Off the pitch
Maniche: Portugal's 'Great Dane'
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| Portugal's midfielder Maniche (C) celebrates with his teammate forward Sabrosa Simao (L) as Russian midfielder Andrei Karyaka (R) reacts after scoring a goal against Russia, 16 June 2004 during their match at the European Nations football championships at the Da Luz Stadium in Lisbon. Portugal and Russia are competing in Group A with Spain and Greece. AFP PHOTO ADRIAN DENNIS |
Even if their paths do not end up crossing at Euro 2004, Portugal can thank Denmark for part of their success story in the form of Maniche.
The Luso-Danish connection regarding the 26-year-old Porto midfielder, full name Nuno Ricardo Oliveira Riberio, goes back to 1983.
It was then that Danish journeyman Michael Manniche joined Benfica, with whom he went on to win two Portuguese league titles and after whom Maniche takes his nickmame.
Friends of Maniche joke that he and Manniche look similar, but the Dane says of his quasi-namesake: "He is not as tall as me, nor as much of a specialist in the air as I was.
Football fever hits Wimbledon
With Euro 2004 captivating, the tennis players at Wimbledon can't escape, feeling the pride and pain as they follow their respective teams.
Even Americans Serena Willams and Andy Roddick who adopted David Beckham's men felt the pain.
"Obviously, I don't want Portugal to win. I was really disappointed." said Williams.
Roddick admitted to "jumping up and down" and "going crazy" during the nail-biting match.
"I think it's unreal how almost a whole country can stop and just really support their team," he said.
"I don't know if I've seen something like that in the States before.
I'll walk to shrine if we win says Ricardo
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| Portugal's goalkeeper Ricardo (Top) celebrates awith his teammate defender Jorge Andrade after scoring the winning penalty, 24 June 2004 during their European Nations Championship quarter-final football match between Portugal and England at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. AFP PHOTO Lluis GENE |
Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo will get down on his hands and knees big time if his countrymen go all the way to glory at Euro 2004.
He is prepared to walk to the Our Lady of Fatima shrine in central Portugal, some 120 kilometres (75 miles) from Lisbon.
"If we are crowned champions, I will walk to Fatima," said the Sporting Lisbon shot-stopper, who has become a national hero in Portugal for his exploits against David Beckham and company.
"Faith moves mountains, now we must get past another obstacle, the Dutch or Sweden, who will be just as difficult or even more difficult than England," he added.
Mourinho prefers Vitor Baia in goal
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| Portuguese goalkeeper Vitor Baia plays with the ball during a training session, 26 June 2000 at Ermelo stadium. Portugal will face France in the Euro 2000 semi-final 28 June 2000 in Brussels. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) |
Chelsea's new Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho says that while goalkeeper Ricardo performed heroics in Portugal's quarter-final win over England he would still put ousted shot-stopped Vitor Baia between the posts.
Baia, who helped lead FC Porto to Champions League glory under Mourinho, controversially failed to make the Portuguese squad under coach Felipe Luiz Scolari.
"I will continue to defend ... the superior quality of Vitor Baia and it is not just a stopped penalty and one converted which will make me think that Ricardo is a more coherent option," said Mourinho.
Figo's popularity slips with gays
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| Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo (R) fights for the ball with England captain David Beckham, 24 June 2004 during their European Nations Championship quarter-final football match between Portugal and England at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. AFP PHOTO Lluis GENE |
Luis Figo's loss of form seems to have affected his popularity with the Portuguese homosexual community as he has tumbled from number one in their poll according to figures on the website portugalgay.pt.
The 31-year-old, married to a Swedish model, has seen his goldenboy image stolen by the angelic looking 19-year-old winger Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo topped the poll with 14 percent of the votes, a percentage point ahead of Nuno Gomes, while rugged striker Pauleta was third with 12 percent.
Figo trailed in in fifth place with just nine percent.
Bad news for parents
Made to measure football boots were until Euro 2004 reserved for the very elite. But out in Lisbon one German sportswear giant will provide you with just such a product in as little as half-an-hour. With choice of form and colour and of course the correct size for each foot.
However, while not quite elitist, the price is certainly prohibative at 210 euros the pair.
French stars escape bid
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| French captain Zinedine Zidane loosens his shirt, 25 June 2004 during their European Championship quarter-final football match between France and Greece at the Estadio Jose de Alvalade in Lisbon. AFP PHOTO ARIS MESSINI |
While France were due to quit Portugal and return to Paris from Porto Saturday evening, it appears two of the defending champions beaten 1-0 by Greece felt an even earlier getwaway was in order.
France road manager Henri Emile confirmed that both Zinedine Zidane and David Trezeguet had been trying from early Saturday morning to charter a special flight to Marseille, so as to sooner join their families, he explained.
French press reels in agony
With headlines including "Greek Tragedy," "Pitiful exit" or simply "The End", the French press savaged their soccer team Saturday after France conceded their European crown with a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to dark horses Greece.
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| French defender Marcel Desailly arrives to hold a press conference 24 June 2004 at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon during the European Nations Championships in Portugal. France will play its Euro 2004 quarter-final match against Greece 26 June in Lisbon. AFP PHOTO FRANCK FIFE |
The Blues displayed "no desire, no ideas, no enthusiasm, no collective talent. Perhaps it's time to wipe the slate clean," said L'Equipe sports daily.
The Parisien pondered the retirement of some of the heroes of 1998 and 2000, notably captain Marcel Desailly, Bixente Lizarazu and Lilian Thuram.
"The end for a whole generation," it said.
France finished says German press
When France were both European and World Champions some wags suggested they were the "New Germany", whose press declared the Gauls' domination of the beautiful game over on Saturday.
"Greece destroyed the myth of a magical French team," said The Berliner Zeitung after Greece had beaten them 1-0 in the quarter-final, a win masterminded by Greece's German coach Otto Rehhagel.
"Rehhagel's Greeks knocked the French off their pedestal," said the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, who said France's performance was about "as exciting as still water."
United swoop for Rooney
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| England's Wayne Rooney (C) jogs with teammates, 23 June 2004, during a team training at the Estadio de Luz in Lisbon, aday prior England's quarter final match against Portugal at the Euro 2004. England players made a formal request today to wear black armbands for their forthcoming quarter final clash against Portugal in remembrance of Stephen Smith who died Tuesday after being stabbed by a Ukrainian pickpocket in central Lisbon. |
Manchester United are set to bid 33 million euros for England and Everton teenage sensation Wayne Rooney, British newspapers said Saturday.
Rooney, 18, is said to favour a move to United rather than big-spenders Chelsea, The Sun and Daily Mail tabloids said.
The striker who netted four times for Engaln at the Euro will be offered 90,000 pounds per week to make the switch to Old Trafford where he would team up with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha.