Euro 2008

Emotions of Euro 2008

2008-07-04T11:26:08Z

During major events we love receiving photos from people in the thick of the action, especially when they capture an extra something you can't get just from watching the live coverage.

One man busy with his camera in Switzerland was Amir Rijavec, who sent a selection of stunning photos to BBC Sport's Euro 2008 group on the photo-sharing website Flickr.

]]> His shots of fans running the gamut of footballing emotions at the Geneva fanzone were so good that we wanted to publish them on BBC Sport's website. We wrote to Amir asking if he'd let us do that, and he not only agreed but supplied captions for each photo.

You can check out Amir's photos in this gallery, and then why not investigate the rest of our Flickr pages? Our blogger Fletch sent back dozens of photos from Euro 2008, plus our production crews have been taking hundreds of snaps as they film British athletes preparing for this year's Olympics.

You Are The Ref #13

2008-07-04T08:12:03Z

Here's a reminder of question number 13, followed by Keith Hackett's answer:

]]> Question

It is the dying seconds of a game and the away team are desperately hanging on to a 1-0 lead when they concede a corner.

A defender is standing on the goalline inside the post. From the corner a forward blasts the ball at goal and it hits the defender full in the chest and knocks him backwards off his feet.

The rebound goes straight back to the forward who volleys it back in, but the defender on the goalline stops his fall by grabbing on to the post. By holding on to the woodwork he is able to prevent his fall and put out his leg to make another goalline clearance, preventing a certain goal.

The forward insists the defender has gained an unfair advantage by using the post to stop him falling on his back and preventing the ball from going in the net.

The captain confronts the referee and says: "Sort it out ref. It you swing on the crossbar and head the ball out it's a card - give him a yellow!"

The manager is even more furious and argues that he has denied an obvious goalscoring chance. He calls for the referee to punish the player with a red card and give a penalty for an infringement in the box.

What would you do?

Keith Hackett's answer

There is no offence here. The defender has done nothing wrong in using the goal post to regain his balance. No law has been broken, no offence has been committed. The decision is PLAY ON.

It would be the same decision if the player held on to a team-mate to prevent falling - it is not a free-kick.

If, however, the defender had used the crossbar to get off the ground, thus gaining extra height in clearing the ball, then this is considered to be unsporting behaviour for which he would be given a yellow card and you would restart play with an indirect free-kick.

It would be the same decision if the defender had used a team-mate to get off the ground, gaining extra height in order to clear the ball: a yellow card and an indirect free-kick.

In this particular scenario I would not dismiss for the Denial of an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity because the criteria of DOGSO has not been fulfilled.

Interestingly, if the defender standing on the goalline inside the posts, had used an opponent to get off the ground, he would be holding the opponent down. The decision would be a penalty kick for the holding offence, and a yellow card. He can only be given a red card in such a situation if he had deliberately handled the ball to prevent the opposing team a goal. Maybe the law needs changing in this respect.

I would completely ignore the shouts of the manager from off the field and concentrate solely on continuing to referee the game.

This was the final one in our special edition of You Are The Ref. Thank you very much for all your contributions over the past few weeks. We hope you have enjoyed playing You Are The Ref on the BBC.

Farewell Euro 2008

2008-07-01T10:22:05Z

London - 3,174 miles travelled

Upon landing in London on Monday evening virtually the first thing I noticed was an advert featuring a huge quote by Samuel Johnson.

It said: "By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show."

But football did not feature in his dictionary and he definitely didn't reckon on Euro 2008.

I had a dream about the tournament last night, I was in the press box and Arsene Wenger was sat a couple of desks away commentating for French television.

But I awoke this morning not only to the reassuring presence of my wife next to me but to the reality that Euro 2008 is all over.

]]>

The finest football tournament in recent times has come to an end and all the drama, action and entertainment that it provided across 22 June days is now consigned to memory.

I don't know what you think but I thought that it delivered in a big way. I did not have particularly huge expectations in advance and I think in many ways that was part of the attraction of the tournament.

It was not besieged by hype before it had even begun (at least not in England) and was allowed to flourish on the merits of the football it produced. Dramatic finishes became an almost daily occurrence, negative teams got their comeuppance and Spain, the best team there, lifted off the trophy.

I've already spoken about the merits of Switzerland but Austria wasn't too shabby either.

Here are a few of my highlights from the land that produced Arnie:

Feeling the stand I was sat in at the Tivoli Neu stadium in Innsbruck wobbling in a very considerable way after Sweden equalised against Spain; earthquake simulation of distressingly realistic proportions.

The sheer size and prevalence of a supermarket chain that might be "so near" in England but that operates on a whole different level in Austria. Mini cities.

Trying to interview Spain's Sergio Garcia in Spanish. I didn't really have the language skills for the job and he had to finish each of my questions.

The smell of a train's burning brakes on a hot day heading to Feldkirk. I was slightly worried, all the locals on the train just laughed at my concern.

Croatia coach Slaven Bilic touching fists with Vedran Corluka after substituting him during the match against Poland in Klagenfurt. Bilic was too cool for school before he got carried away a few minutes too early against Turkey.

Watching young people stagger around Innsbruck late on a Saturday night, blind drunk and throwing up all over the place. I didn't see any of that from the Swiss and, after a couple of weeks away, it looked refreshingly familiar.

The feeling of sheer joy after collecting my clean laundry early one morning in Klagenfurt; I never realised a clean pair of socks could seem like such a luxury.

The relative affordability of just about everything after entering the country from Switzerland.

So there you are. I was away for 26 days, visited all the host cities except Zurich, caught countless buses, trams and trains, hitched the odd lift off other BBC people and travelled more than 3,000 miles.

At every turn the tournament was brought to life by the sheer number and good humour of travelling supporters. Top marks go to the Dutch but countless others played their part in creating such an atmosphere.

And despite all the concern before the tournament started that the antipathy of the host nations would cause the tournament to fall flat, I have to doff my cap to both the Swiss and the Austrians. Neither nation made it out of the group stage but, generally speaking, it did not stop the locals having a good time. Perhaps a lesson in the benefit of modest expectations. The Swiss edge it on efficiency and infrastructure but the Austrians have a touch more of the party vibe about them (though not in Klagenfurt).

It has been a privilege to be a small part of it all and a huge thanks to all of you who read the blog. Whether you loved it or loathed it, felt it brought the tournament to life or was just a complete waste of money, without your comments and opinions it just wouldn't have been the same.

I'm off to cut the grass at the allotment, crack on with some grouting and vacuum the front room.

Summer is here and normal life has resumed. But don't panic - the football season kicks off in 40 days.

Team of the tournament

2008-06-30T15:58:18Z

My colleague Saj Chowdhury has done a bit of a straw poll in the office and here is our(unofficial) team of Euro 2008.

You can see how it compares to the official team here.

Fernando Torres was your star of the final in Player Rater and deservedly so after winning the cup for Spain.

But his two goals in the tournament weren't enough to get him into our overall team. Have we got it right or have we dropped the ball?

]]> 4-4-2 formation

Goalkeeper:
Gianluigi Buffon was one of the stars in a defensive-minded Italian team. The superb penalty save from Romania's Adrian Mutu gave the Italians a lifeline in the competition and he also produced another remarkable save from France's Karim Benzema.

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Others:
Spain's Iker Casillas was the star of the show against the Italians in the quarter-finals, saving two penalties. Turkey's Volkan Demirel was an imposing figure and made two great saves from Swiss pair Ricardo Cabanas and Gökhan Inler and one from Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Defenders:
The right-back slot goes to Sergio Ramos, who covered as much of the pitch as team-mate Marcos Senna in the final and was playing out of position during the tournament.

The centre-back pairing consists of Italy's Giorgio Chiellini, for his consistency and outstanding performance against Spain, and Carlos Marchena, who was a leader at the back for Spain.
The left-back slot goes to Giovanni van Bronckhorst, whose energy levels were extraordinary. His best performance came in the opening game against Italy when he scored and then created a goal, joining two swift counter-attacking moves.

Others:
Portugal's Pepe, full-backs Philipp Lahm of Germany and Spain's Joan Capdevila were all on the fringes of our select XI and were great examples of defenders who are also effective at the other end of the field.

Midfielders:
Spain's Andres Iniesta can play either left or right wing so we've put him on the right. In any case, he had to be included. His fleetness of foot and deft touch was a joy to behold and was at the centre of everything good about his side's forays forward.

The central midfield slots go to Spain's Marcos Senna and Netherlands' Wesley Sneijder. BBC Match of the Day analyst Martin O'Neill made Senna his player of the tournament and understandably so. He allowed the likes of Iniesta, Xavi, David Silva and Cesc Fabregas to strut their stuff further upfield and provided the link between defence and attack.

Sneijder, who worked across the middle, finally showed his true worth on the world stage as the engine of a powerful Dutch midfield. His sublime flick against Italy, followed by a wondrous strike against France, will live in the memories of fans for a long time to come.

And last but not least, Turkey's Arda Turan takes the left spot. The 21-year-old for Galatasaray was one of the stars of the tournament - scoring a spectacular winner against the Swiss, finding the net against the Czechs to start a Turkey fightback and scoring in the shoot-out against Croatia.

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Others:
Czech Republic's Libor Sionko, Croatia's Ivan Rakitic and the German pair of Torsten Frings and Michael Ballack are all worthy of a shout because of their consistent, high-level performances.

Forwards:
What both Spain's David Villa and Russia's Andrei Arshavin have is a turn of pace and a lot of guile. Villa was expected to play second fiddle to strike partner Fernando Torres but instead he became the tournament's top scorer, opening his account with a hat-trick against Russia.

The much-talked about Arshavin was suspended for the first two group games but was simply scintillating when he returned to the first team, injecting some much needed vitality. His best performance came against the free-scoring Dutch when he scored and provided an assist during the 3-1 win.

Others:
Netherlands' Ruud van Nistelrooy, Russia's Roman Pavlyuchenko and Turkey's Nihat Kahveci all had their moments in the spotlight and leave the tournament with their heads held high.

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Goodnight Vienna

2008-06-29T22:35:02Z

Vienna

So that's it. Euro 2008 is all over. And I still haven't heard Ultravox's 1980 hit 'Vienna'. Did you know it never made it to number one? It was kept off top spot by Joe Dolce's 'Shaddup You Face'. I have a disturbing feeling I may have bought that, although it's certainly not in my record collection anymore.

I'm not going to do the whole highlights/lowlights thing. I'll leave that to others. What I will say is this: Vienna has been a wonderful host. Sometimes it's felt like the tournament was being played in another country far, far away, but I'd view that as a plus rather than a minus. It has certainly allowed me to retain a much-needed sense of perspective. You can get a little carried away in the hysteria that sometimes grips the big tournaments.

]]> There have been more than 100 postings on this blog in the last three and a bit weeks and hopefully we've given you a flavour of what it's been like over here during the 23 days of competition. Fletch's blogs have certainly proved illuminating - and he plans to write one final entry once he's safely back on home soil - but we've had some great input from all our bloggers. I hope you've enjoyed them. Feedback welcome via the comment box below.

It's not quite time to turn our focus to the next European Championship - after all, there is plenty of football to be played between now and 2012 - but judging by the success of this tournament, Poland and Ukraine have a lot to live up to.

Who knows if we'll have any home interest then. But the chances of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales qualifying for the 2016 championships will no doubt be enhanced if Uefa's plans to expand the competition from 16 to 24 nations get the green light. It looks very likely that will happen. Again, if you've got an opinion on that development, drop us a line below.

Anyway, congratulations to Spain. They certainly deserved their triumph. Auf wiedersehen.

You Are The Ref answer

2008-06-29T22:17:57Z

Here's a reminder of our Euro 2008 final question:

]]> Question
It is the final of Euro 2008. You are the ref and your assistant referee is having a TERRIBLE game.

Every time the ball is played forward in his half he flags for offside. He makes two or three decisions that you can clearly see are wrong and you overrule him, allowing play to continue.

At half-time you are fortunate enough to see footage of several clear goalscoring opportunities that were ruled out by your assistant. You have a word with him and he assures you he is fit and well and, from where he was standing, the players appeared to be clearly offside.

In the second half the scenario is reversed - the assistant's flag stays down for 20 minutes and a goal is scored when the player looked offside to you, but you couldn't be sure.

After overruling the assistant for the second time on a CLEAR decision, you are faced with the possibility he may be getting these decisions wrong, not by accident but on purpose.

You have stopped play for offside. The managers and the players of both teams are understandably angry, but not doing anything that warrants action from you.

One team is asking for the assistant to be removed, the other is berating you for constantly overruling him.

What would you do?

Keith Hackett's answer
This is another good question but not possible in the Premier League because the officials do not have access to replayed television footage of the first half in their dressing rooms.

However, if this was the case and the referee believes his assistant referee was affecting his overall performance and the result of the game, then he would dispense with his services.

The referee would not abandon the game. At Euro 2008 each game has a fifth official and it is likely he would take over running the line.

In this scenario in the Premier League the fourth official would probably replace the assistant referee, with the problem then being who would take over the fourth official's duties.

It would be unwise to ask the assistant to assume the fourth official role because then he could attract unnecessary comments and/or abuse from the dug-outs.

The referee would have created another problem which could have been avoided. So it would be wiser if he dispenses with the assistant completely.

There's often a qualified referee in the crowd who could take over the fourth official's duties, or the assessor if present, or even a willing volunteer.

I can remember a First Division game in September 1972 between Arsenal and Liverpool that ended in a goalless draw when there was no fourth official and TV pundit Jimmy Hill ran the line.

After the game the referee would write a report and let the governing body controlling the game (Uefa in the case of Euro 2008) decide what action to take depending on what was in the report.

The governing body would decide whether to allow the result to stand or order the game to be replayed. There might also be other measures which they may wish to take.

The assistant would be immediately withdrawn from any further appointments until the investigation is complete. If there was any suspicion of corruption then the matter would be investigated by the police.

If found guilty the official's career would be over.

If the referee had the problem with a club assistant referee on a park pitch - some club assistants are too biased - then he would dispense with his services and ask the club for another assistant.

If there wasn't one available, the referee would officiate from a position that would keep him close enough to that particular touchline to see if the ball goes out of play.

Also, the referee would have to be in a position to be able to judge offside when required. He would need to do a lot of running!

Thanks to Chester_Rd_Parade_Cancelled for this question.

Many thanks for all your suggestions and comments over the last few weeks. We will have a final Euro 2008 You Are The Ref next week, so if you have any further scenarios please submit them using the comments below. We reserve the right to modify any we select.

Spain are worthy winners

2008-06-29T22:05:53Z

Vienna

The most gifted and complete team won Euro 2008 - and for that I am truly thankful. I thought at one stage it might be the Dutch before I briefly flirted with the idea that Russia may well exceed expectations. But ultimately there can be no arguing with Spain's status as worthy champions.

It could have been so different had Miroslav Klose capitalised on Sergio Ramos's awful pass to Carles Puyol after just three minutes but destiny ensured victory was with the deserved.

In defeating Germany here at the Ernst Happel Stadium on this balmy June evening, Spain not only ended 44 years of international failure and frustration but delivered a gift rich in significance to those who subscribe to a brand of football that truly is the beautiful game.

]]> Spain may have encountered physically superior opponents in Germany but their ability to retain possession, utilise space and undermine their opponents with a defence-splitting pass was evident for all to see.

Many had questioned whether the Spanish would suffer a serious bout of stage fright. Speaking to journalists from across Europe during the day, the majority of them predicted a Germany win despite accepting that Spain were the more talented team.

For the opening 10 minutes of the final, it looked as though those fears might prove true as Joachim Loew's team started impressively while Spain, coached by the wily Luis Aragones, played too many uncharacterised long and errant passes.

Once the latter found their rhythm, though, it was clear they were the superior team. Had they scored more goals, it would not have been an unfair reflection on the game.

Xavi Hernandez was superb, playing a number of piercing passes that exposed the frailties of the German central defensive pairing of Per Mertesacker and Christoph Metzelder.

Germany rattled Spain at times - witness David Silva's idiotic and unpunished headbutt on Lukas Podolski - but Loew's side lacked the fluency and guile of their opponents. That German striker Kevin Kuranyi was making tackles yards from his own goalline with seconds remaining underlined the ease with which Spain closed out the final.

Marcos Senna, the Brazilian-born defensive shield, has been superb for Spain throughout Euro 2008, allowing those in front of him to express themselves while protecting the defence behind him. It would be no huge surprise if he was named as the player of the tournament.

Spain scored 12 goals and conceded just three to claim the Henry Delaunay Trophy, making a mockery of the press that so hounded Aragones after he omitted Raul from his squad.

The final was Aragones's last match in charge of Spain, and the victory is vindication of his single-minded approach, his stubborn insistence on doing things his way.

The 69-year-old's relationship with his domestic media has often been testy, and he could have been excused a wry smile as he faced the Spanish press after the final to the sight of many of them wearing his team's colours. Furthermore, he has made it clear he feels the Spanish Football Federation did not do enough to persuade him to stay in the months preceding the tournament, a decision that now looks short-sighted.

Yet, most importantly, his players respected him and had a firm belief in his methods, many revealing he was a different person away from the glare of the media, happy to joke and make everyone feel at ease. Match-winner Torres declared after the final that Aragones was a "12th man" for the team and an inspirational force.

Aragones warned his team on the eve of the game that nobody would remember the losers. They obviously listened.

The watershed match for many was Spain's quarter-final victory over Italy on penalties, a win that led to an upsurge in self-belief among their supporters both here and back home.

Spain have often been regarded as a team that lacked unity, with strong regional differences undermining their cause. In this regard, Euro 2008 could prove to be a symbolic as well a purely footballing victory. The idea that it is OK to be Spanish as well as, say, Catalan.

Time will tell if that feeling lasts, but there is no doubt Spain are worthy winners of Euro 2008.

Turning the tables on Mr Murray

2008-06-29T18:10:03Z

Vienna

It's only right and proper that I hand over one of my final posts to Mr Graham Taylor, a man who brought me a lot of joy back in the late Eighties during his time as Aston Villa manager.

Despite his standing in the game, he has suffered some terrible and unnecessary ribbing - some would say abuse - at the hands of his radio colleague John Murray during Euro 2008.

Now it's time to redress the balance, so over to you, Graham...

]]> Thanks, Phil. Well, you can imagine my surprise and concern when John Murray, a man I have great respect for, informs me he is writing a blog about his Euro 2008 experiences - a kind of warts and all account of his travels through Austria and Switzerland.

But that's not all. He only tells me after he has already published several private and revealing details about me.

Not only do I find he has told everyone about my injured foot - I'd have hoped something as personal as that might have stayed secret - but he has also accused me of cheating at table football. You have no idea how I felt about that. Talk about kicking a man when he is down.

Mr Murray - I used to call him John but not anymore - has not so much crossed the line as obliterated it. Naturally, I have demanded a right of reply and intend to address the hurtful accusations he has made against me.

Let's discuss his claims of cheating.

Now, he can't help but notice during the first few days of our travels that I was struggling with my foot and should have been resting up with a nice cup of tea whenever I had the opportunity. However, my welfare was clearly of little concern to him.

His main concern was challenging me to a game of table football. Ever the gentleman, I gave in to his demands because I could tell it was a big deal for him. As for me, well, as a former professional player who has managed to a pretty decent level, you can imagine my thoughts. I wasn't interested, to be brutally honest.

When we finally settled down to play, Mr Murray quickly went 2-0 up. He was full of it. Modest? I don't think he knows the meaning of the word. I just wanted the game over, so I scored two own goals. I scored a couple in the right end, too, just to show him I could play, but I had no intention of making a game of it.

The score soon became 5-2, then 6-2. Mr Murray was jumping around as though it was the World Cup final. I'd had enough, so I decided to spin, which seemed to really upset him. Then I lifted the table. That really got him going. I didn't view it as cheating. I was doing it to help him. I wasn't bothered about winning.

Well, when he scored the 10th and winning goal, I'd never seen anyone so happy. It was though his life had finally been fulfilled.

Now, I used to like Mr Murray and I'm sure we can be friends again. But if that's going to happen and we are going to work together next season, he needs to apologise.

I don't want him to grovel, just say sorry. If that doesn't happen, our friendship and working relationship is over. There will also be a letter from my solicitors landing on his doorstep sharpish.

Now I've got that off my chest, I like to share a couple of my favourite Euro 2008 memories with you.

The first is the shooting of the Russian defender Denis Kolodin, Boy, could he let fly when he wanted to. It didn't matter if he was 45 yards from goal, you could see what he was going to do whenever he had the ball at his feet and there was a bit of space in front of him.

The second is a save made by Iker Casillas in Spain's semi-final win over Russia. The score was 0-0 at the time, so it was a crucial point in the game. Roman Pavlyuchenko tried to bend the ball into the corner of the net but Casillas just managed to get his fingers to it. The referee didn't even give a corner, but it was a fantastic save nonetheless. Who knows what would have happened if that had gone in.

Finally, there was one big disappointment for me - and that was Cristiano Ronaldo. Great players make great tournaments, and I had hoped he would shine brightly after a wonderful season for Manchester United. But it just didn't happen. Instead, the whole Real Madrid saga followed him wherever he went. A shame.

Still, it has been a fantastic tournament, one of the best I can remember. Hopefully the final will be just as memorable...

So many memories, so little space

2008-06-29T18:00:29Z

Vienna

Well, it was a long time in arriving and flew by quicker than I can believe. Euro 2008 has been my first tournament for BBC Sport, and what a special three weeks it's been. But now it's time to start packing for home.

All the presents I've bought seem like a bad idea now and just will not fit into a suitcase that was already full in the way out...great planning, Jake!!

My suitcase may be full, but it's positively vacuous compared to the memories filling up the grey matter and taking up so much space I'll never find anywhere for all that Olympic research. In no particular order, these are some of the things from Euro 2008 that will live with me for a long, long time...

]]> The studio

Now if you are a TV geek, which I am, there is something magical about television studios. Millions of people are peering into them one moment, seconds later the lights are off and the set is empty, all life gone. It reminds me a bit of the time I saw Basil Brush being packed away in a metal box. Most disturbing!

Well, being the first presenter to transmit live from our fantastic home here in the heart of Vienna was something special, an ambition realised to follow in the footsteps of my broadcasting heroes - and very, very nerve-racking at the same time.

The matches

Wow! For someone brought up on a diet of mid-table mediocrity and subsequent relegation from the top flight, I have feasted on the way the managers, teams and fans have approached the tournament. The players have been magnanimous, skillful and honest; the managers passionate, hungry and ambitious; and the fans have reacted as they should.

Turkey and their followers deserve a special mention. I haven't seen such heart since my team did the business over Bayern Munich... that was a long time ago and was well worth the wait.

The Dutch

I was only nine when Marco made 'that' volley look so easy. Although it led to years of frustration as I tried to recreate it against the wall of the electricity sub-station next to my parents' house, it was a watershed moment for me. That was the tournament that told me how special this game can be.

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Therefore, to meet the man himself in the build-up to the tournament - and then see his team light the blue touch paper that helped turn this from just another European Championship to a stand-out success - was something of a dream.

The managers

I am a big fan of messers O'Neill and Strachan. I think their knowledge and passion for football was evident every time they appeared on screen. They are astutely aware of what's needed to be a success in this game, hence why they're so successful.

I had to listen carefully as Gordon punctuated his thoughts on the game with the odd quip or anecdote for fear of missing something, which I'm sure I invariably did. I didn't get the chance to work with Martin, but I could listen to him talk all evening. We went out for a meal as Russia defeated the Netherlands. We were either watching the game or I was asking him questions. I just hope my inquisitive chatter wasn't too intrusive.

I also hope you've enjoyed the coverage we've provided. We've had a team of really talented editors, researchers, camera men and producers working round the clock to try to make the unique atmosphere here in Austria and Switzerland transfer directly to your living room. I hope you've appreciated their efforts and talents, I certainly have.

I'm still pinching myself that I'm here, sharing a drink with Lawro, a cab with Motty and the show with you guys at home. I might have to leave something behind to avoid an excess charge at the airport, but it won't be my memories, that's for sure.

You Are The Ref - the final

2008-06-29T09:30:33Z

What would you do?

Thanks to Chester_Rd_Parade_Cancelled for this question.

We will bring you Keith Hackett's answer after the final of Euro 2008.

Final expectations at fever pitch

2008-06-29T08:00:23Z

Vienna

Something's got to give at the Ernst Happel Stadium on Sunday. Germany's mental rigour comes up against a Spanish outfit that is widely regarded as the most complete team at Euro 2008.

And when the losers trudge off, beaten and vanquished, they can console themselves with the thought that they are far from alone in their abject disappointment. Both countries are at fever pitch as the final moves ever closer, with the match dominating television, radio and newspaper coverage.

]]> I was watching a German TV channel the other day and, through the course of the final few minutes of a chat show, the female presenter put on a German baseball cap, then a scarf and finally starting waving a flag around. Mercifully, the programme then came to an end.

The fan miles in Germany have been packed to the rafters throughout the tournament. The one in Berlin is actually 500 metres longer than it was during the 2006 World Cup and 500,000 will attend on Sunday to watch the final on the big screens.

The fascination in Germany with their team's campaign is in part attributable to the fact that there have been so many ups and downs, creating an emotionally engaging experience for the viewer. Germany have been inconsistent; they tasted defeat to Croatia during a difficult group stage, saw off the fancied Portuguese, but then required a last-gasp winner against Turkey.

A recent survey in Germany even suggested that 55% of the people watching the matches are women, the theory being that females love being part of a shared viewing experience and have become engrossed in their team's travails.

As for the snappily dressed Loew, he is a huge hit with the ladies in Germany, even if his reputation as 'Cool Jogi' has been questioned by a national press that feels he has lost his head at times on the touchline.

Journalist Marc Schmidt believes that many informed football fans in Germany acknowledge Spain are the worthy favourites on current form but wonder whether they will come unstuck, as Portugal did in their quarter-final meeting. But he reckons there are a lot of fans who simply haven't considered losing and are looking forward to a victory parade in Berlin on Monday.

Certainly, there is a strong body of opinion that Spain are the team under the most pressure. Loew said on the eve of the final that his team are "under a positive pressure" now that they have reached the final, whereas Spain skipper Iker Casillas talked of the need to be "successful for 44 million people".

Arguably, victory is more important for Spain, who have not won a major title since the 1964 European Championship, while Germany have reached 11 finals in the intervening 44 years.

Winning Euro 2008 would ensure that Spain complete a process of reinvention, casting aside both their reputation as perennial underachievers and the notion that regional differences are so strong that they undermine the national team.

As Spanish football expert Gulliem Balague said: "The success of the Spanish team is breaking all kinds of clichés, stuff like people from Catalonia not being able to play with people from Madrid."

If the 1982 World Cup was Spain making a statement to the world, announcing itself as a country that had left behind the Franco era, then Balague feels that the success at Euro 2008 is about the Spanish proving something to themselves.

"Now we are saying that it is fine to feel Spanish," said the Barcelona-born journalist. "You can be Spanish and be Catalan. Spain is a nation of nations but it is also something else. I can be identified by everything Catalan but everything Spanish as well."

Balague believes the Spanish flag has been hijacked in the past for political reasons but that in Austria and Switzerland it is the symbol of a united and successful team. "I'm completely proud of what is going on here, of my country winning," he added. "It makes me emotional to see it."

Spanish fans have travelled to the tournament in great number and from all parts of the country, while the exploits of the team have captivated the viewing public back home. Balague's mother, no fan of football, has been ringing her son for regular updates.

For years, supporters of the team have chanted a line that translates roughly as "we just come here to drink and we don't care about the score". It hints, perhaps, at the expectation levels of the past. But the expectation levels have changed through this most memorable month.

And as Spain coach Luis Aragones said on Saturday evening: "The one who comes second is soon forgotten."

Eto'o silent as Motty spills the beans

2008-06-28T18:00:05Z

Vienna

Sometimes us journalists expect more than we end up being given. Take Samuel Eto'o, for instance. Like a lot of big-name footballers this summer, he had been jetted into Vienna by the sportswear company he promotes as they looked to cash in on the worldwide interest in Euro 2008.

Naturally, we saw it as the chance to ask the Cameroon striker if he was on his way to England to play in the Premier League. This was, after all, a player had been told his Barcelona career was all but over by new coach Pep Guardiola.

]]> So we trooped down to the Puma House in central Vienna to find out what the three-time African Footballer of the Year, still only 27, had to say. It didn't exactly go as we hoped.

It doesn't help when both the question and answer go via a translator. But I guess that's our fault for not being able to speak French or Spanish. Even if we had, I doubt very much if Eto'o would have played ball.

The closest thing we got to a story was when our little discussion had come to an end. A waiter appeared and placed a giant Wiener schnitzel sandwich in front of Eto'o and urged him to tuck in. A look of horror flicked across the player's face - and we didn't need anyone to decipher the subsequent exchange.

"Porc? Je suis musulman," he said. There was a brief moment of panic as members of his entourage tried to establish just what went into the Austrian delicacy. Finally, someone assured Eto'o that it was veal not pig. Satisfied he wasn't breaking any Islamic taboo, he wasted little time taking a bite.

One man who was only too happy to talk when I sat down with him for a chat was John Motson. The 62-year-old broadcaster will commentate on his last major football showpiece for BBC television on Sunday when he takes the mic for the Euro 2008 final between Germany and Spain.

I'd listened in to his earlier conversations with newspaper heavyweights James Lawton, Henry Winter, Brian Woolnough, Martin Lipton and Matt Lawton. It was a joy to hear him regaling them with tales from his long and illustrious career.

There were two nuggets I particularly enjoyed.

Firstly, he reminded everyone that there had been no names on players' shirts and no television replays when he started commentating. In this day and age, when a player's name is splashed on the back of his top in large letters and an incident is analysed from umpteen different angles, it's easy to forget just how tough it must have been for Motty way back when.

Secondly, one of Motty's famous and detailed "crib" sheets - from England's 5-1 thrashing of Germany in 2001 - had fetched £1900 at a charity auction.

It's worth pointing out that Motty isn't ready for retirement just yet. He will continue commentating on Premier League games for both Match of the Day and Radio 5 Live.

Vienna here we come

2008-06-28T17:40:57Z

Nuremberg, Germany

In a previous blog I may have given the impression that the national stereotype was a thing of the past. How wrong was I?

Only an hour into Belgium, on the last leg of our Radio 5 Live Euro 2008 road trip, we stopped at a motorway café that was genuinely playing Ca Plane Pour Moi by Plastic Bertrand. Nearly 12 hours later, our end-of-day beer in North Bavaria was accompanied by The Scorpions!

]]> After three weeks on the road in the UK and after meeting 14 of the 16 nations, 5 Live Sport presenter Mark Saggers very kindly, it first appeared, suggested we be rewarded with a trip to Vienna for the final. The only sting in the tail was that we had to make it to the Austrian capital by car. This was a road trip, after all.

We left our dejected Russians at 1030pm on Thursday. In a perverse sort of way, this was one of the most enjoyable nights so far. Beers and pizzas all round with our dozen young professionals, including estate agents and lawyers, who provided excellent company. Despite their raucous support, they were unable to cheer their team to a repeat of their quarter-final performance against the Dutch.

We left them drowning their.sorrows and headed for Folkestone and a hotel that left a lot to be desired. Any chance of a hearty breakfast went out of the window when we encountered more than 300 OAPs fighting over the buffet. It was like a Shrove Tuesday hundred-a-side village football match!

When we hit Continental Europe, our route took us past a whole host of landmarks and cities - Dunkirk, the battlefields of Flanders, Bruges, Antwerp etc. We nibbled the corner of Holland before entering Germany and pushing down the A3, past Cologne, into the Ruhr valley and on to Frankfurt, then encountering the worst traffic jam I've seen in 15 years. I thought the German motorways were ultra-efficient, so it must have been the sheer weight of traffic heading to Vienna for the final.

The most painful thing about it all was the fact we were within sniffing distance of Nuremberg, our overnight stop. It eventually took us two-and-a-half hours to travel the remaining 25 miles. When we hit the bar at 11pm, we were bent into L-shapes, with shooting pains in our left buttocks and another 300 miles to Vienna.

Germans take the flexible approach

2008-06-28T16:45:05Z

London

Germany's progression to the Euro 2008 final might have been billed as a return to old-fashioned values of efficiency and professionalism. But behind that easy stereotype lies a management team that is prepared to explore every possible avenue in the pursuit of excellence.

That has included bringing in Patrick Broome, a specialist yoga instructor and guru to international pop stars Madonna and Sting, to help prepare the squad.

]]> Devotees in the German camp include Arne Friedrich, Jens Lehmann, Simon Rolfes and Thomas Hitzlsperger.

Yes, you read that correctly. Lehmann - he of the flaky, not to say combustible, temperament - is a practioner of a discipline that involves contorting the body into complex postures in a bid to cultivate a steady mind.

Broome has been working with the German team for the last three years after he was introduced to former coach Jurgen Klinsmann by Oliver Bierhoff.

Klinsmann consequently asked Broome to work with his players and, after some initial resistance, he has now become accepted as part of the national team's medical staff. He provides group lessons as well as individual lessons.

"The purpose of yoga for footballers is simple," Broome told the German paper Handelsblatt earlier in June.

"Yoga helps to improve the mental and athletic preparation of the players of the national squad. Yoga increases the mobility of the hips and the chest and the flexibility and stability of the knees and ankles. Strong stomach muscles and lower back muscles help to prevent possible injuries."

Broome dismissed the notion that yoga makes sportsmen too soft to compete, arguing players are more likely to make errors without a strong inner belief.

As for Lehmann, when he's not exploring different yoga asanas, he is keen on riding his mountain bike, a pursuit also enjoyed by Michael Ballack, Kevin Kuranyi, Mario Gomez, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Oliver Neuville and Lukas Podolski.

Platini basks in Euro success

2008-06-28T16:00:58Z

Vienna

Time is ticking for Vienna's Panini football card collectors. They meet outside the Technisches Museum, every Friday afternoon, old women trading with schoolchildren, long lists of indecipherable numbers in their hand. What will they do next Friday?

The clock is also running down for touts in the centre of Vienna. One walked past me in the rain and said: "Tickets?" I said that I was alright thanks. "I'm ******* buying not selling," came the reply. I guess I should have read the sign, written in several languages, that he was holding.

]]>

These are the last days of Euro 2008. As the finest tournament in a generation inexorably moves towards its conclusion, I think it's appropriate that the champions will be crowned here in Vienna, a place with a rich history of conquering and coronation.

The king of Uefa, president Michel Platini, held an end of tournament press briefing on Saturday and, judging by his bonhomie, is clearly very happy with what has unfolded over the past 22 days. He waxed lyrical about how the players and coaches had "given us a beautiful tournament".

Platini, of course, was a member of the France side that defeated Spain in the final of the 1984 European Championship. He opened the scoring in a 2-0 victory, his shot squirming under the body of goalkeeper Luis Arconada.

Somewhat fittingly, and perhaps sensing that Spain might be about to right the wrongs of the past, Platini has invited Arconada to Sunday's final at the Ernst Happel Stadium.

The sense that the tournament is coming to a close was further heightened on Friday night, when Uefa put on a party for the media at the Kursalon, a splendid venue in Vienna's Stadtpark.

Top of the bill was a Falco tribute act, blasting out the hits of Austria's favourite rock musician to all and sundry. He had been preceded by a performance of modern dance with a strong football theme, the deep and profound meaning of which I have yet to ascertain. Much more to my liking was Swedish singer Robyn, who also played in Vienna on Friday.

The musical theme does not end there either. On Sunday, Enrique Iglesias will give a pre-match performance, no doubt hoping to inspire his countrymen as they prepare to face Germany.

The Spaniard held a news briefing in the build up to the final. I didn't attend, but I'm told journalists were striving a little too hard to get a news line. The Swedes asked Iglesias who his favourite Swedish player and musical act was, while a Hungarian asked how highly he rated Ferenc Puskas. You get the picture.

And so the hours continue to tick down to the final. Fans from both Spain and Germany can be seen milling about Vienna, taking in the sights and partaking in some of the local ales, no doubt dreaming of success on Sunday.

Down at the Technisches Museum, I was struck by the following line in amongst the exhibits: "All it takes is unshakable belief in the benevolence of destiny."

On Sunday we will find out whose side destiny is on...