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| Latvia's players hold up their coach Aleksandrs Starkovs after they qualified against Turkey 15 November 2003, at Inonu stadium in Istanbul. AFP PHOTO/Mustafa Ozer |
Bulgaria and Latvia are among the tournament's underdogs but both are optimistic they will finish in the top two qualifying spots in Groups C and D respectively.
Croatia, Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark will also be hoping to upset some of the European big guns for their moment of glory.
Whoever lifts the trophy on July 4, Portugal are already winners in one sense, having organised the biggest international event in the country's history.
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| View taken 04 December 2003 of the Estadio Da Luz in Lisbon. The stadium will host 65.000 football fans during three games of the first round of the Euro 2004, France/England 13 June, Russia/Portugal 16 June, Croatia/England 21 June, one 1/4 final 24 June and the final 04 July. The continental competition will be hosted by Portugal from 12 June to 05 July 2004. AFP PHOTO FRANCOIS-XAVIER MARIT |
Seven new stadiums have been built and three completely refurbished for the three-week finals at a cost of 650 million euros (790 million dollars).
And no stone has been left unturned to ensure security be it from the threat of international terrorism or the actions of drunken fans.
On the eve of the opener, 15 people, including five suspected of having links with a terrorist group, were arrested in Oporto.
The Portuguese authorities meanwhile were bracing for the arrival of England fans, who caused mayhem in Belgium during the last tournament.