Sports

Dutch forward Arjen Robben stretches in front of teammates John Heitinga and Rafael van der Vaart during a training session in Geneva, June 7. Holland embark on yet another major finals campaign with high expectations but their first clash of Euro 2008 will evoke memories of another failure to cash in on their constant conveyor belt of talent when they face world champions Italy.

(AFP/File/Ed Oudenaarden)

BERNE, Switzerland (AFP) - Holland embark on yet another major finals campaign with high expectations but their first clash of Euro 2008 will evoke memories of another failure to cash in on their constant conveyor belt of talent when they face world champions Italy here on Monday.

source

BASEL, Switzerland - Vaclav Sverkos made his first goal for the Czech Republic a memorable one, scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory over co-host Switzerland on Saturday in the opening match of the European Championship.

Sverkos, making only his fourth appearance for the national team, scored from 16 yards with the outside of his right foot in the 71st minute, shortly after coming on as a substitute.

source : yahoo news

An Austrian hostess offers Italian flags during a training session of the Italian national football team in Maria Enzersdorf near Vienna, on June 2. It took time, but with less than a week to go before the start of Euro 2008 and with sunny weather bringing people out in droves, Vienna is starting to show some football fever.

(AFP/Joe Klamar)

VIENNA (AFP) - It took time, but with less than a week to go before the start of Euro 2008 and with sunny weather bringing people out in droves, Vienna is starting to show some football fever.

Preparations for the 100,000-square-metre fan mile enclosing City Hall Square, Heroes' Square and the Ring road in between, which is to be closed for a whole month starting on Monday, are in full swing.

Stages and giant screens are being set up and the still-shuttered food huts are already in place, ready to be opened for business.

source

Shaun Maloney of Scotland (L) goes to head the ball with Zdenek Pospech of Czech Republic during their friendly soccer match in Prague. The Czech Republic won 3-1.

(AFP/Michal Cizek)

PRAGUE (AFP) - The Czech Republic ran out comfortable 3-1 winners over Scotland here on Friday, but big question marks still remain over the home side's midfield ahead of next week's Euro 2008 finals.

who will win in uefa-euro 2008 ?

Saturday 7 June 2008
1	Grp A	Switzerland	18:00	Czech Republic	Basel - St. Jakob-Park
2	Grp A	Portugal	20:45	Turkey	Geneva - Stade de Genève
Sunday 8 June 2008
3	Grp B	Austria	18:00	Croatia	Vienna - Ernst Happel
4	Grp B	Germany	20:45	Poland	Klagenfurt - Wörthersee
Monday 9 June 2008
5	Grp C	Romania	18:00	France	Zurich - Letzigrund
6	Grp C	Netherlands	20:45	Italy	Berne - Stade de Suisse
Tuesday 10 June 2008
7	Grp D	Spain	18:00	Russia	Innsbruck - Tivoli Neu
8	Grp D	Greece	20:45	Sweden	Salzburg - EM Stadion Wals-Siezenheim
Wednesday 11 June 2008
9	Grp A	Czech Republic	18:00	Portugal	Geneva - Stade de Genève
10	Grp A	Switzerland	20:45	Turkey	Basel - St. Jakob-Park
Thursday 12 June 2008
11	Grp B	Croatia	18:00	Germany	Klagenfurt - Wörthersee
12	Grp B	Austria	20:45	Poland	Vienna - Ernst Happel
Friday 13 June 2008
13	Grp C	Italy	18:00	Romania	Zurich - Letzigrund
14	Grp C	Netherlands	20:45	France	Berne - Stade de Suisse
Saturday 14 June 2008
15	Grp D	Sweden	18:00	Spain	Innsbruck - Tivoli Neu
16	Grp D	Greece	20:45	Russia	Salzburg - EM Stadion Wals-Siezenheim
Sunday 15 June 2008
17	Grp A	Switzerland	20:45	Portugal	Basel - St. Jakob-Park
18	Grp A	Turkey	20:45	Czech Republic	Geneva - Stade de Genève
Monday 16 June 2008
19	Grp B	Poland	20:45	Croatia	Klagenfurt - Wörthersee
20	Grp B	Austria	20:45	Germany	Vienna - Ernst Happel
Tuesday 17 June 2008
21	Grp C	Netherlands	20:45	Romania	Berne - Stade de Suisse
22	Grp C	France	20:45	Italy	Zurich - Letzigrund
Wednesday 18 June 2008
23	Grp D	Greece	20:45	Spain	Salzburg - EM Stadion Wals-Siezenheim
24	Grp D	Russia	20:45	Sweden	Innsbruck - Tivoli Neu
Thursday 19 June 2008
25	QF	Winner Grp A	20:45	Runner-up Grp B	Basel - St. Jakob-Park
Friday 20 June 2008
26	QF	Winner Grp B	20:45	Runner-up Grp A	Vienna - Ernst Happel
Saturday 21 June 2008
27	QF	Winner Grp C	20:45	Runner-up Grp D	Basel - St. Jakob-Park
Sunday 22 June 2008
28	QF	Winner Grp D	20:45	Runner-up Grp C	Vienna - Ernst Happel
Wednesday 25 June 2008
29	SF	Winner #25	20:45	Winner #26	Basel - St. Jakob-Park
Thursday 26 June 2008
30	SF	Winner #27	20:45	Winner #28	Vienna - Ernst Happel
Sunday 29 June 2008
31	F	Winner #29	20:45	Winner #30	Vienna - Ernst Happel

Saturday 7 June 2008
1	Grp A	Switzerland	18:00	Czech Republic	Basel - St. Jakob-Park
2	Grp A	Portugal	20:45	Turkey	Geneva - Stade de Genève
Sunday 8 June 2008
3	Grp B	Austria	18:00	Croatia	Vienna - Ernst Happel
4	Grp B	Germany	20:45	Poland	Klagenfurt - Wörthersee
Monday 9 June 2008
5	Grp C	Romania	18:00	France	Zurich - Letzigrund
6	Grp C	Netherlands	20:45	Italy	Berne - Stade de Suisse
Tuesday 10 June 2008
7	Grp D	Spain	18:00	Russia	Innsbruck - Tivoli Neu
8	Grp D	Greece	20:45	Sweden	Salzburg - EM Stadion Wals-Siezenheim
Wednesday 11 June 2008
9	Grp A	Czech Republic	18:00	Portugal	Geneva - Stade de Genève
10	Grp A	Switzerland	20:45	Turkey	Basel - St. Jakob-Park
Thursday 12 June 2008
11	Grp B	Croatia	18:00	Germany	Klagenfurt - Wörthersee
12	Grp B	Austria	20:45	Poland	Vienna - Ernst Happel
Friday 13 June 2008
13	Grp C	Italy	18:00	Romania	Zurich - Letzigrund
14	Grp C	Netherlands	20:45	France	Berne - Stade de Suisse
Saturday 14 June 2008
15	Grp D	Sweden	18:00	Spain	Innsbruck - Tivoli Neu
16	Grp D	Greece	20:45	Russia	Salzburg - EM Stadion Wals-Siezenheim
Sunday 15 June 2008
17	Grp A	Switzerland	20:45	Portugal	Basel - St. Jakob-Park
18	Grp A	Turkey	20:45	Czech Republic	Geneva - Stade de Genève
Monday 16 June 2008
19	Grp B	Poland	20:45	Croatia	Klagenfurt - Wörthersee
20	Grp B	Austria	20:45	Germany	Vienna - Ernst Happel
Tuesday 17 June 2008
21	Grp C	Netherlands	20:45	Romania	Berne - Stade de Suisse
22	Grp C	France	20:45	Italy	Zurich - Letzigrund
Wednesday 18 June 2008
23	Grp D	Greece	20:45	Spain	Salzburg - EM Stadion Wals-Siezenheim
24	Grp D	Russia	20:45	Sweden	Innsbruck - Tivoli Neu
Thursday 19 June 2008
25	QF	Winner Grp A	20:45	Runner-up Grp B	Basel - St. Jakob-Park
Friday 20 June 2008
26	QF	Winner Grp B	20:45	Runner-up Grp A	Vienna - Ernst Happel
Saturday 21 June 2008
27	QF	Winner Grp C	20:45	Runner-up Grp D	Basel - St. Jakob-Park
Sunday 22 June 2008
28	QF	Winner Grp D	20:45	Runner-up Grp C	Vienna - Ernst Happel
Wednesday 25 June 2008
29	SF	Winner #25	20:45	Winner #26	Basel - St. Jakob-Park
Thursday 26 June 2008
30	SF	Winner #27	20:45	Winner #28	Vienna - Ernst Happel
Sunday 29 June 2008
31	F	Winner #29	20:45	Winner #30	Vienna - Ernst Happel

Arsenal footballer Tomas Rosicky celebrates scoring the third goal during their Premiership match at Craven Cottage in London, January 2008. Rosicky is doubtful for Euro 2008 because of recurring knee tendonitis, Czech football federation vice-president Vlastimil Kostal has said.

(AFP/File/Glyn Kirk)

The 27-year Arsenal midfielder is suffering from a painful inflammation at the back of his knee and has been out of action since the end of January.

"To be honest I'm worried for Rosicky's participation in the Euro," Kostal told the daily Sport.

"The treatment is difficult. Tomas has accepted the fact that he probably won't play for Arsenal again this season," Czech team doctor Petr Krejci added.

If Rosicky does not compete in the June 7-29 tournament coach Karel Brueckner could opt to use Reading's Marek Matejovsky, Jaroslav Plasil, of Spanish side Osasuna, or Hamburg's David Jarolim in the role of playmaker.

The newspaper also speculated on the eventual return of Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved, who retired from international competition after the end of the 2006 World Cup.

UEFA president France's Michel Platini jokes during a press conference in Vienna. Platini voiced confidence that Spain would not be excluded from Euro 2008 because of an ongoing row with FIFA over perceived government interference in the running of the country's football federation.

(AFP/Samuel Kubani)

UEFA President Michel Platini, left, and Martin Kallen EURO 2008 SA COO are seen during a news conference about current status of UEFA EURO 2008 preparations at the UEFA EURO 2008 Finalits' Workshop in Vienna on Wednesday March 12, 2008.

(AP Photo/Hans Punz)

Bayern Munich's French player Franck Ribery(C) and his teammates acknowledge their fans after inflicting a 5-0 defeat on Andrelecht in the UEFA quarter-finals in Brussels.

(AFP/John Thys)

BRUSSELS (AFP) - Bayern Munich virtually made sure of their place in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals with a 5-0 demolition of Belgian side Anderlecht here on Thursday.

The German giants were in front after just nine minutes when Turkish international Hamit Altintop found the target with a 30-metre drive.

The night got more comfortable for Bayern, who were missing rested goalkeeper Oliver Kahn as well as the injured Lucio and Ze Roberto, when Anderlecht's Polish defender Marcin Wasilewski was sent-off for a foul on Luca Toni on the stroke of half-time.

The Italian international striker added the second goal for Bayern in first half injury time before Lukas Podolski made it 3-0 in the 57th minute.

Miroslav Klose, who came on as a half-time substitite, put away the fourth in the 67th minute from a pass from fellow replacement Frank Ribery.

The French midfielder completed the scoring with a 20-metre free-kick four minutes from the end as Bayern celebrated their first win in five European visits to Anderlecht.

"I'm very happy," said Ribery. "It's always special to score a free-kick like that.

"It was a good match for us. We are the favourites for the UEFA Cup and I really believe that if we play all of our matches as seriously as this one then we can do it."

Chelsea's German midfielder Michael Ballack applauds the supporters after beating Olympiakos 3-0 in their UEFA Champions League football match against Olympiakos at Stamford Bridge, London.

(AFP/Paul Ellis)