Go to www.euro2004.com for a final look at the tournament 08/07/04 The brewery Central de Cervejas announced Wednesday that they sold 25
million litres of beer during Euro 2004. The brand Sagres took up 87% of that figure. 06/07/04 There were, understandably, wild scenes on the streets of Greek cities
Sunday. On Monday, the players and coaches received special honours in front of tens of thousands of people at Panathinaikos' stadium in Athens. A man in England
had enough faith to bet from the outset on Greece to be winners. He won 495,000 euros from the betting chain Ladbrokes. Four Portuguese players
found their way into UEFA's 'Squad of the Tournament'. They were Ricardo Carvalho, Figo, Maniche and Cristiano Ronaldo. Greece's captain Zagorakis was named Player of the Tournament.
The whole 'squad': Goalkeepers: Petr Cech (Czech), Antonios Nikopolidis (Gre)
Defenders: Sol Campbell (Eng), Ashley Cole (Eng), Traianos Dellas
(Gre), Olof Mellberg (Swe), Ricardo Carvalho (Por), Georgios Seitaridis (Gre), Gianluca Zambrotta (Ita)
Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Ger), Luis Figo (Por), Frank Lampard (Eng), Maniche (Por), Pavel
Nedved (Czech), Theodoros Zagorakis (Gre), Zinédine Zidane (Fra)
Forwards:
Milan Baros (Czech), Angelos Charisteas (Gre), Henrik Larsson (Swe), Cristiano Ronaldo (Por), Wayne Rooney (Eng), Jon Dahl Tomasson (Den), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Holl) 05/07/04
Portugal saw their dream of winning the European Championship as hosts snuffed out Sunday by a well-organised Greek
side that knew how to negate Portugal's weapons. Portugal had most possession and most shots on target, but it was Greece who got a goal through Charisteas on 56 minutes. The teams lined up:
Portugal:
Ricardo, Miguel (Paulo Ferreira, 42 m), Jorge Andrade, Ricardo Carvalho, Nuno Valente, Costinha (Rui Costa, 59 m), Maniche, Deco, Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pauleta (Nuno Gomes, 72 m).
Grécia:
Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Dellas, Kapsis, Fyssas, Basinas, Katsouranis, Zagorakis, Giannakopoulos (Venetidis, 75 m), Vryzas (Papadopoulos, 80 m), Charisteas. 04/07/04 There were disturbances
among Greek fans in Lisbon Saturday as the Greek football authorities tried to distribute the 3,000 tickets
they had available for the Final on Sunday. Demand far outweighed supply, and the fans that had flown in from Greece especially for the Final complained that they had been promised a ticket before they left. Two Greek fans were arrested.
Portugal coach Felipe Scolari announced Saturday that Pauleta will keep his place as striker in the Final. The team should therefore be unchanged from the semi-final win against Holland: Ricardo, Miguel,
Jorge Andrade, Ricardo Carvalho, Nuno Valente, Costinha, Maniche, Deco, Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pauleta. Greek coach Otto Rehhagel
said that Portugal are favourites for the Final, but that "the [Greek] players are representing their country very well and tomorrow are going to do the best they can in a game in which we have nothing to lose."
03/07/04 UEFA chief Lennart Johansson praised Portugal's orgnanisation of the Euro 2004 tournament Friday: "UEFA
is proud that it chose Portugal to organise Euro 2004. It is without a doubt the best European Championship ever. A small country like Portugal has proved that it is capable of organising this great
competition."Portugal trained Friday with Jorge Andrade included. The central defender, who 'scored' the own goal against Holland, had been absent from training on Thursday. The Dutch striker Ruud
Van Nistelrooy has been banned for two matches following allegations of bias that he made against referee Anders Fisk after the Portugal v Holland game Thursday. Twelve thousand
watched the Portugal v Holland game in the so-called 'Fan Park' at the former Expo '98 site. The Portugal v Holland semi-final had the most viewers ever on Portuguese television: 3.8 million The official
best team and best player of the tournament will be announced on the Monday following the Final of the tournament, UEFA announced Thursday. 02/06/04 Portugal
will face Greece in the final of Euro 2004. Greece played their solid defensive game against the favourites Czech Republic, and it was the Czechs that had most of the play and chances. But it was Greece
that got the all-important goal, one minute from half-time of extra-time, defender Dellas
heading in a corner at the near post. The 'silver goal' rule then kicked in, meaning that there was no need to pay the second half of extra-time; Greece were through to the final. Neither Greece nor Portugal have
been in the final of a major competition before, and so the European Championship will have a new holder this time around. 01/06/04 Portugal
reached the final of a major football competition for the first time in their history Wednesday with a 2-1 win over Holland
at the Alvalade stadium in Lisbon. Portugal had most of the first half play and went ahead on 26 minutes with a close range header by an unmarked Cristiano Ronaldo from a corner by Deco. On 57 minutes, Maniche
curled a shot past Van der Saar from way out on the left. But five minutes later, Jorge Andrade
looped an own goal over Ricardo to give Portugal the jitters. As Holland came back into it, Portugal threw everything into defence and held on for a famous victory. The teams lined up:
Portugal:
Ricardo, Miguel, Ricardo Carvalho, Jorge Andrade, Nuno Valente, Costinha, Maniche (Fernando Couto, 86 m), Figo, Deco, Cristiano Ronaldo (Petit, 66 m), Pauleta (Nuno Gomes, 74 m).
Holland:
Van der Saar, Reiziger, Stam, Bouma (Van der Vaart, 55 m), Van Bronckhorst, Davids, Cocu, Seedorf, Overmars (Makaay, 45 m), Van Nistelrooy, Robben (Van Hooijdonk, 80 m). Portugal have been
losing semi-finalists in three major tournaments: against England in the 1966 World Cup, against France in the 1984 European Championship, and against France again in Euro 2000. The major towns and cities
of Portugal were once again clogged up with jubilant supporters after the game.Lisbon, from the the Marquês de Pombal junction at the top of the city down the Avenida da Liberdade and into
Restauradores and Rossio in the centre, supporters crammed the streets and pavements, with traffic cut off. Reactions: Felipe Scolari, Portugal coach: "This was the game we needed to win to go down
in history. The players played above themsleves and are to be congratulated. In fact, the whole of Portugal is to be congratulated." Luís Figo, captain, elected Man of the Match: "Nothing can compare with a
final of a European Championship. I'd trade all the titles I've won for this one. Not just for me, but for the fans, who have been fantastic. These victories are the fruit of teamwork ... I have no preference for
opponents in the final. If we want to be the best, we have to beat the best." Cristiano Ronaldo, scorer of Portugal's first goal: "It's a great feeling to score a goal in a semi-final. The opponent was very
tricky, but I think that Portugal deserved to win ... I'm very happy to know that the coach has renewed his contract." Maniche, scorer of Portugal's second goal: "It would be good if it was voted the best goal
of the tournament, but Portugal's going to the final is the most important thing ... It was the best goal of my career, for the importance it had ...
Two things passed through my mind - shoot at goal or cross?. It's just as well I shot at goal."Jorge Andrade, 'scorer' of Holland's goal: "My unlucky goal gave them new life, but we were really
concentrating and beat a great team ... It was our lucky day and we're finally in the final. We always managed to neutralise Holland's attack and we deserved to win." Costinha, midfielder: "We're at
a very important stage of our careers and in an extremely difficult competition that we have always believed we could win, even after the defeat to Greece. We've had fantastic team spirit, and now we have 90 minutes to
achieve something that's never been achieved [by a Portuguese team] before. We want to offer that game to the nation because the support has been fantastic." Dick Advocaat
(Holland coach): "The better team won this evening." Jorge Sampaio
(Portuguese President): "After this game, we're all to be congratulated ... Maybe we've been needing something to motivate us after months and years that have not been that happy ... It's important to see that we're able to get involved with something - now it's to be seen whether we can do the same for things that are decisive for our future."
Durão Barroso (Portuguese Prime Minister .. for now): "The sky's the limit. The Portuguese fate is to suffer to the end. But we deserve to triumph." Referential sports daily A Bola
called the victory "sublime": 30/06/04 Sixteen thousand Portuguese fans are expected at Alvalade for Wednesday's semi-final between Portugal and Holland. There will be 8,500 Dutch fans
and the same number of 'neutrals'. The semi-final between Portugal and Holland (Wednesday at Alvalade) is a sell-out, while the one between Greece and the Czech Republic (Thursday at the
Estádio do Dragão) still has tickets available. Workers of Carris, the company responsible for overground public transport within Lisbon (buses and trams), are on strike Wednesday, although minimum
services will be operating on many routes. The Lisbon metro (underground) was also to go on strike, but as this is the main means to get to games in the city, the
Governemnt requisitioned the workers and equipment so that it could be running normally. Portuguese players are at the top of several of UEFA's statistical charts. Deco is
the player who has suffered (22) and committed (19) most fouls. Portugal has the top three of players who have lost the ball most: Deco (47), Figo (46), Cristiano
Ronaldo (46). Figo is the top corner-taker with 20, followed by Deco (17). Maniche is the champion of short passes attempted (223) and made (205)
The Sociedade Euro 2004, the company responsible for organising the tournament locally, presented a cheque for 100,000 euros Tuesday to Fenacerci, a Portuguese institution for the underprivileged. 29/06/04 Frank de Boer will miss Holland's semi-final with Portugal due to a knee injury picked up in the quarter-final against Sweden. For Portugal, Nuno Gomes and
Jorge Andrade are still undergoing treatment and are doing only light training following knocks picked up in the quarter-final against England. The Portuguese Football Federation
has announced that there will be no tickets for the Portugal v Holland semi-final (at Sporting's Alvalade Stadium) on sale - at least through official channels. UEFA
has criticised the British press for making referee Urs Meier the scapegoat for Portugal's quarter-final defeat of England. It was especially critical of the fact
that his car, house and family had been photographed. 28/06/04 The Czech Republic became the fourth semi-finalist of Euro 2004 Sunday with an ultimately comfortable 3-0
win over Demark. Man of the match was undoubtedly Milan Baros who scored two goals in two minutes after Koller had put the Czechs in the lead on 49. The Czech Republic play Greece
on Thursday at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto. The Czech Republic v Denmark game marked the passing of the one million mark for spectators so far in the tournament. 27/06/04
Portugal will play Holland in the semi-finals of Euro 2004. The Dutch beat Sweden Saturday, but they had to do it via penalties (5-4), the game finishing 0-0
after extra time. Ibrahimovic and Cocu both missed to send it into sudden death. Sweden's Mellberg took the first but Van der Saar saved it. Robben got the next to send Holland through. Dutch coach Dick Advocaat
said that the two extra days' rest that Portugal will have had before the semi-final will be important, but that "the pressure's on Portugal." Portugal
returned to training Saturday following their epic win over England. Jorge Andrade and Nuno Gomes are carrying knocks and did specific treatment and training. Portugal coach
Felipe Scolari was quick to muffle the euphoria that is spreading the country following the win over England and consequent passage to the
semi-finals: "Don't think that we've already won. I see, feel, participate in and like what's happening, but let's calm down - we can't think that we're the best. We're
among the four finalists, but in the next game we have to prove that we deserve to be in the final ... The victory brought more personality and confidence ... we have a dream
, but to make that dream come true, we have to keep our feet on the ground." Portugal have been fined 1800 euros for having too many members of the
coaching staff in the bench area during the Portugal v Spain match. They have also been fined for the Nike logo on their training kit, used during the warm-up before games, being too big. 26/06/04
France were the latest of the 'big guns' to crash out of Euro 2004 Friday, going down 0-1 to a very well organised Greek side. The Greek defence and midfield
rarely let France get into their flow, and Zidane and Henry were reduced to non-entities on the night. Charisteas headed the only goal on 64 minutes, but even
that could not wake France up. Greece now go on to the semi-finals to meet either the Czech Republic or Denmark. 25/06/04 In an electrifying game at the appropriately named
Estádio da Luz, Portugal suffered but came through with an immense show of determination to beat a dogged England on penalties.
England were one-up very early on, Costinha misheading a ball into the path of Owen who cut between Ricardo Carvalho and Jorge Andrade, turned and clipped
a neat shot over Ricardo. England then sat back and for most of the rest of the game, it was Portugal who did all the running, helped, it must be said, by an injury
to Rooney that saw him hobbling off with a broken foot. England were well organised at the back, and Ashley Cole especially had Cristiano Ronaldo in his pocket.
But as against France in the first game, the retreat proved England's undoing, and seven minutes from time, one sub, Simão, crossed for another, Postiga, to head in
from close range. In the dying minutes, England thought they'd sealed it when Sol Campbell headed in, but the referee disallowed it for a foul by Terry on the 'keeper Ricardo. And so it went to extra-time.
Five minutes into the second half of extra-time, the third sub, Rui Costa, strode forward confidently with the ball from the halfway line and cracked a superb drive
past James from the edge of the box. It looked all over, but England are nothing if not resilient, and five minutes later were on level terms again, Lampard bundling
the ball over the line from a corner, with some blame for the Portuguese defence. And so it went to penalties. David Beckham made a hash of the very fist one, skying it and looking daggers at
the spot on the loose turf where his supporting foot had slipped. Rui Costa also skied one later and it was 4-4, so it went to sudden death. Portugal's first in this phase was a cheeky chip from Hélder Postiga
that fooled James. Up next was Darius Vassel, and his kick was turned around the post by a gloveless Ricardo. Portugal needed to score the next one to win the game. Keeper Ricardo stepped
up and planted a perfect one past his counterpart. Portugal were through. The teams lined up: Portugal: Ricardo, Miguel (Rui Costa, 78), Ricardo Carvalho, Jorge Andrade, Nuno Valente, Costinha (Simão, 63), Maniche, Deco, Figo (Hélder Postiga, 75),
Cristiano Ronaldo, Nuno Gomes.
England: David James, Gary Neville, Sol Campbell, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard (Owen Hargreaves, 81), Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Paul
Scholes (Phil Neville, 57), Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney (Darius Vassell, 27). The Portuguese once again went to the streets to celebrate the victory, and the Baixa
(City Centre) of Lisbon was closed to traffic to accommodate the thousands of fans thatb flocked there after the game. Reactions: Ricardo
(Portugal's ´keeper who saved and scored a penalty in the shoot-out): "It
was great to score that goal ... I told Mister Scolari that I was up for taking a penalty, and he told me that after the first five, I could ... I had to save a shot from
Owen, and just as well, because that would have made it 0-2 ... We were left feeling that we'd started the game one-down [because of the early goal], but with great ability and humility, we did it!Felipe Scolari
(Portugal Coach): "It was a fantastic match, well played, with goals, excitement, everything we like to see in football. It was very even, we won,
but we could also have lost ... Congratulations to the Portuguese fans who, if they were in a minority in the stadium, you wouldn't have noticed. I'm happy because
we've come up with part of all we promised the Portuguese. Now we're dreaming of much more. We've evolved and we've reached where we wanted to be. Now
we have to work to get to the final ... I don't want to choose an opponent for the semi-finals - any one will do ... Ricardo is one of Sporting's penalty-takers. I've
yet to see him miss. I gave him the chance after he made a great save. If there are penalties again, he'll still be sixth or seventh ... I don't know if Figo went to the
changing-room or not [after he was substituted], if he was behind us or not. I'm paid to watch the game. I didn't notice anything. I can say, however, that I heard
that Figo was in the changing-room with a picture of the Virgin Mary in his hand, watching the penalties." Cristiano Ronaldo: "It's not every day you get to the semis of a European
Championship, and so we're naturally very happy ... We were always the better team on the pitch - We were on top of them, going for goal ... In the penalties, God
was with us ... Now anything can happen ... We know it's going to be difficult, but we also know that after these two victories [v England and Spain], it's going to be difficult for any opponent to stop us."
Erikkson (England Coach): "I always thought we'd reach the semis or the final ... I apologise to the fans and the team for not getting there, but we have to accept
that we were knocked out and that tomorrow we'll have to return to London ... It was a very difficult game, as was expected ... Unfortunately, we missed penalties
and they didn't ... but life doesn't finish here. We have to look to the future and think about qualification for the World Cup ... Yes, I'm going to continue as coach." Durão Barroso
(Portuguese Prime Minister): "The sky's the limit ... From now on, each game is a final and I will wear this tie. It gave me luck in the game against Spain, and I'll never take it off again for games."
24/06/04 Germany failed to qualify for the quarter-finals Wednesday when they went down 1-2 to the already-qualified Czech Republic, saving some of their best players,
including Nedved, for the upcoming match against Denmark. Germany went in front on 20 minutes with a vicious volley by Ballack from the edge of the box, but Heinz
equalised ten minutes later from a free-kick. Then fifteen minutes from the end, Baros, on as sub, bundled the ball home after a half-save from Kahn to put Germany out. The German coach Rudi Völler
handed in his resignation after the game. The other team to qualify for the next phase were Holland who comfortably saw off Latvia in Braga, Van Nistelrooy with two and Makaay the scorers.
Inaki Saez will officially resign as Spain's coach Friday, according to the Spanish press, after a disappointing campaign that saw Spain out at the group phase. (see guest writers) Official UEFA figures show that there will be 15,000 Portuguese fans in the Luz
Stadium for Thursday's Portugal v England quarter-final and 14,000 English. These figures are taken from the statisitics of tickets sales before the tournament which
also show 4,000 tickets sold to Germans, 19,000 sold to various other countries and 1 each sold to fans in the Virgin Isles and Uganda. These numbers will change as the black market heats up.
A Portuguese man of 35 was arrested Thursday morning in possession of 74 tickets for the game. Five hundred tickets were sold Wednesday by the
Portuguese Football Federation to Portuguese people who had queued for two days . Neither of the teams should introduce major changes in their line-ups. Nuno Gomes
will start in place of Pauleta, suspended. Portugal: Ricardo, Miguel (Paulo Ferreira), Ricardo Carvalho, Jorge Andrade, Nuno Valente, Costinha, Maniche, Deco, Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nuno Gomes England:
James, Neville, Terry, Campbell, Cole, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, Scoles, Owen, Rooney. 23/06/04 Italy crashed out of Euro 2004 Tuesday. Perrotta and Cassano
replied to Petrov's goal, but their 2-1 win over Bulgaria was not enough to save them. The two top spots in the group went to Sweden and Denmark who drew 2-2, the
only result that could have qualified both of them should Italy have won, which they did. Tomasson got two for Denmark, Larsson with a penalty and Jonson late on got the goals for Sweden.
22/06/04 England will face Portugal in the quarter finals after beating Croatia 4-2 Monday. It was looking black for England early on as they went down to a scrappy goal by
Kovac, but they were 2-1 up before the break through Scholes and Rooney. Rooney extended the lead before Tudor gave Croatia a glimmer of hope, snuffed out late on through Lampard
. France finished top of Group B by beating Switzerland 3-1 and will meet Greece in the quarter finals. Zidane gave France the lead on 20 minutes, but young Vonlanthen
equalised for Switzerland five minutes later. Henry got a couple late on to seal the result. 21/06/04 In a tense, dramatic last Group game, Portugal
beat their eternal rivals Spain (1-0) for the first time in 23 years to go through to the quarter-finals of Euro 2004, putting their neighbours out. Nuno Gomes
got the vital goal on 57 minutes after coming on as sub at half time. (See also national team news).
From favourites to go out after a disastrous start against Greece (1-2), Portugal suddenly finished top of Group A and will play at the Estádio da Luz next
Thursday against the second team in Group B, which could be any one of France, England, Croatia or Switzerland. This group will be decided Monday. Russia beat Greece 2-1
in the other Group A game. Russia were two up through Kirchenko and Kulykin before Vryzas pulled one back for Greece before half
time. Spain go out because although Greece finished on the same points as Spain, they had a superior goal difference. Portugal's result sent tens of thousands to the streets all over Portugal. In the
centre of Lisbon, police had to intervene to clear traffic lanes at the fulcral Marquês de Pombal junction where thousands of revellers were dancing and singing the
Portuguese national anthem. There were, however, no reports of any violence either from Portuguese or Spanish fans. Reactions: Nuno Gomes
(scorer of the winner): "I turned and shot - by instinct - I dedicate the goal to my daughter Lauroa Sofia ... The crowd were marvellous. ... You can
feel the country getting behind us. ... Perhaps I'd prefer to meet France in the final - we have a squad to go all the way ... From the defeat to Greece until today, nothing has changed in terms of atmosphere in the
Selecção."Deco, voted Man of the Match: "We knew what Spain were capable of. The surprise was that they weren't expecting us to be so strong. ... The atmosphere was very good. ... We're playing well."
Felipe Scolari, Portugal coach: "The victory belonged to a group that worked for it. All of them, and the public, that have motivated us since the Greece and Russia
games. ... Now I'm going home to my family, to give my wife a hug, because I don't know if I'll be able to manage anything else. ... The key [to qualification] was
the second game and everything that happened in the first, which made us plan the second game better, and also the involvement of the people after the game with
Russia. It was brilliant and it gave us a extra breath and attitude in the fight against Spain. We dominated - we had five chances and they ahd two or three. The spirit
of the team and the Portuguese people was fantastic. I made history i that I lost games that Portugal have never lost. But the most important was this game.
Whatever comes now is a bonus. There are no weak teams. ... I also want to thank Mister Saez for his kindness and sportsmanship after the game." Iñaki Saez
, Spain's coach: "Our big mistake in this tournament was not scoring more goals. ... I congratulated my friend Scolari at the end. ... Portugal did everything they had to do and were well supported by the crowd.
Congratulations!" Figo: "At certain points we were lucky, but we were fair winners. ... We were organised and well positioned on the pitch. ... As for my sibstittution, I'm not going
to speak about that. The most important thing now is to savour our qualification." Miguel: "The first objective has been achieved, and now we're going to celebrate this very special victory." Maniche
: "It's good to suffer like that. We were on our best form and deserved to win. ... The public supported us at all times and the best response we could give was this result." Ricardo
(Sporting's 'keeper): "This was the most important night for me in Alvalade. It was a magnificent game. Now we have to think of the good and less good things that happened." Durão Barroso
, Portuguese Prime Minister: "This is one of the happiest days of my life. Our team deserved this victory. ... Let's give it all we've got!" 20/06/04 Holland and the
Czech Republic were the protagonists of probably the best, certainly the most dramatic game of the tournament so far Saturday. Holland were two up within twenty minutes through Bouma and Van Nistelrooy
, but the Czechs succeeded in pulling one back on 22 through Koller. Then in a breathtaking second half, the Czech Republic turned the game on its head. Baros
equalised on 70 minutes, Holland's Heitinga was sent off for a second yellow on 74 and Smicer got the winner three minutes from time. The win means that the Czech Republic are through to the
quarter-finals, and any one of the three other teams in Group D could follow them, although Germany probably have the advantage as they have to play a Czech side that will still be working off the champagne.
Germany could only draw 0-0 with a very well organised Latvian side that could have won but were denied two clear penalties by referee George Riley. 19/06/04 Italy
are in deep trouble after dropping two points to Sweden Friday. Their first half performance deserved more than the single goal scored by Cassano on 36
minutes, following good work by Panucci on the right. But in the second half, they retreated instead of pushing home their advantage and five minutes from time they were made to pay, Swedish striker Ibrahimovic
somehow backheeling a loose ball, in the air, into the net. Italy now need to win their last game against Bulgaria and hope that Sweden (with superior goal difference) beat Denmark, or that they
beat Bulgaria by such a margin that they have a better goal difference than the two Scandinavian countries should they draw. In the other Group C game, Bulgaria crashed out of the tournament with a 0-2
defeat at the hands of Denmark, Tomasson and Gronkjaer getting the goals. The Minister overseeing Euro 2004, José Luís Arnaut, said Friday that since the beginning of the tournament,
133 people had been arrested, 68 of whom were British, with 50 cases still outstanding. Alcohol was the main reason for trouble caused, he said. 18/06/04 England
dragged themselves back into contention for qualification with a 3-0 win over Switzerland Thursday. Rooney on 23 and 75 (his second almost an own
goal by 'keeper Stiel - the ball bounced off the post, hit his head and flew in) and Gerrard on 82 put the game beyond the reach of a Swiss side reduced to ten on
the hour with the expulsion of Hass for two yellows. France went in front against Croatia through a Zidane free-kick that was deflected off defender Tudor
and in. Then early in the second half, Rosso was brought down by Silvestre in the box and Rapaic scored from the spot. Prso cut
inside and blasted one past Barthez on 52 and France were stunned ... until Tudor (again) mis-hit a back pass for Trezeguet to equalise on 64. 17/06/04 Greece drew 1-1 with Spain
Wednesday to put themselves in a great position to qualify for the quarter-finals. Morientes put Spain in front on 28 minutes, Charisteas equalised on 66. Greece play the demoralised Russians in the last
group game. Russia lost 0-2 to Portugal (goals from Maniche on 7 minutes, Rui Costa on 88) and go out. Portugal must win their last game against Spain to go
through; a draw will see Greece and Spain qualified. The Portuguese victory was the first over teams that have qualified for Euro 2004. Portuguese Football Federation president Gilberto Madaíl
was not at the game on doctor's orders. In the press conference after the Greece v Spain match, Greece coach Otto Rehhagel made a specific complaint about the colour of the nets (black) at the
tournament. Italian star Francesco Totti has been suspended for three games after spitting in the face of Denmark's Poulsen during the match between the two countries. The
suspension was based on television evidence. Thirty-four fans (33 English and one Dutch) faced a hearing in Albufeira Thursday
after another night of trouble in the Algarve town. All have agreed to be returned to their country. On English 'fan', a fireman, is to serve a two-year prison sentence back in
England after being identified as a ringleader of incident in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Five German fans have also been expelled, four of them voluntarily, after incidents in Porto's Ribeira area.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Wednesday: "They're a disgrace to our country." A drunken Irish fan stole an ambulance in Portimão, Algarve, but was arrested shortly afterwards. The official
Euro 2004 site has had a record 12 million visits since March 31st. 16/06/04 Germany and Holland closed the first set of group matches with a 1-1 draw at the
Estádio do Dragão in Group D Tuesday. Germany had most of the play and ideas, and went ahead on 29 minutes through Frings, his free kick from wide on
the left finding its way unimpeded through the defence and inside the far post. Holland were finding it hard to react with any danger until Advocaat brought on
Van Nistelrooy, who caused Germany a lot of problems in the air. On 80 minutes he won a ball on the right, it was crossed low to the near post and Nistelrooy swivelled and clipped the ball in past Kahn.
Earlier in the evening, Latvia gave the Czech Republic a scare with a goal just before half time through Verpakovskis. The Czech experience brought them
back, however, and they equalised 20 minutes from the end through Baros. Five minutes from time, the Latvia defence went haywire and gifted Heinz the winner. There was some trouble with
England supporters in Albufeira (Algarve) in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with a dozen being arrested. Various witnesses point, however, to the heavy-handed treatment of the 'fans' by the police forces.
Those arrested will face a hearing on Wednesday morning and may be expelled from the country. UEFA has said that the incidents so far recorded do not
constitute sufficient reason to disqualify England from the tournament, a scenario mooted by UEFA Chairman Lennart Johansson. 15/05/04
Day three of Euro 2004 was a day of contrasts in Group C. In the first game in Guimarães, Denmark and Italy drew 0-0 in a finely balanced game whose
outcome was mainly decided by the superb performances of the two goalkeepers, respectively Sorensen and Buffon. Later in the evening, the game at Alvalade in Lisbon between Sweden and Bulgaria
was also finely balanced for almost an hour. Ljunberg put Sweden in front on 31 minutes, but then a rapid double-strike from Larsson on 56 and 57 minutes put paid to Bulgaria's hopes. Ibrahimovic
with a penalty on 78 and Allback on the stroke of time completed Bulgaria's 0-5 misery. Off the field, one English fan has already been expelled from the country for
violent conduct and another is awaiting a hearing in the Algarve, a relatively positive result so far for what was (and continues to be) a major headache for the
authorities. It was in England that most trouble came, with 83 arrests following England's defeat at the hands of France, 12 in Croydon where incensed fans were in scuffles with the police. 14/06/04 England let a golden chance of points slip in their opening game against France. Leading by a headed goal from Lampard on 38 minutes, they missed a
second-half penalty (Beckham) and made two fatal errors in added time: Heskey brought down Makelele for Zidane to stroke home the free-kick, and Gerrard sent
a suicidal backpass towards James that was intercepted by Henry, who was brought down by James. Zidane did what Beckham couldn't and France had turned the game upside down. There were isolated incidents of
violence after the game. One English fan was arrested for aggression against a French fan and will be expelled from the country and banned from re-entering for a year. At the Fan Park in Lisbon's
Parque das Nações there were scuffles between fans, apparently provoked by the English. But there were also many instances of joint fun between both sets of fans. In the other Group B game, Switzerland
and Croatia ground out a 0-0 draw. Switzerand's Vogel was sent off for a second yellow (by Portuguese ref Lucílio Baptista) on 50 minutes. Many bars near the ground in Leiria
, where the Switzerland v Croatia game was played, ran out of beer and had to close for the day. Following Russia's defeat at the hands of Spain on the first day, many Russian
players spent the day at the beach Sunday. A clinic and a café in Porto have been fined over 500 euros for using the Euro 2004 logo in their windows. Eleven people have been arrested so far for touting
tickets. In the Algarve, a couple had their tickets for the Spain v Russia game stolen. they reported the fact to the police, and the police arrested the culprits ... who were sitting in the seats.
13/06/04 Portugal got off to the worst possible start by losing 1-2 to Greece. It was the first time a host country had lost the opening game in a European Championship. In
the other Group A game, Valerón on the hour gave Spain the three points against Russia. 12/06/04 After seemingly endless months of preparation, Euro 2004
is finally upon us. Sixteen countries will battle it out over the next three weeks or so for the second most important football title in the world. football
portugal hopes that the tournament can be decided in the true spirit of the beautiful game, on the pitch and fair and square, and that off-the-field news is mainly positive, and
... may the best team win!UEFA Chairman Lennart Johansson praised Portugal for their preparations in terms of security for the tournament: "It's done everything that could and should
have been done in this area. ... I hope that the third greatest sporting event in the world is remembered for a long time ..." Johansson also intimated that England
could be rejected from the tournament if their fans cause serious problems. Three Boeing 707-E3A reconnaissance planes arrived at Portugal's Beja air base
Friday. The planes, lent by NATO, will patrol the skies as from Saturday with an anti-terrorism brief. The last 87 tickets for the Portugal-Greece opener were sold Friday morning.
Some people had begun queueing in the early afternoon of Thursday. There were scuffles at the Headquarters of the Porto Football Association as it became clear
that the number of tickets available would not be enough to go round. Federation chairman Gilberto Madaíl issued a declaration on the official FPF site
(translation by FPF): "Portugal is experiencing a unique moment with the staging of Euro 2004. One can say that, right now, the football world's attentions are focused
on our Country, thanks to this event, which is actually the greatest sports competition ever organised in Portugal.
Euro 2004 attracts thousands and thousands of supporters who, for a while, turn
Portugal into an even richer cultural mosaic. For every one of them there is hospitality and kindness, characteristics of our affectionate people. And, besides
those visiting us, there are millions all over the world who are absorbing information related to Euro 2004. Therefore, one can well say that, in terms of reputation, we've won it already!
As to the competition itself, the 16 National Teams who battle for the European title have a dream in common: to win! We welcome them all and wish them success
in Euro 2004 - in the social, ethical and sports areas, never forgetting the importance of 'Fair-Play'.
A final word to express our gratitude: to UEFA, for having trusted FPF's Project
for the organisation of the championship; to the successive Governments, for their support which made this Project possible; and to all Portuguese who - in one way
or another -, believed that Euro 2004 in Portugal was much more than just a dream. Thank you very much! 11/06/04 Each of the 12 referees at Euro 2004 will receive 18,000 euros. They are
currently holed up in a hotel in Espinho, in the north of Portugal. Italian Pierluigi Collina will referee Portugal's opening match against Greece on Saturday at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto. Portuguese ref
Lucílio Baptista will be in charge of the Switzerland v Croatia game Sunday. 05/06/04 UEFA will announce the referees for the first twelve matches of the tournament next Thursday, 10 June.
The UEFA Euro 2004 SuperStore opened in the Parque das Nações in Lisbon Friday. The store, in the Pavilion of the Future on the old Expo 98 site, is expected to attract half a million visitors
during the tournament. It's open from 10.00 till 24.00. The Portuguese Government has already recouped over 70 million euros on the tournament before a ball has been kicked, a quarter of its outlay.
Half a million flyers are being printed for distribution in and around the stadiums, outlining a code of behaviour for spectators. A law recently passed in Portugal
raised the legal gravity of offences in sports venues and their respective punishments. 02/06/04 All tickets for Portugal's games in the Euro 2004 tournament are sold out, the
Portuguese Federation announced Tuesday. 16/05/04 Euro 2004 will be covered by 7,500 members of the press, according to the Sociedade Euro 2004. The ten stadiums
to be used in the tournament are now in the hands of the Sociedade Euro 2004. 14/05/04 The Schengen agreement, which allows free movement by European citizens
within the Union, will be suspended for Portugal between 26 May and 4 July (a period that takes in bothe the Euro 2004 Championship and the mammoth music festival Rock in Rio. NATO
is to provide an AWACS reconnaissance plane for the duration of the tournament. The winner of Euro 2004 will receive 17.6 million euros, from a pool of 128 million set aside by UEFA for prizes.
21/04/04 Work on access to the Aveiro Municipal Stadium, to be used for two Group D matches, ground to a halt for the second week running Tuesday. Two construction
companies are claiming around 5 million euros in unpaid debt before they complete the work. 17/04/04 A new phase of the advertising campaign
for Euro 2004 started Friday. The predominant idea is that Portugal is to become a big stadium, with all its typical features grassed over as if they were a football pitch. 12/04/04 Hotels in Coimbra are reported to be fully booked from 17-21 June at the time of the games between England-Switzerland and Switzerland-France.
09/04/04 The Euro 2004 trophy (the Henry Delauney Cup) is currently on a tour of Portugal. It is in Lisbon until Sunday and will end up in Porto on June 11th, passing
through twenty towns and cities on the way. 07/04/04 Tests at the stadiums to be used for Euro 2004 continue whenever possible. There was another one at the Estádio Municipal de Braga
Sunday for the Braga v Sporting SuperLiga clash (2-3). It cannot be said that the test went off without a hitch. Before the kick-off, a 48 year old man had a heart-attack high up in one of
the only two stands at the ground. Medical assistance apparently took twenty minutes to arrive, the ambulancemen couldn't use a stretcher because it wouldn't fit
in the lift, the re-animation room was closed and the nearest ambulance was on the other side of the ground. The man died. The official song of Euro 2004 is 'Força'
, to be released as a single in June by Nelly Furtado, who will sing it at the closing ceremony. The Canadian singer has roots in the Azores. 06/04/04
At the opening ceremony of Euro 2004, "The Portuguese are going to see caravelles [ancient ships] ... with the maximum number of cannons possible," FPF president Gilberto Madaíl
revealed Monday. "In the different ceremonies, in the different activities, the Portugal mark has to be at the forefront so that people who come here remember a great sporting occasion but also take away something of
our country, of our culture, to transmit it to the world." The closing ceremony will focus on Portugal of the future.Greece has returned many of its allocated tickets for the opening game against Portugal
on June 12th at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto. They will now be open to Portugal fans, but since the demand is greater than the supply, there will be a draw. 28/03/04 UEFA
and Sociedade Euro 2004 won a legal action Friday against a British company, Select Promotions, that was illegally promising tickets for Euro 2004.
The company is now required to contact all the customers promised tickets and to offer them compensation. It must also pay 30,000 euros to UEFA to cover legal costs. UEFA's Lars-Christer Olsson
said: "The courts have sent a clear message that they support UEFA in its efforts to prevent fans from being exploited." (A Bola) Weekly broadsheet Expresso
carried a report Saturday that suggested UEFA had failed Portuguese security in the test games so far held, notably the Portugal v England friendly in the Algarve. UEFA's Lars Cristen-Olsson
denied there was concern, however. "We have total confidence in the way the Portuguese authorities plan to manage security," he said. 24/03/04 A study by the General Health Inspectorate
has found that only a third of those Portuguese hospitals that have an emergency service have their own plans of emergency. 22/03/04 UEFA are to put up 388,000 euros to fund the Fans' Embassies
that will provide support to visiting fans during Euro 2004. 18/03/04 Following the Madrid bombs of last week and security fears ahead of this
summer's Euro 2004 tournament (and the massive 'Rock in Rio' music festival to be held in Portugal) Portuguese Prime Minister Durão Barroso insisted Tuesday that "there is not credible threat against Portugal".
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Figueiredo Lopes, confirmed Wednesday that the Schengen agreement will be put on hold over the summer so that air and land
frontiers can be controlled. He said that there would be a reinforcement (20,000 extra officers) of some key and vulnerable areas such as public transport, roads,
communication systems, ports and airports. He also echoed what Prime-Minister Durão Barroso had stated Tuesday by saying: "No one can absolutely guarantee
that Portugal can be immune to terrorism. But there is no information that there are credible threats against Portugal." 17/03/04 José Luís Arnaut
, the Prime-Minster's assistant in charge of sport, confirmed Monday that Portugal had received threats of terrorist action, but that the threats had been investigated and had been proved harmless. 13/03/04 General Leonel Carvalho, in charge of the security of the teams at Euro 2004, said, following the incidents in Madrid
, that everything is being done to guarantee the safety of the teams at Euro 2004, but that there is still time to modify any precautions already in place, if necessary: "Obviously these attacks are a cause for
concern, especially for us, being Spain's neighbours ... We have prepared the security for the national teams according to an evaluation of the degree of threat
to them,. and naturally, what happened in Madrid may alter that evaluation, but there are still three months to go, so anything can happen. But we have sufficient
means to give protection to any team that might need greater attention."Lokomotiv Moscow want Portuguese referee Lucílio Baptista banned from
officiating at Euro 2004 following the club's removal from the Champions League by Mónaco.Coach Yuri Semin complained about a penalty given to Mánaco
(saved by Ovchinnikov), the sending off of Loskov and an off-side for Mónaco's goal. 11/03/04 Jacob Erel, the Director of UEFA competitions, announced that the players of all
16 qualifying nations will be subjected to drugs tests before Euro 2004 begins, either at the time of friendlies or even during training. There will be tests at all 31
games during the tournament also, involving threeof the starting players of each team and one or two substitutes. UEFA also suggested that the idea of a pre-call-up will be scrapped for future
editions of the tournament. Each of the 16 countries has to name up to 35 players by April 27th, from which the final squad will later be chosen. The idea will be to have just one call-up. 06/03/04 Lisbon City Council is trying to paper over the cracks of a mini-contoversy caused by the insensitiveness of a marketing promotion. McDonald's, one of Euro
2004's official sponsors, wanted to take up to 500 Portuguese school kids to the games as mascots ... but apparently they didn't want anyone who wasn't sound of
mind and body. Lisbon City Council echoed McDonald's requirements in the circular they sent to schools (who were to recommend kids to be the mascots).
The circular said that all children could apply, as long as they did not suffer from physical or mental disabilities. Lisbon City Council has said that it was only repeating McDonald's rules, and
that the circular to schools was made by an inexperienced member of the staff. McDonald's in turn blamed UEFA for setting down the rules for participation in
this kind of event. UEFA denied any responsibility in what happened: "... The selection criteria guidelines, issued by UEFA to McDonald's, includes the statement that
'children should be physically and mentally able to take part in the programme'. This statement refers only to the physical and mental capacity of
the child to be able to handle the stadia environment and is specifically there to protect the children. It in no way is a reference to the actual physical and mental
capacity of the child. UEFA stresses that the programme is open to all children including those with mental or physical disabilities, under the appropriate medical supervision...." 05/03/04
Sporting Braga have had to return to their old Estádio Primeiro de Maio while the pitch at the new Estádio Municipal is treated. The new stadium will be used again on March 31st for the
Portugal v Italy friendly. Braga is just one of the stadiums to be used for Euro 2004 that have had problems with the pitch, notably the Estádios de Alvalade, do Dragão and de Aveiro.
A simulation of crowd trouble was staged at the Estádio Nacional Thursday. 70 GNR (Guarda Nacional Republicana) officers acted as fans, 120 controlled
them with the help of horses and dogs. The simulation went from escorting the 'fans' from buses to the ground, scuffles inside the ground and 'missiles' thrown at
the GNR outside the ground after the 'match'. It is estimated that there will be 26,000 members of the GNR on duty in the summer. 29/02/04 FIFA's International Board decided Saturday that the
Silver and Golden goal system is to be discontinued ... but only after this summer's Euro 2004, where the so-called 'silver goal' will still be a means to separate two teams that are tied at full time
25/02/04 Over 1300 counterfeit items related to Euro 2004 were seized before the recent Portugal v England friendly, and criminal proceedings have been initiated against
eight people. Tough three-way action by the Portuguese authorities, the Sociedade Euro 2004 and UEFA has been promised to tackle the sale of counterfeit merchandise in the lead-up to this summer. 20/02/04
The Portugal v England friendly of Wednesday went off almost without a security hitch; there were fears of hooligan action, but some had been held up in
England (Birmingham) and perhaps the others are saving up for the summer ... Anyway, only five were arrested in Faro, that for assaulting a policeman. In
general, there was no trouble, even in the Faro park where 1,500 watched the game on a giant screen. One thing that didn't work so well, however, was access to the stadium for the
7,000 cars that made their way there. Many passengers left the cars and walked as queues stretched to 10 kms. The journey from Albufeira to Faro, which normally
takes 30 minutes, took two-and-a-half hours. The 60 kms from Portimão to Faro took three hours. The sheer volume of traffic and poor signposting were blamed for the delays. 18/02/04 The German
Football Federation said Wednesday that they had received 80,000 applications for tickets for the Euro 2004 tournament. 17/02/04 Portugal's equivalent to the Home Secretary
, Nuno Magalhães, announced Monday that 2,500 English and 4,500 German fans will be prevented from travelling to Portugal in the summer. Britain will use restraining orders to keep
English hooligans away from the tournament. 14/02/04 (Press release for a British Council/ England fan groups initiative ahead of the
upcoming Portugal v England friendly in the Algarve and subsequently the Euro 2004 tournament.) ***********************************************************
ENGLAND FANS ON DIPLOMATIC MISSION TO PORTUGAL England fans are set to enjoy a two-day football friendly festival in Faro next week, in the run-up to England's friendly game against Portugal.
To promote cultural exchanges and foster links between England and Portuguese football fans leading up to Euro 2004, the British Council supported by England fan
groups has organised a series of events to coincide with next week's friendly:
- On Tuesday 17 February, a Fans Forum hosted in Faro by Kiss FM DJ Marc Damon, will see fans from England and Portugal enjoy a night of
entertainment, discovering more about different fan cultures with music, guest speakers and Q&A sessions. England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson
has recorded a special video message for fans, and proceeds from raffles and quizzes will go to a local children's refuge (see below).
- The following morning, Wednesday 18 February, England fans will visit the Escola Secundaria Joao de Deus secondary school in Faro, joining English
classes to launch a new Britlit English language learning module based on Nick Hornby's book 'Fever Pitch', before taking pupils on for a five-a-side match on the school's new astro-turf pitch.
- Finally, before the England match, fans will have the opportunity to meet children from the children's refuge Refugio Aboim de Ascensao, where the
proceeds of donations raised the evening before will be presented. It is hoped that this will be the first of many such visits to the refuge by fans in the run-up to Euro 2004.
Rosemary Hilhorst, Director of British Council Portugal said: "We want to help England fans learn more about Portugal and the football culture here by forging
strong links with local fans. The British Council's aim is for this visit to be so successful that local people in Faro will be counting the days until England fans
return for Euro 2004. And England fans will know they can expect an enthusiastic welcome in the summer for a fabulous festival of football."
Football fan spokesman Mark Perryman said: "England supporters in Faro will be acting as advance party fan ambassadors for Euro 2004. At our Forum with
Portugal fans, we will be sharing that common language of football like 'dodgy refs' and 'that was never offside', then replacing our usual pint of beer with port. That is what friendly England is all about." Kevin Miles, of the Football Supporter's Federation said: "The Portuguese England friendly game provides a great opportunity to set the tone for how English
fans and their Portuguese hosts will interact all through the summer's tournament. Initiatives like the Fans Forum in Faro, and the other excellent work of the British
Council, can play a useful and constructive role in helping create the image England fans really deserve." The FA's Jonathan Arana said: "The Forum will provide England supporters with
an opportunity to meet their hosts, to find out about the country they'll be visiting in the summer and to promote England fans." The Faro Fans Forum has been organised by the British Council with Sporting
Clube Farense, the South Side Boys, englandfans and Kiss 101.2 fm radio. *********************************************************** Former Sporting, West Ham, Ajax,
Benfica and Atlético Madrid midfielder Dani, 27, will début as a TV presenter on State channel RTP 1, presenting a weekly programme on the Euro 2004 tournament called Vive o 2004 ('Live
2004'). Dani has been without a club since the end of last season. 10/02/04 Football Federation president Gilberto Madaíl said Monday that he is worried about the state of some of the pitches
at the new Euro 2004 stadiums, notably FC Porto's and those at Aveiro and Leiria. "It's something that will have to be sorted out because some pitches are just not up to Euro 2004," he said.
Ten unnamed Portuguese companies have been conned out of around 10,000 euros each, paid over the Internet as a deposit for Euro 2004 tickets that do not
exist. Tickets will only be available in April, and only through official sources, the authorities have warned. 05/02/04 More than 2,000 Englsih fans
will be prevented from travelling to Portugal in the summer. Identified as hooligans, they will have their passports removed and will have to report to police stations in Britain at the time of the tournament. The
authorities predict that there will be 200,000 visitors from England in the summer, 50,000 of whom will be here for the football. The Italian
squad will arrive in Portugal on June 7th. Their training headquarters will be Belenenses Restelo Stadium, on the outskirts of Lisbon. Carlsberg
, one of the official sponsors of Euro 2004, expects to invest around 10 million euros in the campaign. Carlsberg has been an official sponsor of the
Euopean championship since 1988, and their agreement with UEFA lasts until 2008. 03/01/04 There will need to be modifications to the design of the D. Afonso Henriques
stadium in Guimarães following the violence seen there Sunday after the Vitória de Guimarães v Boavista Superliga match. A couple of dozen members of the
crowd threw objects, including ripped-out seats, at the players, directors and match officials as they left the pitch through the tunnel, which at the moment is
completely exposed to the stand. There have already been recommendations that some form of cover be installed. UEFA observers will also be unhappy that the
handful of spectators happily continued to throw objects while the local police looked benevolently on. 31/01/04 The president of the Trade Union Association of Police Professionals
(ASPP/PSP), Alberto Torres, declared Friday that the police may stage a national demonstration during Euro 2004 to protest about the poor conditions of the force
in terms of both equipment and personnel. He went on to comment on the Secretary of State Nuno Magalhães' claim earlier in the week that there will be
around four thousand police officers on duty at every match at Euro 2004: "We'd like to know if they're planning to bring anyone in from EU countries to make up
those numbers. We don't know how they're going to do it, because there aren't that many PSP (urban police) officers for that kind of number. 29/01/04 The Prime-Minster's assistant
José Luís Arnaut revealed Wednesday just how much Euro 2004 is going to cost: 611 million euros, of which 185 million come from public money. Arnaut reiterated that the public money spent has been
"scrupulously respected", heading off accusations that the bill for the competition has spiralled out of hand. 28/01/04 The Secretary of State for Home Affairs, Nuno Magalhães, gave an idea
Tuesday of security measures/considerations for Euro 2004 games: - There will be between 600 and 1,000 officers inside the stadium at all games, and 3,000 outside.
- A study will be publisahed at the end of February into the possibility of fully restoring frontiers, especially with Spain, as a security measure.
- All games, except those between Germany and Holland and England and Croatia (both extemely high risk), are high risk, "similar to matches between the big clubs
in the Portuguese SuperLiga." Sets of fans will be seated in opposite ends of the stadiums, while 5% of tickets will not be sold to allow for buffer zones on the terraces. - To try to prevent forgeries
of tickets, they will only be issued at the end of March. The design of the tickets has yet to be finalised. They will not be sold at or near the stadiums, nor will they be sold within 24 hours of kick-off.
- The Federations of the countries that qualify for the quarter and semi-finals and the final will have to apply for the number of tickets they need (a maximum of 20%
of the total) no more than two hours after qualification. 24/01/04 Most offers of tickets for Euro 2004 on the Internet are fraudulent, Sociedade Euro2004
and the Consumer Institute warned Friday. The company in charge of organising the competition said that it would take legal action against any entities
fraudulently offering tickets for sale, and that it had already managed to force many such companies to remove offers, and had already taken legal action against one company. FPF and Sociedade Euro2004 president
Gilberto Madaíl stressed that the Sociedade denies any responsibility should fans be caught out by these Internet offers. In the most serious cases, companies are offering packages including flights,
accomodation and tickets for four times the nominal value. "These sites are offering tickets that they don't have, and will never have," said Madaíl.
He pointed out that in the Internet reservation process, applicants could only reserve a maximum of four tickets, which would carry their name and could only
be sold on to relatives, colleagues and friends at face value, otherwise the holders would be guilty of the crime of speculation. (infordesporto) 21/01/04
Laurentino Dias, president of the Parliamentary Committee overseeing preparations for Euro 2004, said Tuesday that he has guarantees from the clubs
and city councils involved in the ten stadiums that all accesses to the stadiums will be ready by the end of February. FPF president Gilberto Madaíl had intimated
Monday that this was a major problem with the otherwise completed stadiums (which has already caused serious problems before games at, for example, the Luz,
Aveiro and Braga) and that if this vital aspect were not sorted out in good time, then stadiums could be excluded from the competition. Sr. Dias said Tuesday that this would only happen "in extraordinary circumstances."
17/01/04 According to the Attorney General's Office, the Estádio D Afonso Henriques belongs to Vitória de Guimarães and not to the local Municipal Council. The
club had asked for the Office's opinion to clear up the controversial question, but there is now the problem of the funds that the EU granted for the modernisation of the stadium - roughly 3.7 million euros
. This could only be awarded to local governments and not to clubs, so the question now arises: will the money have to be returned, and who will pay? A quarter of the estimated 25,000 beds
in the North of Portugal (in accomodation that will serve the two stadiums in Porto and those in Braga and Guimarães) have been reserved, according to the Association for Development of Tourism in the North. (ADETURN)
One of the domestic criticisms aimed at Portugal organising Euro 2004, that there is not enough potential for most Portuguese clubs to draw enough support to fill the
ten sparkling new Euro 2004 stadiums, gained some credence this week. Just 10,000 watched Beira-Mar v Gil Vicente Monday in the 30,000-seat Aveiro Municipal Stadium
, and there were even fewer at Friday's game in the same stadium against SuperLiga rivals Marítimo (the teams are in 5th and 6th place respectively). And on Wednesday, there were no more than 500 at the
also-30,000-seat Leiria Municipal Stadium to watch União lose to Nacional in the Taça. 15/01/04 The Portuguese airline TAP is to name an aircraft after the country's footballing
icon Eusébio. Its livery will also incorporate the Euro 2004 logo. The Airbus A319 will go into service at the beginning of February. The Home Office Secretary of State
Nuno Magalhães said Wednesday that all the games at Euro 2004 will be regarded as potentially "high risk". He stressed the mobility factor of security forces to cope with possible trouble spots in various
parts of the country. 09/01/04 The Home Minister, Nuno Magalhães, said Wednesday that the PSP (Policia de Segurança Pública - urban police) and the GNR
(Guarda Nacional Republicana - rural and roads) are to receive new material to the value of 16.5 million euros to help their work at Euro 2004. The money will be spent on equipment like vehicles,
water cannons, truncheons and protective equipment and clothing. 08/01/04 Hermínio Loureiro, Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, met with representatives of the
Association of Portuguese Hotels Tuesday and learned that on average, hotels had put their prices up by 25% ahead of the forthcoming European Championship, and that Portugal has 250,000 beds
available, for a total visiting population of 350,000. Leiria's Municipal Stadium underwent tests on security procedures Wednesday. 1,500 volunteers were the dummies for steward and police action.
02/01/04 The Estádio do Algarve was inaugurated in a footballing sense Thursday with a game between local rivals Louletano and Farense. Fifteen thousand saw Louletano win 1-0
, Bráulio on 35 minutes the first to score in the new stadium. The stadium had already been officially declared open in November, but without any special celebration. The Estádio do Algarve
will have its first full test of access, security, etc. on February 18th with the friendly between Portugal and England. |
