[+Sarah+]

Welcome to the official Fan Forum Euro 2004 thread!

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Location
The greatest nations known to man will soon go head-to-head in the most prestigious sports tournament on the face of the earth. Capital of the world will be Lisbon, Portugal.

Official Logo

The design consists of a football set in a filigree heart surrounded by seven green dots. Seven is a number of great significance in Portuguese history and culture for many reasons, among them the conquest of the seven seas and the seven castles which appear in the coat-of-arms on the Portuguese national flag.

Official Mascot

Kinas is the mascot of the finals tournament in Portugal. KINAS™, the mascot for UEFA EURO 2004™ aimed at symbolising football passion and energy, debuted at Porto's Casa Serralves auditorium in front of an audience of Portuguese children and media.

Official Song

'Força' by Nelly Furtado has been confirmed as the official song of UEFA EURO 2004™. The song will be used extensively in the promotion of the finals and Furtado perform it live before the final at Lisbon's Estádio da Luz on 4 July.

The Ball

The balls used at UEFA EURO 2004™ will be specifically personalised for each individual match. The name of the teams and stadium and the date of the match will be inscribed on to each of the 20 adidas Roteiro™ balls which will be provided per game.

The Teams

GROUP A

PORTUGAL

Hosts and organizers, Portugal didn’t have to qualify. Now, that bares a pro as well as a con. The pro is obvious but the con is that the Portuguese haven’t played a serious match since the last World Cup in which they put up a dismal performance. Nevertheless, they have the home advantage and with a public as the Portuguese, losing is not an option.

GREECE

The record of Greek clubs in European football, unbeatable at home but vulnerable away, has been trumped to a certain extent by the national team this time around. However, it is the ability to consistently produce their best form away from the comforts of Athens that will prove the major test of their mettle.

SPAIN

Spain may have needed to win a play-off against Norway to reach the Euro 2004 finals, but there is little doubt that they boast a squad as talented as any other.

RUSSIA

The Russians are what you would call a fighting team. They don’t quit and they hate to lose: a serious threat to any other team.

GROUP B

FRANCE

Former world-champions and holding European Champions France cruised through the qualification round as if it were non-existent. They are, without a doubt, the favourites for the title once again. Key players are Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane.

ENGLAND

They have only reached two UEFA European Championship semi-finals, which by the high expectations of the home fans is a disappointing return. Still, with players such as Beckham and Owen one would expect them to go far. But as much as talented individuals, it was team spirit that was vital to England.

SWITZERLAND

Last year we saw FC Basel fight their way through the Champions League and many believe it sparked Swiss football. The Swiss will face tough opponents in England and France but nevertheless stand a chance of progressing.

CROATIA

They managed to qualify after beating their neighbour and rival Slovenia in the play-offs. Not as strong anymore as a couple of years ago, the Croatians appear to be one of the underdogs of the tournament.

GROUP C

SWEDEN

In qualifying, they only lost one match and that was a tricky tie to group-runners up Latvia. Sweden are already known as a hard team to beat - all they need now is to become a side difficult to prevent from winning.

ITALY

Powerhouse Italy is tipped by many as the only real challenge to France’s superiority. With a solid defence and impressive attacking power, the Italians won’t settle for anything less than the title.

BULGARIA

The Bulgarians are by no means a walkover and have what it takes to be this tournament’s surprise package. Opponents in Portugal would be very unwise indeed to underestimate what Bulgaria can do.

DENMARK

The second Scandinavian team to make it to the finals, the Danes will be looking to repeat and better their excellent performance at the last World Cup. They have the players, the skills and the will. But will they have the luck they need, being in a tricky and unforgiving group?

GROUP D

CZECH REPUBLIC

Are the Czechs any good? Just ask the Dutch. The Central European nation overthrew Holland and won the group to automatically qualify for Euro2004. Their only weakness being their lack of depth in the team, their substitutes aren’t nearly as good as their starters and in an intense and long tournament, that could cost them.

GERMANY

Admired by some, feared by most, the Germans always find a way of winning. Heaven knows how. The World Cup finalists will be looking to win the title once again but looking at their squad, one has to conclude that they would have to win it on team-effort. Their players are technically often outclassed by their direct opponents.

HOLLAND

Traditionally blessed with individual talent, it could be argued that it took until their final Euro 2004 qualifier for the Holland to finally show the potential of their current crop of stars.

LATVIA

Latvia made it to the finals after beating Turkey. The small baltic nation is living a fairytale but one cannot help but think it might not last that long.


SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES ARE IN CENTRAL EUROPEAN TIME

Group A --- 12 June (17.00) Portugal - Greece in Porto
Group A --- 12 June (19.45) Spain - Russia in Faro-Loulé

Group B --- 13 June (17.00) Switzerland - Croatia in Leiria
Group B --- 13 June (19.45) France - England in Lisbon

Group C --- 14 June (17.00) Denmark - Italy in Guimarães
Group C --- 14 June (19.45) Sweden - Bulgaria in Lisbon

Group D --- 15 June (17.00) Czech Republic - Latvia in Aveiro
Group D --- 15 June (19.45) Germany - Holland in Porto


Group A --- 16 June (17.00) Greece - Spain in Porto
Group A --- 16 June (19.45) Russia - Portugal in Lisbon

Group B --- 17 June (17.00) England- Switzerland in Coimbra
Group B --- 17 June (19.45) Croatia - France in Leiria

Group C --- 18 June (17.00) Bulgaria - Denmark in Braga
Group C --- 18 June (19.45) Italy - Sweden in Porto

Group D --- 19 June (17.00) Latvia - Germany in Porto
Group D --- 19 June (19.45) Holland - Czech Republic in Aveiro


Group A --- 20 June (17.00) Spain - Portugal in Lisbon
Group A --- 20 June (19.45) Russia - Greece in Faro-Loulé

Group B --- 21 June (17.00) Switzerland - France in Coimbra
Group B --- 21 June (19.45) Croatia - England in Lisbon

Group C --- 22 June (17.00) Italy - Bulgaria in Guimarães
Group C --- 22 June (19.45) Denmark - Sweden in Porto

Group D --- 23 June (17.00) Holland - Latvia in Braga
Group D --- 23 June (19.45) Germany - Czech Republic in Lisbon


Quarter final 1 (#25) --- 24 June (19.45) Winner A - Runner-up B in Lisbon
Quarter final 2 (#26) --- 25 June (19.45) Winner B - Runner-up A in Lisbon
Quarter final 3 (#27) --- 26 June (19.45) Winner C - Runner-up D in Faro-Loulé
Quarter final 4 (#28) --- 27 June (19.45) Winner D - Runner-up C in Porto


Semi final 1 (#29) --- 30 June (19.45) Winner #25 - Winner #27 in Lisbon
Semi final 2 (#30) --- 01 July (19.45) Winner #26 - Winner #28 in Porto


Final --- 04 July (19.45) Winner #29 - Winner #30 in Lisbon

[+Sarah+]

The Stadiums

EURO2004™ STADIUMS

The summer is still a long way but now that the construction of the stadiums in Portugal is finished, I figured: “Why not take a look?”.

So join in me a tour through Portugal: I guarantee it’s a feast for the eyes.

ESTÁDIO AVEIRO MUNICIPAL





CITY: Aveiro
SEATING CAPACITY: 30,000 seats
ARCHITECT: Tomás Taveira
INAUGURATION: 15 of November 2003
MATCHES: Two group matches: Czechia–Latvia & Netherlands-Czechia

City Park
Located on the city’s outskirts, in the so-called, City Park, the project involves a new construction, with a roof covering all seats.
The new Sports Park includes a multi purposes pavilion, a golf course, a leisure park, pools and six new hotels.

Ambitious design
An ambitious arena which matches breathtaking design with functional facilities, the stadium can accommodate over 30,000 spectators. It has four stands and service areas which have been designed to function as independent units.

Beira-Mar venue
With a capacity of just 14,000, local side SC Beira Mar's Mário Duarte was not considered large enough to host UEFA EURO 2004™ games, and thus Aveiro's Municipal stadium was born.

ESTÁDIO BRAGA MUNICIPAL





CITY: Braga
SEATING CAPACITY: 30,000 seats
ARCHITECT: Souto Moura
INAUGURATION: 30 of December 2003
MATCHES: Two group matches: Bulgaria-Denmark & Netherlands-Latvia

Spectacular centrepiece
A particularly elegant architectural project, located on the Monte Castro hillside (near Braga’s urban area, one of the highest spots of the city, facing the Cávado river valley), in the sports area foreseen in the Municipal Master Plan. The project involves a new construction, with roof covering all seats, and seating sections on either side of the pitch. Each end of the stadium will be constituted by the hillside rupestral amphitheatre.

"Work of art"
Described as a "work of art" by UEFA Stadium and Security Committee president Ernie Walker, the new stadium in Braga - official name Estádio Municipal de Braga - is an extraordinary engineering feat in one of the most spectacular stadium settings in the world.

ESTÁDIO CIDADE DE COIMBRA





CITY: Coimbra
SEATING CAPACITY: 30,000 seats
ARCHITECT: António Monteiro
INAUGURATION: 27 September 2003
MATCHES: Two group matches: England-Switzerland & Switzerland-France

Remodelling
The project takes advantage of the current 15,000 seating capacity, and foresees remodelling of the ring around existing seating sections, and a second ring, on an upper level in a “U-form”, that will be open to the North, looking over the hillside section of the city.

Modern lines
The project has no historical or traditional references, it creates a new, contemporary image with glass façades, an aesthetic roof supported by elegant tribunes.

New development
Around the ground will be built a multi-purpose sports hall, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a health club, a multiplex cinema, an underground car park, plus commercial and office developments. The running track will stay in place.

ESTÁDIO ALGARVE





CITY: Loulé & Faro
SEATING CAPACITY: 30,000 seats
ARCHITECT: Damon Lavelle
INAUGURATION: 23 of November 2003
MATCHES: Two group matches: Spain-Russia & Russia-Greece
One quarter-final: Winner group C – Runner-up group D

Reference stadium
Architectural project of emblematic reference, located in the frontier zone (S. João da Venda) between the municipalities of Faro and Loulé, integrated within the so-called “Cities Park”.
The Algarve stadium - official name Estádio Algarve - represents the common effort of the cities of Faro and Loulé for the construction of a sports facility in Portugal's most popular tourism region.

Long-term use
The stadium will be capable of seating 30,000 spectators and has been designed to have a flexible long-term use following the championships, as areas near the front of the stands at the north and south ends will be used as part of an athletics track to be built adjacent to the pitch.

ESTÁDIO D. ALFONSO HENRIQUES





CITY: Guimarães
SEATING CAPACITY: 30,000 seats
ARCHITECT: Eduardo Guimarães
MATCHES: Two group matches: Denmark-Italy & Italy-Bulgaria

Home of Vitória Sport Club
Located in the urban zone of the city where Portugal was born, and taking advantage of existing seating capacity, the construction increased stadium capacity to 30,000 seats, through four independent seating sections. This is the new home of Vitória Sport Club, originally created by the local youth in the 20s – young privileged students, sons of the industrial and proprietary society that ran the region.

Independents stands
The stadium comprises four individual stands, all covered. All the stands are constructed in reinforced concrete, with different capacities and all provided with seated places. Each of the three major stands is divided into upper and lower sectors.

ESTÁDIO DR. MAGALHÃES PESSOA





CITY: Leiria
SEATING CAPACITY: 30,000 seats
ARCHITECT: Tomás Taveira
INAUGURATION: 19 of November 2003
MATCHES: Two group matches: Switzerland-Croatia & Croatia-France

Three new stands
Based in Leiria, which supplied wood for the ‘Discovery Ships’, located in the urban zone and integrated within the existing sports complex, the project foresees an increase in seating capacity from 11,000 to 30,000, through construction of three new seating sections and a roof covering all seats.

Technical information
The stadium recently underwent significant improvement works, and an entirely new stand with a structure of reinforced concrete was built on the eastern top. The support facilities distributed between the ground and first floors, will be situated under the stand, whose cover will be soon built. The further improvement of the stadium will involve the construction of three completely new stands and roof covering for all seats, with facilities and equipment in accordance with UEFA criteria.

ESTÁDIO JOSÉ ALVALADE





CITY: Lisboa (Lisbon)
SEATING CAPACITY: 52,000 seats
ARCHITECT: Tomás Taveira
INAUGURATION: 6 of August 2003
MATCHES: Three group matches: Sweden-Bulgaria & Spain-Portugal & Germany-Czechia
One quarter-final: Winner group B – Runner-up group A
One semi-final: Winner match 25 – Winner match 27

First class stadium
Finally, the wish of the Viscount of Alvalade has come true: “this club will be as big as the biggest in Europe…” and, for a great team, a great stadium. Located in an urban zone adjacent to the current stadium, the new project is integrated within a larger complex with sports and residential components, the latter including housing, shops and services.

Great views
The new stadium seats some 52,000 spectators. Its modern design includes full covering for all seats. The stadium is part of a larger complex, which includes restaurants and bars, a cinema multiplex and bowling alley, as well as a medical centre and a health club.

ESTÁDIO LUZ





CITY: Lisboa (Lisbon)
SEATING CAPACITY: 65,000 seats
ARCHITECT: Damon Lavelle
INAUGURATION: 25 of October 2003
MATCHES: Three group matches: France-England & Russia-Portugal & Croatia-England
One quarter-final: Winner group A – Runner-up group B
The final: Winner match 29 – Winner match 30

Portugal biggest sadium
The Club that was born in a pharmacy in Belém, now owns one of the biggest stadiums of Portugal; the construction of a new stadium, that also encompasses leisure, entertainment and cultural areas, in the land adjacent to the existing Luz Stadium, with a 65,000 fully-covered seating capacity, and high quality facilities, able to respond to the demands of European professional football. This solution will enable major urban renewal in terms of transport access for the surrounding area.

Let there be light
Indeed, the stadium has been specifically designed to include elements which will mean the building will literally be flooded with sunlight, weather permitting. The stadium, directly adjacent to the old stadium, will include seating for 65,000 supporters.

Final venue
In 2004, the centenary of SL Benfica and 50 years after the original Luz stadium was inaugurated, the stadium will host the final of UEFA EURO 2004™.

ESTÁDIO DRAGÃO





CITY: Porto
SEATING CAPACITY: 52,000 seats
ARCHITECT: Manuel Salgado
INAUGURATION: 16 of November 2003
MATCHES: Three group matches: Portugal-Greece & Germany-Netherlands & Italy-Sweden
One quarter-final: Winner group D – Runner-up group C
One semi-final: Winner match 26 – Winner match 28

Opening ceremony
Located in the urban zone adjacent to the existing stadium, the project forms part of the planned Sports City complex. This will be the privileged stage for the UEFA EURO 2004 ™ opening ceremony and match. The old Antas stadium - official name Estádio das Antas - was already one of the most modern stadiums in Portugal, but a new stadium has arisen in its place for UEFA EURO 2004™.

Sport City
The new stadium, which will seat in excess of 50,000 people, will be part of a “Sport City” in the area, which will see over 3,000 square metres of the surrounding area modernised. The area between the Av. Fernão de Magalhães, the VCI and São Roque da Lameira is being completely transformed, with a commercial centre, residential areas and a multi-purpose pavilion all planned.

Impressive design
The stadium itself has an impressive design, with the translucent roof, already dubbed the veil, incorporating 280 tonnes of metal supported by a forest of pillars.

ESTÁDIO BESSA





CITY: Porto
SEATING CAPACITY: 30,000 seats
ARCHITECT: Grupo 3, Arquitectos Associados
INAUGURATION: 30 of December 2003
MATCHES: Three group matches: Greece-Spain & Latvia-Germany & Denmark-Sweden

Four new stands
Located in a prestigious urban zone within the City of Porto, the stadium is integrated within a sports complex under development, characterised by the construction of four new seating sections, with a roof covering all seats, in a project reminiscent of mythical English football stadiums.

Halfway house
The ground is located halfway along the focal Avenida da Boavista, which runs from the Castelo do Queijo on the coast, to Rotunda da Boavista near to the city centre.

[+Sarah+]

Below you will find a list of the official palmares of all nations participating.

GREECE
Goalkeepers: 1-Antonis Nikopolidis (Panathinaikos), 12-Kostas Chalkias (Panathinaikos), 13-Fanis Katergiannakis (Olympiakos Piraeus)

Defenders: 5-Traianos Dellas (AS Roma), 18-Yannis Goumas (Panathinaikos), 2-Yourkas Seitaridis (Panathinaikos), 14-Takis Fyssas (Benfica), 4-Nikos Dabizas (Leicester City), 3-Stelios Venetidis (Olympiakos Piraeus), 19-Michalis Kapsis (AEK Athens)

Midfielders: 22-Costas Katsouranis (AEK Athens), 6-Angelos Basinas (Panathinaikos), 7-Theodoros Zagorakis (AEK Athens), 16-Pantelis Kafes (Olympiakos Piraeus), 23-Vassilis Lakis (AEK Athens), 10-Vassilis Tsartas (AEK Athens), 17-Giorgios Georgiadis (Olympiakos Piraeus), 8-Stelios Giannakopoulos (Bolton Wanderers), 20-Giorgos Karagounis (Inter Milan)

Forwards: 21-Dimitrios Papadopoulos (Panathinaikos), 15-Zisis Vryzas (Fiorentina), 9-Angelos Haristeas (Werder Bremen), 11-Demis Nikolaidis (Atletico Madrid)

PORTUGAL
Goalkeepers: 1-Ricardo Pereira (Sporting Lisbon), 12-Quim (Braga), 22-Jose Moreira (Benfica)

Defenders: 13-Miguel Monteiro (Benfica), 4-Jorge Andrade (Deportivo Coruna), 5-Fernando Couto (Lazio), 15-Beto (Sporting Lisbon), 3-Rui Jorge (Sporting Lisbon), 14-Nuno Valente (Porto), 2-Paulo Ferreira (Porto), 16-Ricardo Carvalho (Porto)

Midfielders: 10-Rui Costa (AC Milan), 7-Luis Figo (Real Madrid), 8-Armando Petit (Benfica), 6-Costinha (Porto), 20-Deco (Porto), 19-Tiago (Benfica), 18-Maniche (Porto)

Forwards: 11-Simao (Benfica), 9-Pauleta (Paris St Germain), 17-Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), 21-Nuno Gomes (Benfica), 23-Helder Postiga (Tottenham Hotspur)

RUSSIA
Goalkeepers: Sergei Ovchinnikov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Vyacheslav Malafeyev (Zenit St Petersburg), Igor Akinfeyev (CSKA Moscow)

Defenders: Vadim Yevseyev and Dmitry Sennikov (both Lokomotiv Moscow), Roman Sharonov (Rubin Kazan), Alexei Bugayev (Torpedo Moscow), Alexander Anyukov (Krylya Sovietov Samara)

Midfielders: Alexander Mostovoi (Celta Vigo, Spain), Alexei Smertin (Portsmouth, England), Dmitry Alenichev (Porto, Portugal), Dmitry Loskov and Marat Izmailov (both Lokomotiv Moscow), Rolan Gusev and Yevgeny Aldonin (both CSKA Moscow), Andrei Karayka (Krylya Sovietov Samara), Vladislav Radimov and Vladimir Bystrov (both Zenit St Petersburg), Igor Semshov (Torpedo Moscow)

Forwards: Dmitry Sychev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Dmitry Bulykin (Dynamo Moscow), Alexander Kerzhakov (Zenit St Petersburg), Dmitry Kirichenko (CSKA Moscow).

SPAIN
Goalkeepers: 23-Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), 1-SantiagoCanizares (Valencia), 13-Daniel Aranzubia (Athletic Bilbao)

Defenders: 5-Carles Puyol (Barcelona), 6-Ivan Helguera (Real Madrid), 3-Carlos Marchena (Valencia), 2-Joan Capdevilla (Deportivo La Coruna) , 12-Gabri (Barcelona), 15-Raul Bravo (Real Madrid), 18-Cesar (Deportivo Coruna), 22-Juanito (Betis)

Midfielders: 21-Juan Carlos Valeron (Deportivo Coruna), 6-Xabi Alonso (Real Sociedad), 8-Ruben Baraja (Valencia), 14-Vicente (Valencia), 4-David Albelda (Valencia), 19-Joaquin (Real Betis), 20-Xavi (Barcelona)

Forwards: 7-Raul (Real Madrid), 11-Albert Luque (Deportivo Coruna), 9-Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid), 10-Fernando Morientes (Monaco), 17-Joseba Etxeberria (Athletic Bilbao)

CROATIA
Goalkeepers: 1-Stipe Pletikosa (Shakhtar Donetsk), 12-Tomislav Butina (Club Bruges), 23-Joey Didulica (Austria Vienna)

Defenders: 13-Dario Simic (AC Milan), 21-Robert Kovac (Bayern Munich), 5-Igor Tudor (Juventus), 6-Boris Zivkovic (VfB Stuttgart), 3-Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin), 4-Stjepan Tomas (Fenerbahce), 14-Mato Neretljak (Hajduk Split), 2-Mario Tokic (Graz AK)

Midfielders: 10-Niko Kovac (Hertha Berlin), 7-Milan Rapaic (Ancona), 15-Jerko Leko (Dynamo Kiev), 16-Marko Babic (Bayer Leverkusen), 8-Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), 22-Nenad Bjelica (Kaiserslautern), 20-Giovanni Rosso (Maccabi Haifa),

Forwards: 9-Dado Prso (Monaco), 11-Tomislav Sokota (Benfica), 19-Ivica Mornar (Portsmouth), 18-Ivica Olic (CSKA Moscow), 17-Ivan Klasnic (Werder Bremen)

ENGLAND
Goalkeepers: 1-David James (Manchester City), 13-Paul Robinson (Tottenham Hotspur), 22-Ian Walker (Leicester City)

Defenders: 2-Gary Neville (Manchester United), 14-Phil Neville (Manchester United), 5-John Terry (Chelsea), 15-Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur), 16-Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), 6-Sol Campbell (Arsenal), 3-Ashley Cole (Arsenal), 12-Wayne Bridge (Chelsea)

Midfielders: 7-David Beckham (Real Madrid), 17-Nicky Butt (Manchester United), 8-Paul Scholes (Manchester United), 4-Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), 18-Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), 11 Frank Lampard (Chelsea), 19-Joe Cole (Chelsea), 20-Kieron Dyer (Newcastle United)

Forwards: 10-Michael Owen (Liverpool), 9-Wayne Rooney (Everton), 21-Emile Heskey (Birmingham City), 23-Darius Vassell (Aston Villa)

FRANCE
Goalkeepers: 16-Fabien Barthez (Olympique Marseille), 23-Gregory Coupet (Olympique Lyon), 1-Mickael Landreau (Nantes)

Defenders: 2-Jean-Alain Boumsong (Auxerre), 8-Marcel Desailly (Chelsea), 5-William Gallas (Chelsea), 3-Bixente Lizarazu (Bayern Munich), 19-Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich), 13-Mikael Silvestre (Manchester United), 15-Lilian Thuram (Juventus),

Midfielders: 17-Olivier Dacourt (AS Roma), 6-Claude Makelele (Chelsea), 18-Benoit Pedretti (Sochaux), 7-Robert Pires (Arsenal), 14-Jerome Rothen (Monaco), 4-Patrick Vieira (Arsenal), 10-Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid)

Forwards: 12-Thierry Henry (Arsenal), 21-Steve Marlet (Olympique Marseille), 19-Louis Saha (Manchester United), 20-David Trezeguet (Juventus), 11-Sylvain Wiltord (Arsenal)

SWITZERLAND
Goalkeepers: 23-Fabrice Borer (Grasshoppers), 12-Pascal Zuberbuehler (Basel), 1-Joerg Stiel (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

Defenders: 3-Bruno Berner (Freiburg), 2-Bernt Haas (West Bromwich Albion), 4-Stephane Henchoz (Liverpool), 20-Patrick Mueller (Olympique Lyon), 5-Murat Yakin (Basel), 13-Marco Zwyssig (Basel), 17-Christoph Spycher (Grasshoppers), 14-Ludovic Magnin (Werder Bremen)

Midfielders: 7-Ricardo Cabanas (Grasshoppers), 16-Fabio Celestini (Olympique Marseille), 8 Raphael Wicky (Hamburg SV), 18-Benjamin Huggel (Basel), 10-Hakan Yakin (VfB Stuttgart), 19-Johann Lonfat (Sochaux), 6-Johann Vogel (PSV Eindhoven).

Forwards: 11-Stephane Chapuisat (Young Boys), 9-Alexander Frei (Stade Rennes), 21-Milaim Rama (Thun), 15-Daniel Gygax (FC Zurich), 22-Johann Vonlanthen (PSV Eindhoven)

BULGARIA
Goalkeepers: 1-Zdravko Zdravkov (Litex Lovech), Dimitar 23-Ivankov (Levski Sofia), 12-Stoyan Kolev (CSKA Sofia)

Defenders: 2-Vladimir Ivanov (Lokomotiv Plovdiv), 3-Rosen Kirilov (Litex Lovech), 6-Kiril Kotev (Lokomotiv Plovdiv), Predrag Pazhin (Shakhtar Donetsk), 5-Zlatomir Zagorcic (Litex Lovech), 4-Ivailo Petkov (Fenerbahce), 22-Ilian Stoyanov (Levski Sofia)

Midfielders: 15-Marian Hristov (Kaiserslautern), 7-Daniel Borimirov (Levski Sofia), 19-Stilian Petrov (Celtic), 8-Milen Petkov (AEK Athens), 13-Georgi Peev (Dynamo Kiev), 10-Velizar Dimitrov (CSKA Sofia)

Forwards: 21-Zoran Jankovic (Dalian Shide), 11-Zdravko Lazarov (Gaziantepspor), 17-Martin Petrov (VfL Wolfsburg), 16-Vladimir Manchev (Lille), 14-Georgi Chilikov (Levski Sofia), 20-Valeri Bojinov (Lecce), 9-Dimitar Berbatov (Bayer Leverkusen)

DENMARK
Goalkeepers: 1-Thomas Sorensen (Aston Villa), 16-Peter Skov-Jensen (Midtjylland), 22-Stephan Andersen (Charlton Athletic)

Defenders: 6-Thomas Helveg (Inter Milan), 13-Per Kroldrup (Udinese), 18-Brian Priske (Racing Genk), 3-Rene Henriksen (Panathinaikos), 5-Niclas Jensen (Borussia Dortmund), 4-Martin Laursen (AC Milan), 2-Kasper Bogelund (PSV Eindhoven)

Midfielders: 7-Thomas Gravesen (Everton), 14-Claus Jensen (Charlton Athletic), 12-Thomas Kahlenberg (Brondby), 15-Daniel Jensen (Murcia), 17-Christian Poulsen (Schalke 04)

Forwards: 8-Jesper Gronkjaer (Chelsea), 11-Ebbe Sand (Schalke 04), 9-Jon Dahl Tomasson (AC Milan), 20-Kenneth Perez (AZ Alkmaar), 21-Peter Madsen (VfL Bochum), 19-Dennis Rommedahl (PSV Eindhoven) 10-Martin Joergensen (Udinese), 23-Peter Lovenkrands (Rangers).

ITALY
Goalkeepers: 1-Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), 12-Francesco Toldo (Inter Milan), 22-Angelo Peruzzi (Lazio)

Defenders: 2-Christian Panucci (AS Roma), 5-Fabio Cannavaro (Inter Milan), 13-Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan), 19-Gianluca Zambrotta (Juventus), 3-Massimo Oddo (Lazio), 6-Matteo Ferrari (Parma), 23-Marco Materazzi (Inter Milan), 15-Giuseppe Favalli (Lazio);

Midfielders: 21-Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), 4-Cristiano Zanetti (Inter Milan), 20-Simone Perrotta (Chievo Verona), 8-Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), 14-Stefano Fiore (Lazio), 16-Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus)

Forwards: 10-Francesco Totti (AS Roma), 18-Antonio Cassano (AS Roma), 9-Christian Vieri (Inter Milan), 11-Bernardo Corradi (Lazio), 17-Marco Di Vaio (Juventus), 7-Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus)

SWEDEN
Goalkeepers: 1-Andreas Isaksson (Djurgarden), 12-Magnus Hedman (Ancona), 23-Magnus Kihlstedt (FC Copenhagen)

Defenders: 2-Teddy Lucic (Bayer Leverkusen), 3-Olof Mellberg (Aston Villa), 4-Johan Mjallby (Celtic), 5-Erik Edman (Heerenveen), 14-Alexander Ostlund (Hammarby), 13-Petter Hansson (Heerenveen), 15-Andreas Jakobsson (Brondby), 22-Erik Wahlstedt (Helsingborg)

Midfielders: 6-Tobias Linderoth (Everton), 7-Mikael Nilsson (Halmstad), 8-Anders Svensson (Southampton), 9-Fredrik Ljungberg (Arsenal), 16-Kim Kallstrom (Rennes), 17-Anders Andersson (Belenenses), 19-Pontus Farnerud (Racing Strasbourg), 21-Christian Wilhelmsson (Anderlecht)

Forwards: 10-Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Ajax Amsterdam), 11-Henrik Larsson (Celtic), 18-Mattias Jonson (Brondby), 20-Marcus Allback (Aston Villa)

CZECH REPUBLIC
Goalkeepers: 16-Jaromir Blazek (Sparta Prague), 1-Petr Cech (Stade Rennes), 23-Antonin Kinsky (Saturn Ramenskoye)

Defenders: 5-Rene Bolf (Banik Ostrava), 2-Zdenek Grygera (Ajax Amsterdam), 17-Tomas Huebschman (Sparta Prague), 6-Marek Jankulovski (Udinese), 13-Martin Jiranek (Reggina), 3-Pavel Mares (Zenit St Petersburg), 22-David Rozehnal (Club Bruges), 21-Tomas Ujfalusi (Hamburg SV)

Midfielders: 4-Tomas Galasek (Ajax Amsterdam), 11-Pavel Nedved (Juventus), 24-Jaroslav Plasil (Monaco), 8-Karel Poborsky (Sparta Prague), 10-Tomas Rosicky (Borussia Dortmund) 7-Vladimir Smicer (Liverpool), 19-Roman Tyce (TSV 1860 Munich), 14-Stepan Vachousek (Olympique Marseille)

Forwards: 15-Milan Baros (Liverpool), 18-Marek Heinz (Banik Ostrava), 9-Jan Koller (Borussia Dortmund), 12-Vratislav Lokvenc (Kaiserslautern).
Note: Jaroslav Plasil may be required to change his shirt number and will take number 20 if this is the case.

GERMANY
Goalkeepers: 1-Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich), 12-Jens Lehmann (Arsenal), 23-Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart)

Defenders: 6-Frank Baumann (Werder Bremen), 3-Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), 2-Andreas Hinkel, 21-Philipp Lahm (both VfB Stuttgart), 5-Jens Nowotny (Bayer Leverkusen), 4-Christian Woerns (Borussia Dortmund), 17-Christian Ziege (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders: 13-Michael Ballack (Bayern Munich), 18-Fabian Ernst (Werder Bremen), 22-Torsten Frings (Borussia Dortmund), 8-Dietmar Hamann (Liverpool), 16-Jens Jeremies (Bayern Munich), 15-Sebastian Kehl (Borussia Dortmund), 19-Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen), 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)

Forwards: 9-Fredi Bobic (Hertha Berlin), 14-Thomas Brdaric (Hanover 96), 10-Kevin Kuranyi (VfB Stuttgart), 11-Miroslav Klose (Kaiserslautern), 20-Lukas Podolski (Cologne)
Note: Christian Ziege replaced the injured Christian Rahn on May 26.

LATVIA
Goalkeepers: 1-Aleksandrs Kolinko (Rostov), 12-Andrejs Piedels (Skonto Riga), 20-Andrejs Pavlovs (Skonto Riga)

Defenders: 2-Igors Stepanovs (Beveren), 4-Mihails Zemlinskis (Skonto Riga), 6-Olegs Blagonadezdins (Skonto Riga), 22-Arturs Zakresevskis (Skonto Riga), 7-Aleksandrs Isakovs (Skonto Riga), 16-Dzintars Zirnis (Liepajas Metalurgs), 18-Igors Korablovs (Ventspils), 15-Maris Smirnovs (Ventspils)

Midfielders: 3-Vitalijs Astafjevs (Herold Admira), 8-Imants Bleidelis (Viborg), 10-Andrejs Rubins (Shinnik Yaroslavl), 5-Juris Laizans (CSKA Moscow), 14-Valentins Lobanovs (Metalurg Zaporizhya), 13-Jurgis Pucinsks (Luch-Energia Vladivostock).

Forwards: 19-Andrejs Stolcers (Fulham), 17-Marian Pahars (Southampton), 23-Vits Rimkus (Ventspils), 9-Maris Verpakovskis (Dynamo Kiev), 11-Andrejs Prohorenkovs (Maccabi Tel Aviv), 21-Mihails Miholaps (Skonto Riga)

HOLLAND
Goalkeepers: 1-Edwin van der Sar (Fulham), 13-Ronald Waterreus (PSV Eindhoven), 23-Sander Westerveld (Real Sociedad)

Defenders: 2-Michael Reiziger (Barcelona), 18-Johnny Heitinga (Ajax Amsterdam), 3-Jaap Stam (Lazio), 15-Frank de Boer (Rangers), 5-Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Barcelona), 4-Wilfred Bouma (PSV Eindhoven)

Midfielders: 11-Rafael van der Vaart (Ajax Amsterdam), 14-Wesley Sneijder (Ajax Amsterdam), 8-Edgar Davids (Barcelona), 20-Clarence Seedorf (AC Milan), 6-Philip Cocu (Barcelona), 22-Boudewijn Zenden (Middlesbrough), 21-Paul Bosvelt (Manchester City)

Forwards: 10-Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United), 9-Patrick Kluivert (Barcelona), 17-Pierre van Hooijdonk (Fenerbahce), 12-Roy Makaay (Bayern Munich), 7-Andy van der Meyde (Inter Milan), 16-Marc Overmars (Barcelona), 19-Arjen Robben (PSV Eindhoven).

[dexa]

OMG!!!!!! What a great start!!!!!!!

Its amazing all the info you've posted Sarah!!! Im learning a lot of things I had no idea about the Euro!!

Thanx sooo mucho for starting it!!!

[PiPaS]

Wow Sarah!Thanks a lot for the great start. Cant wait to have some interesting discussions around here.
I am Portuguese but havent seen some of those stadium pics. While I still it was a waste of money for a poor country like Portugal, I have to say there are some really nice stadiums.

So,with 4 days to go...who do you think its going to be the top goalscorer? I had a long argument with my friend about this. He thinks Rooney, I bet on Pauleta. Or Vieri.

[T]

S - thanks for starting this and in what way! Smashing darling

Ana - if I'd have to choose from those three, I'd wish it to be Pauleta too . Granted I wish a bit more that it was someone Spanish, don't came much who as long as the team is right.. Wouldn't object to Helguera getting a few though, heh.

On a completely OT note: Anyone seen Venus today? I'm getting very ticked off at the Finnish weather. Every bloody time there's some like this, it's so overcast you can't see even the slightest bit of sky, hmpf.

[Anabela]

Hi

I live in Porugal and we're all too excited around here. There are portuguese flags all over the country, on windows of cars and houses.

I can't wait for the matches to begin.
I'm rooting for Portugal, England and Eastern countries (unfortunately, my beloved Poland didn't qualify).

I am the only person to think the mascot is the ugliest thing ever? I really hate it.

The new stadiums are gorgeus.
I've only been to Estádio da Luz and I think it's beautiful.

Sarah: thansk for opening the thread.

[T]

I think most mascots nowadays - hell, before too - are crap.. I think the only one I've ever liked is Mishka from the Moscow Olympics. Can't even remember when those were, but we still have book about his adventures and even had a Mishka plushie *g*... Checked the year and it was 1980 - a year before I was even born, so now wonder I don't remember the actual games, heh.

I've pretty much come to the conclusion that besides my usual favourites, the one team getting the very soft spot related rooting is going to be Bulgaria. And not just because it's one of the few countries I've been to either. Heh, it'd be kinda hard them getting a soft spot because of that considering I almost died there *G*. Eastern Europe and having no players that I dislike is more than enough reason for me .

[suz86]

I can't wait for this years tournament to start! Being English I will be supporting England I love how patriotic everyone is at these events. Normally we don't really seem very patriotic but there are England flags going up everywhere lately! Anyway good luck to the boys on sunday, playing France. Hopefully we can beat them. I think...

Good luck to every other country!

[==bluegirl==]

Great start, Sarah

The stadiums look fantastic. They've all got really colourful seats, haven't they? The mascot is cute, imo, but I've really no idea what purpose they really serve at these events.

[Anabela]

Originally posted by ==bluegirl== The stadiums look fantastic. They've all got really colourful seats, haven't they?

The intention was for the stadium to look full of fans, even if it's empty. It really works. On tv, sometimes those stadiums are half empty but you can hardly notice it, the colours create an illusion.

I also have no idea what's the mascot's purpose. All these events have mascots. Maybe it's just a strategy to sell merchandise. And that kinda bothers me because I wanted to but a magnet for my fridge, but all of the official magnets had the mascot on. I couldn't buy any.
I wanted a magnet with the symbol: I love that symbol.

[+Sarah+]

It was nothing, guys...thanks I had my fair share of copy+paste too for some of them

Now here's something interesting

THE HAGUE: A Dutch weekend magazine has called on its readers to take drastic measures to ensure Holland beat Germany in their Euro 2004 Group D match in Porto on June 15. Holland have disappointed in their last few friendlies, losing 1-0 at home to Ireland on Saturday. The magazine Panorama has included a voodoo doll dressed in a white shirt and black pants with each copy this weekend. Also included in the Euro set the magazine is giving its readers are three pins. Readers are encouraged to think of a German player and stick the pins into the doll whilst thinking of the player. Dutch media yesterday reported that the Dutch Football Association have distanced themselves from the somewhat bizarre offering of the magazine. – dpa

[T]

Originally posted by Anabela I wanted a magnet with the symbol: I love that symbol.

Same here, I love the logo, but don't much care for the mascot.

S - voodoo dolls? Ouch

[Nele]

Woow this thread look amazing
Well it looks like Belgium isn't playing so France will be favourite team
I haven't heard the official song though... I'll try to download it as soon as possible!
I look forward to the beginning of Euro 2004

[RuSiA]

yay it's taking place tomorrow !!
I support Spain, Portugal and Czech Republic
I wonder what the one which has beaten Turkey, will show us (means Latvia).. and we'll see what about France and Italy

great start Sarah
and wooow stadiums are fantastic