So close you can taste it: Final squads announced
May 28, 2008
The last stage of preparation is over for UEFA 2008. All the final squads have been named, and now we can begin the countdown to the tournament. June 7 is just over a week away.
To see all the final squads, click here.
Counting the minutes…
Gökhan Gönül out for Turkey
May 24, 2008
Whatever Turkey does in UEFA this year, they’ll do it without Gökhan Gönül. He’ll be out with a right foot injury.
“Scans have showed that Gökhan should be rested for at least four weeks without participating in any training sessions,” said Turkey coach Fatih Terim. “We did our best to keep him in our squad but our players’ health is more important in any case. Therefore, we were forced to remove him from our squad.”
Petit set to retire
May 23, 2008
Portugal’s Petit has stated he’ll retire after UEFA 2008. He said: “We have players with a great future ahead of them in the Portugal midfield, so I think it’s time … this will probably be my last [UEFA] European Championship and my last matches for my country.”
Petit has had a memorable career, playing in the World Cup finals and the UEFA final, but knee and thigh injuries may spell the end for him.
my panini
May 15, 2008
‘my panini:
I may have hesitated to write this. its simply too embarrasing. at my age, still collecting panini? dammit. Its an addiction….what can you do…
Who would have thought that the swiss are the top consumers of paniniin worldwide comparison (switzerland: 150 million images sold = 20/person = 11 x more than the germans = 40 x more than the italians = the inventors of the thing. panini are sold in 110 countries, yet switzerland alone makes up 10% of worldwide sales. [numbers via blick]). the swiss collect those silly footie stickers with a passion bordering on the frantic.
The austrians are probably not much better, except that the swiss have more money to spend on silly things like panini.
I have been doing the math. in order to fill the album clean, meaning you never get any doubles, would cost 120.- swiss francs. and with a rate of doubles of 33% at least the cost shoots up to 180.-. this is nuts. only when you are down to 20 images missing you can order the missing images directly.
In short:
That’s the panini addiction!
If anybody doesn’t know what panini is:
http://www.paninionline.com/collectibles/institutional/bt/uk/
‘
Fantasy is my reality
May 15, 2008
Euro 2008 fantasy is open for registration at ESPN.com. I don’t know about you, but for me, this is one of the best parts of any soccer tournament.
I think I’d make a better coach than Guus, don’t you? I suppose we’ll find out come June.
Hiddink’s squad a surprise
May 14, 2008
Among surprises in Guus Hiddink’s squad for Russia is midfielder Sergei Semak. He hasn’t played for the Russian national team since May 2006. Other surprises include FC Lokomotiv Moskva winger Renat Yanbaev, FC Krylya Sovetov Samara midfielder Oleg Ivanov and FC Spartak Moskva playmaker Aleksandr Pavlenko.
Hiddink has said that many of his players are there to build for the future. It’s still a surprise to many, but then, he is Guus Hiddink. If anybody knows what he’s ding, it’s Guus.
For my german friends…
May 13, 2008
Das Wunder von Wien
Viva l’Austria!!
It’s official - Rosický is out
May 10, 2008
Tomáš Rosický has been out since January with a hamstring problem, but the Czech Republic was hoping it’s captain would heal faster than he did. But with surgery looming, Rosický has ruled himself off the squad.
The Czechs have a good team, but how well they can recover from this crippling loss is to be seen.
Bilic names Croatia squad
May 7, 2008
Croatia coach Slaven Bilic has named the squad for Croatia. Interestingly, only six defenders made the team, but several of the midfielders are good playing back.
Croatia is a dangerous, young, aggresive team. Expect big things from them. I can see them winning big in group play.
Escudé’s injury acts up
May 6, 2008
Bad news for France and for Julien Escudé. Escudé’s groin, which has been a problem all season, forced him to limp off the field before halftime in Sevilla FC’s game against Real Valladolid CF. His chances of playing for France are virtually nil.
