Off the pitch
Kiwi skipper backs England
New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming is backing England to win Euro 2004 despite suffering a 3-0 Test match whitewash against the same country here on Sunday.
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| England captain David Beckham leads the team in the first training session at the Estadio Nacional after their arrival in Portugal for the Euro 2004 Football Tournamnent. 08 June 2004 near Lisbon. AFP Photo Paul Barker |
"I quite enjoy watching the England players, it would be nice to see them do it," said the Black Caps skipper after his side lost the third and final Test by four wickets.
"We're looking forward to it, the guys enjoy it. At home it's all rugby, rugby, rugby, so it's nice to get into the football mentality, which if England go well would be very, very strong, I'm sure.
Ticket touts nabbed
Several Portuguese and British ticket touts have been arrested for hawking Euro 2004 match tickets at elevated prices in Porto and Faro but security surrounding matches is going smoothly according to local police.
"Other than the ticket touting there have been very few incidents," Police spokesman Alexandre Coimbra told AFP.
One unhappy couple had their tickets snatched, but with a tight security system at the Portugal-Greece tie in Porto on Saturday they were able to watch the match after Police identified the two spectators sat in their places.
All quiet from English fans
Thousands of English football fans were for the most part on their best behaviour in Lisbon on Sunday as their team prepared to take on mighty France in a Euro showdown.
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| Peter, an english supporter, refreshes his head in Pedro IV square, central Lisbon; 12 June 2004 during the 2004 European Nations Championship. England will face France in their first Euro 2004 match 13 June 2004 at Lisbon's Luz stadium. AFP PHOTO/ Vincenzo PINTO |
Only isolated incidents were reported with the city police describing them as "minor" and with the situation being perfectly normal.
England fans are expected to largely outnumber their French counterparts inside the 65,000 capacity stadium, many flying in during the morning on charter flights.
In overnight reports, police said that one English fan had been arrested after fighting with two French nationals.
Asia's twin passions fuse
Two Asian obsessions, football and gambling, are merging this month as fans lay down billions of dollars in bets during Euro 2004.
Football-mad Thais are expected to wager some 800 million dollars on the European championships, which, like hundreds of millions of Asians, they can watch live on television. Wagers are expected to hit astronomical figures as well in Singapore, the nation of 4.2 million people which laid down an estimated 294 million dollars -- 70 dollars for every man, woman and child -- in legal bets throughout World Cup 2002.
Football fever sweeps Iraq
Thousands of British soldiers serving in Iraq got ready Sunday to tune in to England's football clash with Euro favourites France.
Daily bomb blasts in Iraq have failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the British soldiers, who put up TV screens especially for the game.
"Everyone is very excited. It is the only chat in all social areas. "Special arrangements" had been made to watch the game," said Captain Donald Francis.
There was a lot of excitement among the other members of the multinational troops in Iraq, especially the Italian, Dutch and Danish contingents.
"It is just a shame that the French are missing," said another soldier.
UEFA chief praises England
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| UEFA Swedish President Lennart Johansson answers to journalists questions during a press conference at the Dragao stadium in Porto, 11 June 2004, a day before the opening ceremony of the European Nations Championship. Host Portugal will play vs Greece for the opening game of the Euro 2004 12 June. |
UEFA chief Lennart Johansson has praised the efforts of the English Football Association (FA) to curb unruly fans and denied that the team would be thrown out of the Euro 2004 finals if there was violence.
"We shouldn't blame the FA or the team for the hooligans.
"We are happy with the preventative steps the FA has taken - to me they seem to have things under control."
Johansson added: "I hope that people accept that I'm the spokesman of UEFA. I think other people got it wrong."
Up to 30,000 England supporters were expected to be in Lisbon for the match against France on Sunday.
Players keep cool
Each player has his own methods of keeping relaxed amid the pressure cooker atmosphere of Euro 2004 which kicked off on Saturday.
Some of the Danish players have taken to the links for a relaxing round of golf, while the Swedes prefer a dip in the sea.
Italian defender Christian Panucci has another recipe. The AS Roma right back orders himself a glass of "rosso" (red wine) and relaxes at the Casa Italia.
"We'll see at the end who has the right idea," he quipped.
Italy are in action against Denmark on Monday while Sweden take on Bulgaria in Group C openers.
England fans tear gas attack
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| English football fans sing their team's anthem at Rossio square, 11 June 2004 in the heart of Lisbon a day before the start of the European Nations championship in Portugal. Host Portugal will play the opening game of the Euro 2004 vs Greece 12 June. England will play France 13 June. |
Police detained four England fans in Lisbon Sunday after tear gas was thrown into a bus carrying members of a marching band.
Witnesses said a group of English fans threw a gas canister inside the bus which was taking home teenagers who had taken part in a parade in honour of the city's patron saint.
Riot police wearing helmets and carrying shields moved in to Lisbon's main square after members of the band got off the bus and scuffled with a small group of English fans.
Greek heroes hit headlines
"Miracle Win," "Historic Win, "Fantastic Win," there were no doubts over who the heroes were in Greece on Sunday.
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| Young Greeks celebrate and wave national flags in the centre of Athens 12 June 2004. The Greek national soccer team defeated Portugal 2-1 in the opening game of the European cup 2004. AFP PHOTO / FAYEZ NURELDINE |
The national side's upset 2-1 win over hosts Portugal in the Euro opener hit the headlines in celebratory fashion.
"A Miracle Win for Greece!," exhalted To Vima newspaper. "The Greek team upset all the predictions at Euro 2004."
"Greece's greatest-ever triumph, by an all-conquering national team under king (Otto) Rehhagel, Sportime wrote, singing the praises of the side's German-born coach.
"Europe was left open-mouthed, and in Greece people came out onto the streets to celebrate," said Goal.
Seven men deported
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| Portuguese policemen search and register journalists before a press conference of the Spanish football team at Da Falperra Hotel, near Porto, where Spain prepares for the Euro 2004 nations championships, 07 June 2004. AFP PHOTO/ Javier SORIANO. |
A Portuguese judge has ordered the deportation of seven men detained by police in a raid in Oporto ahead of Euro 2004.
The men, five Moroccans, a Tunisian and an Egyptian, were deemed to be in Portugal illegally
The men were part of a group of 15, all of Arab origin, who were detained at a budget hotel in the northern city on Friday after Dutch authorities warned Lisbon that a member of a radical Islamic group may be in Portugal.
The court found no evidence that the seven men had any link to an extremist group.
The other eight men were released earlier on Saturday without appearing in court.