Off the pitch
Whispers and lies
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| Spain's striker Fernando Torres (top) jumps over Portugal's goalkeeper Ricardo (down) as Portugal's defender Ricardo Carvalho (R) looks on, 20 June 2004 at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, during their Euro 2004 group A football match at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Dimitar DILKOFF |
Spain striker Fernando Torres says Portugal players used a low ruse to make their Iberian rivals less anxious to equalise during their ultimate Group A tie Sunday, which would have seen Spain through and Portugal out of the quarter-finals.
He claims they told him Greece were losing 3-1 to Russia and that Spain were through anyway while in fact the score was 2-1 and as Portugal beat Torres' Spain, they waved adios to the tournament.
Collectors item
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| England's midfielder and captain David Beckham (L) talks with referee Russian Valentin Ivanov, 17 June 2004 at Coimbra stadium, during their Euro 2004 group B football match at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Mladen ANTONOV |
For each match at the Euro 20 of the new Roteiro footballs are issued with the date printed on them, making them sufficiently rare as to be valuable collector's items, 620 of them in all.
However, only the two teams that make the final will be offered a full set of 20 to keep for themselves.
Serena swoons over Rooney
England's Euro stars have found a new fan in the shape of Wimbledon champion Serena Williams.
After easily winning her opener on centre court Williams turned to her new passions - England and especially Wayne Rooney.
"It's weird, I've become an amazing English fan," she said. "I'm huge. I was like when England was down 1-0 (against Croatia) and they made the goal, I was like, 'Whoa'" I was so excited. I was screaming. Thinking, 'Why am I screaming so hard?"
"I don't think he's pudgy at all," she said of Rooney. He's only 18. That's a horribly mean thing to say. He's doing real good. Yeah, he's a real sweetie."
Near-crash for Russian fans plane
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A Russian airliner with 86 people aboard aborted take-off and skidded off the runway at Faro airport in southern Portugal on Tuesday.
No injuries were reported.
The plane was transporting fans of the Russian national team who had travelled to support their side which faced Greece on Sunday in a Euro 2004 match held in the Algarve.
It was not immediately clear why the pilot decided to abort the take-off.
Greek daily takes dig at France
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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. |
Greece's top-selling daily warned the French sports daily "L'Equipe" not to underestimate the Greek side ahead of Friday's quarter-final between the two countries.
"'L'Equipe' is arrogant," screamed Greek daily Ta Nea.
"The French must be inspired by Zinedine Zidane's desire to beat Switzerland to be sure they're going to play Greece in the quarter-finals on Friday," Ta Nea quoted 'L'Equipe' as saying.
"If they want us so much, they'll have us," Ta Nea wrote.
"We have nothing to lose. But if something goes wrong for them, they stand to lose much," the newspaper added
Phew we're through say French press
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| French midfielder and captain Zinedine Zidane (C) scores on a header in front of Swiss goalkeeper and captain Jorg Stiel (2ndL), 21 June 2004 at Coimbra's stadium, during their Euro 2004 group B football match at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Franck FIFE |
Relief was the dominant emotion in the French press on Tuesday after France's stuttering defence of their crown got back on the rails with qualification for the quarter-finals.
"What a relief," said sports daily L'Equipe after the 3-1 win over the Swiss.
"At least in their last two matches, against Croatia and Switzerland, the French players have failed to fill us with joy, far from it," said an editorial in the paper.
"It is still too early to draw any conclusions and we will have to talk about that on July 4, the day of the final," the paper added.
England fan stabbed to death
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| Football fans and supporters lay flowers and souvenirs to remember killed English fan at Rossio Square in Lisbon during the Euro 2004 22 June 2004. A 27-year-old England soccer fan died 22 June after being stabbed by an Ukrainian pickpocket in central Lisbon during celebrations for England's victory over Croatia in the Euro 2004 football championship. The killing in the early hours of the morning followed the group match in Lisbon in which England clinched a place in the quarter-finals of the championships with a 4-2 victory over Croatia. AFP PHOTO JOE KLAMAR |
A 27-year-old England soccer fan died Tuesday after being stabbed by a Ukrainian pickpocket in Lisbon after England beat Croatia at Euro 2004.
The attacker was originally identified as a Croatian fan but a police spokesman later said he was Ukrainian.
"It has nothing to do with the Euro, as far as we know it was a criminal act. (The attacker) is a suspected pickpocket," said a police official.
Police said the Briton had been stabbed in the heart and died of his injuries after being taken to hospital in the Portuguese capital.
The suspected attacker has been arrested.
British press hails wonderboy
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| England forward Wayne Rooney shoots and scores against Croatia, 21 June 2004 during their European Nations football championships match at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Croatia and England are competing in Group B with France and Switzerland. AFP PHOTO Francois Xavier MARIT |
An ecstatic British press hailed the heroics of wonderkid Wayne Rooney after his two goals assured England a 4-2 win over Croatia and a place in the quarter-finals.
"Watching Rooney bewitch Euro 2004 once again last night, it was difficult to leave this majestic stadium without anything but the sensation that world's second most important football tournament is witnessing one of the great stories in the making," said the Guardian.
"Rooney's emergence has surpassed even the most delirious expectations". The Times called Rooney a "teenage prodigy", "the international discovery of Euro 2004"
Sven wants marriage says girlfriend
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| England's Swedish coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, answers media questions, 14 June 2004, at a press conference at the England media centre in Lisbon after last night's defeat 1-2 by France in the Euro 2004 Football Nations championship. England is to play next Switzerland at Coimbra 17 June. AFP PHOTO Paul BARKER |
Nancy Dell'Olio, the long-term partner of England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, has said he has asked her to marry him but was still waiting on an answer, said a London paper.
Their relationship appeared to have been damaged two years ago following his relationship with television personality and fellow Swede Ulrika Jonsson.
When asked if Eriksson had proposed marriage she replied: "Of course. That's why I agreed to live with him in the beginning but it wasn't the right time then. I know the truth of what has happened in our relationship and that's why I can trust Sven again."
Croatia fans go berserk in Vienna
Four Austrian policeman were slightly injured when they clashed with a large crowd of rioting Croatia fans in Vienna following their team's 4-2 defeat to England which eliminated the side from Euro 2004. .
The unrest, involving some 500 Croatians, broke out in the western Ottakring neighbourhood of the city but initial reports said only two arrests had been made.