Off the pitch
Der Bomber hits German strikers
Germany's all time great striker Gerd Mueller has launched a scathing attack on his country's current crop of forwards and their providers.
"In our day we were all dangerous. There were seven or eight of us who were better than today's strikers," said Muller, who won the 1974 World Cup with Germany.
"But I feel sorry for them too. The problem starts in midfield, there are too few balls played through to them," he added.
Portuguese willpower won says Camacho
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Former Spain and current Real Madrid coach Jose Antonio Camacho believes the desire showed by Portugal was the key factor in their 1-0 win that carried the hosts through to the knock-out stages.
"Portugal's victory owes itself in part to the way the Portuguese squad came on to the pitch: very strong, with a lot of willpower," he wrote in a column for sports daily O Jogo.
"They won the game and are justly qualified for the quarterfinals," he said of the match which saw Spain eliminated from the 16-nation tournament.
Paradise found
It looks to be Paradise Found for the Czech Republic, who are clearly enjoying life at their base of Sintra just outside Lisbon.
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| Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved jogs during a training session in Sintra 16 June 2004. The Czech Republic will play against The Netherlands 19 June in Aveiro. AFP PHOTO JOE KLAMAR |
Even if the Czechs reach the semi-finals, which would necessitate a trip to Porto they will stay in Sintra, a quaint town just northwest of Lisbon, and fly back after matches.
Sintra is famous for its queijadas almond pastries as well as the fairytale multicolour castle which overlooks it.
But its more temperate climate is what has attracted the Czechs who will doubtless by now appreciate why poet Lord Byron dubbed Sintra his "glorious Eden."
Croatian fans under spotlight
A report alleging Croatian supporters brandished racist and xenophobic banners at last week's clash with France are to be investigated by UEFA.
UEFA received a report from the pan-European Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network.
The report alleged Croat supporters wielded "two banners with extremist messages in the stands where Croatian fans were based," during the 2-2 draw.
There were no words on the banners, but offensive insignia.
"The decision in this case should be taken in the next few days," said a UEFA official.
Officials will be on alert at Monday's England v Croatia decider.
England fan 'victimised' by 'unfair trial'
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| Gary Mann, a 46-year-old fireman from Faversham in Kent, who was arrested in Albufeira, Portugal, for being a football hooligan and then deported, waits to speak at a press conference in London 21 June 2004 to state that he is innocent of the charges. AFP PHOTO / Martyn HAYHOW |
The British man sentenced in Portugal to two years' prison for allegedly rioting in a bar during the championships says he was the victim of an unfair trial.
Gary Mann, a 46-year-old firefighter, denied he was near the scene of the fighting in the Algarve town of Albufeira last week and alleged he was beaten by Portuguese police after being arrested.
"I was attacked by plain-clothed police officers on the way back to my hotel and beaten up by the police at the time and arrested.
A British judge freed Mann after he arrived back at the weekend with 11 other deported rioters.
Greek press hails 'miracle' feat
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| Greece's players celebrate, 20 June 2004 during their European Nations Championship football match at Faro stadium. Russia and Greece are competing in Group A with Spain and host Portugal. Russia won 2-1, Greece qualifies for the quarter finals. |
The Greek press erupted with joy Monday after the team's unprecedented qualification for the Euro quarter-finals.
"National holiday," read the front page headline of the Apoyevmatini daily. "June 20 will be engraved in our hearts as the proudest day in Greek football. Something like a national anniversary," the conservative daily wrote.
"A Greek miracle," daily Ethnos said on its front page. "Tear down the walls for the heroes to pass," the daily added.
"Whew, we're through," said daily Eleftherotypia. "Defeat had the taste of champagne... it was the sweetest defeat in the national team's history,".
Portuguese fans jam streets
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| Portugese fans cover a police car with national flags as they celebrate their team's victory over Spain at the Parco de Nacaoes in Lisbon 20 June 2004 during the 2004 European Nations championship. Nuno Gomes was the toast of all of Portugal 20 June after scoring the goal that sent the Euro 2004 hosts into the quarter-finals at the expense of neighbours Spain. The Benfica striker, introduced at half-time as a substitute for Pauleta, struck the decisive blow in the 57th minute with a powerful low shot from 20 yards to give Luiz Felipe Scolari's side a priceless 1-0 victory. AFP PHOTO JOE KLAMAR |
Thousands of chanting Portugal fans jammed central squares across the country on Sunday after the host nation reached the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over neighbours Spain.
Shortly after the final whistle, drivers began hooting car horns in Lisbon as their passengers waved the red and green national flag from car windows.
Fans opened bottles of champagne, chanted "Portugal! Portugal!" and danced in the middle of the streets as others banged pots and pans from apartment windows.
"This is marvellous, this is one of the best days of my life," said one fan.
'Cowardly' Spain says furious press
Spain's press turned on the nation's footballers on Monday accusing them of cowardice and mediocrity following their elimination at the hands of bitter rivals Portugal.
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| A Spanish supporter looks dejected, 20 June 2004 at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, at the end of his team's Euro 2004 group A football match against Portugal at the European Nations championships in Portugal. Portugal won 1 to 0. Spain is kicked out of the competition. AFP PHOTO Mladen ANTONOV |
"Another failure," Defeat as normal," and "Nightmare of the cowards," screamed the front pages.
"Spain have failed again and this time without an ounce of glory or even dignity," said the As sports daily.
"There is nothing good to take from this tournament. They didn't play well, they can't blame a difficult draw or the referee and there were no heroes," it added.
Advocaat gets one-way ticket
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| Czech Republic's forward Jan Koller (C), teammate midfielder Pavel Nedved (L) jubilate, 19 June 2004 at Aveiro's stadium, after winning (3-2) their Euro 2004 group D football match against Netherlands at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Joe KLAMAR |
Furious Dutch supporters have booked coach Dick Advocaat onto a one-way flight to Belgium after blaming him for the 3-2 Euro defeat to the Czech Republic. Organiser Johan de Laat said his fellow Dutchmen at a campsite in Espinho, northern Portugal, were happy to dig into their pockets in order to get Advocaat out of Portugal as fast as possible.
"It only took three minutes to collect the sum required," he said. "Send the tickets to Advocaat. He can leave on Tuesday from Faro at 12.35pm on Virgin Express flight TV 541.
His seat is reserved." The Dutch must beat Latvia on Wednesday and hope Germany only draw with the already-qualified Czech Republic if they are to go into the last eight.
Latvian press in bouyant mood
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| The Latvian team celebrate with coach Aleksandrs Starkovs (L), 19 June 2004 after their European Nations football championships match at Bessa stadium in Porto. Latvia and Germany are competing in Group D with the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. AFP PHOTO ADRIAN DENNIS |
Latvia's draw with three-time European champions Germany at the weekend amounted to a historic victory say Latvia's press
"A tie worthy of a victory," ran the headline of the country's leading daily Diena.
"It is another historic achievement... Latvian footballers provided the greatest sensation of the Euro 2004 .. 0-0 against Germany raised our team's reputation to unprecedented heights," Diena said.
The Neatkariga Rita Avize daily said in an editorial: "At last we can produce astonishing events."