Off the pitch
Portugal reviews security
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Portugal will review its security plan for the southern resort of Albufeira following two nights of violence involving English football fans.
Rather than putting more officers on the streets of the white-walled town, authorities were leaning towards making the officers already there more visible.
Portuguese police arrested 33 England fans in the resort town and charged them with public order offences.
It was the second night of football-related violence, after 14 people, including 12 England fans, were detained early on Tuesday for throwing bottles and chairs at police.
Irish man steals ambulance
An Irish man was to appear in court in southern Portugal on Wednesday after he stole an ambulance and briefly drove it while drunk.
Paramedics left their keys in the ignition of the ambulance while they attended a patient in a house in the coastal city of Portimao, south of Lisbon, said a police spokesman.
The man then made off with the ambulance but was stopped by police after having driven just 200 metres, he added. No one was hurt in the incident.
The man was found to have 2.8 grammes of alcohol per litre in his blood, far in excess of the national drink-drive limit of 0.5 grammes.
Blair slams fan violence
Violent English football fans at Euro 2004 have brought "shame" on the nation, Prime Minister Tony Blair said Wednesday, but UEFA said there was currently no question of England being kicked out of the tournament.
"It's just worth pointing out that those, whether here or indeed in Portugal, that have engaged in disorder, they are a tiny minority of people," Blair told British parliament.
"I don't believe they are true English football fans at all," Blair said. "They bring shame upon our country and shame upon the vast majority of decent English football fans who simply want to enjoy the games."
Croats visit shrine
Croatia will not be seeking divine inspiration in a visit to a Roman Catholic shrine ahead of their game with France, their coach said Wednesday.
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| Croatian national soccer team pose for the photograph before their official training in Zagreb, 01 June 2004. Croatia will play at European Football Championship in Portugal this month in group including Switzerland, England and France. From L-R, first row down: Robert Kovac, Giovanni Rosso, Boris Zivkovic Otto Baric (coach), Dario Simic, Darijo Srna and Niko Kovac. Middle row: Drazen Ladic (goalkeeper coach), Nenad Bjelica, Ivica Olic, Tomislav Butina, Stipe Pletikosa, Joey Didulica, Milan Rapaic, Mario Tokic and Zoran Vulic (coach deputy). Upper row: Vatroslav Mihacic (coach deputy), Ivan Klasnic, Tomislav Sokota, Stjepan Tomas, Josip Simunic, Mato Neretljak, Jerko Leko, Dado Prso and Igor Tudor. AFP PHOTO HRVOJE POLAN |
"Our players do not believe in miracles, they believe in themselves," said coach Otto Baric said.
Baric added some players will instead seek to have relics which they brought with them to Portugal blessed at the shrine of Fatima.
The Fatima shrine draws millions of visitors each year. Many Catholics believe it marks the spot where the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in 1917.
Invisible referee
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| French referee Gilles Veissiere (R) gestures to Latvian forward Andrejs Prohorenkovs, 15 June 2004 during their opening match of the European Nations football championships at Aveiro's municipal stadium. Czech and Latvia are competing in Group D with Germany and Netherlands. |
French referee Gilles Veissiere became the first not to issue any cards during the Czech Republic's 2-1 win over Latvia.
Portuguese sports daily O Jogo was so impressed, it said it was almost as if Vessiere wasn't in the Aveiro stadium for the match.
"That's the best compliment we could give him," it said.
Eye catching
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| Supporters enjoy the sun, 15 June 2004 prior to the opening match between the Czech Republic and Latvia at the European Nations football championships at Aveiro's municipal stadium. The Czech Republic and Latvia are competing in Group D with Germany and the Netherlands. |
Designers of the new Aveiro municipal stadium have used seating to deceive the eye. Multi-coloured seats give the impression that the 30,000-capacity stadium is full with shirt-wearing fans, as was the case with the game between the Czech Republic and Latvia when only 21,744 spectators turned up. The stadium only hosts two games in the tournament.
Portugese MPs take on Russian counterparts
Beer sales boom
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| An English fan blends into a group of Swedish supporters in central Lisbon early 12 June 2004 ahead of the 2004 European Nations Championship. Host nation Portugal take to the field here Saturday to bring the curtain up on the 31-match European championships when they face rank outsiders Greece. |
Portuguese breweries are reporting beer sales have shot up by over 50 percent during the soccer tournament so far, and they know why.
"It has been proved that a third of all men are far more likely to drink a beer while watching a top match than at any other time," the brewer in partnership with the Portuguese Euro organisers said.
Price war on soccer shirts
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| Netherlands' defender Wilfred Bouma (R) vies with Germany's defender Arne Friedrich and teammate defender Christian Worns (L), 15 June 2004 at Dragao stadium in Porto, during their Euro 2004 group D football match at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Francois GUILLOT |
Germany's discount supermarkets are waging a new price war during the European football championships, offering official soccer jerseys of the German national team at up to 80 percent below the retail price, the weekly Focus Money reported Wednesday.
The cut-price supermarket chain Norma is offering the German UEFA shirt at just 12.99 euros (15.70 dollars) while the country's biggest discounter Aldi is offering a children's kit, comprising shirt, shorts and pads for just 7.99 euros.
The kits usually retail at around 48 euros in specialist sports shops.
Polished fans
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| Portuguese fans cheer their national team during the Portugal vs Lithuania friendly football game 05 June 2004 in Setubal, South of Lisbon. Portugal will play Greece next 12 June in the opening match of the Euro 2004. AFP PHOTO FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT |
The latest craze with Portugal fans is to varnish their nails claret, green and gold, the teams colours. The fashion follows another Portuguese innovation, that of the bandada, worn either in pirate style or tied at the neck and also featuring the national colours.
The nail craze has sparked a cottage industry akin to the face painters to be found outside stadiums only now a fan can have false nails glued on for around 25 euros a throw.
Prisoners get TVs to stop riot
Officers at a British prison avoided a planned riot by giving inmates televisions to watch the Euro 2004 football match between England and France last Sunday.
Prisoners at Dartmoor in southwest England were planning to wreck the remote prison because they were unable to watch the match. But prison bosses swiftly chased up an outstanding order for TV sets before rounding up the ringleaders and placing them in a separate unit - where televisions and radios are banned.
"In no way did the prison bow to any sort of blackmail," a senior Dartmoor official said.