I must admit that there was a time, not so very long ago, when I used to feel a creeping sense of boredom during international breaks.

In my heart of hearts I knew that I should be grateful for the fact that football was available for easy consumption at all, but after many-a-year of increasing saturation, the lull in coverage was borderline tortuous for an addict like me and the sheer paucity of games being played meant that the fortnights quickly began to drag like a millstone around the neck.

The reason? I, like many others of my generation, have had it too easy for too long.

My growing disinterest didn’t stem from any particular lack of quality, far from it, there just wasn’t enough for a man with an appetite as gargantuan as mine – and the fact that any given lay-off was usually peppered with a couple of heart-breakingly underwhelming England performances hardly served to sweeten the proceedings.

My problem was that I was being overly myopic, and perhaps a little xenophobic in my outlook. I was only really concerned with the result of, and games that had a direct bearing on, England’s result – which was not a terribly efficient way to approach the schedule, given my intrinsic disdain for the national side at the time.

If you think about it, there is actually shed loads of football being played over the two or three relevant dates (e.g. there will be 45 separate Euro 2012 qualifiers played between October 8th-12th, with one further fixture played on the 17th) and whereas, to the uninterested,  Latvia vs Georgia may not sound like it has the makings of a classic on paper, it may well turn out to be a cracking little game of football.

It is with this renewed sense of Euro-friendly optimism that I have selected a few of the upcoming qualifying games that may be worth keeping an eye on.

Germany beat Turkey in the Euro 2008 semi-finals

First up is Germany vs Turkey, Group A on Oct 8th:

This will be the first time the two countries (who currently occupy the top two positions in the Group A table) have met since the now-infamous ‘blackout’ game, i.e. the scintillating Euro 2008 semi-final that saw the Germans eventually run out as 3-2 winners.

Due to problems with the broadcasting feed, most of the world missed Germany striker Miroslav Klose score to make it 2-1 and many also missed full-back Phillip Lahm scoring the winner that took Die Mannschaft through to the final.

Germany’s youth-orientated rejuvenation has attracted many plaudits and Turkey have become a much more drilled outfit under current coach ‘Golden’ Guus Hiddink, though I’m sure that, if Hamit Altintop were to break rank and reproduce the sublime volleyed goal he netted against Kazakhstan in their previous game, no one would hold it against him.

Portugal vs Denmark, Group H on Oct 8th:

Portugal will be striving to kick-start their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign having started tentatively, taking just one solitary point from their opening two games (being held 4-4 at home by Cyprus) and parting company with their coach Carlos Queiroz.

The two sides have come up against each other on a fairly regular basis over the past couple of years, having been drawn together in the same 2010 World Cup qualifying group – both eventually reaching the finals, though with varying degrees of comfort. Denmark were always in control of their qualification campaign and secured their their place at the finals reasonably early, meanwhile Portugal started poorly and were left to qualify for South Africa via the play-offs.

Karim Benzema celebrates his goal against Bosnia

France vs Romania, Group D on Oct 9th:

A shambolic World Cup campaign ensured that France’s worst (and, paradoxically, longest-serving) manager Raymond Domenech left Les Bleus under a rather bottom-heavy cloud in the summer, but his successor  Laurent Blanc is showing signs of steadily transforming his remodelled side from the laughing stock of European football back to something resembling a footballing collective.

Blanc inherited a team in ruins and, by starting his competitive reign with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Belarus, it seemed that they may be beyond repair. However, a 2-0 victory over dark-horses Bosnia and Herzegovina in their next game has allowed the faintest titters of positivity to begin to surface again – although whether France can maintain their momentum remains to be seen.

Slovakia vs Republic of Ireland, Group B on Oct 12th:

Slovakia and Ireland have been grouped together for the second bout of  qualifying campaigns in a row, so they should be more than familiar with each other. Both countries are currently sitting pretty as unbeaten joint-leaders at the top of the Group B pile.

England vs Montenegro, Group G on Oct 12th:

England manager Fabio Capello has thrown in his customary curveballs when it comes to his squad selection, with troubled striker Wayne Rooney included alongside Bolton captain Kevin Davies in the attacking ranks, World Cup bollock-dropper-in-chief Robert Green restored and a couple of critically out-of-form players also thrown into the mix for good measure. The question is, will the Italian’s unconventional picks pay off?

You can keep abreast of all the goings-on on the road to Poland and the Ukraine by visiting Soccerlens’ dedicated Euro 2012 Qualifying groups and fixtures section.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

England

City To Miss Out On Dzeko?

Vfl Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko wants to move, and Manchester City (along with Juventus) have him as a top target. However, Wolfsburg, as was the case last summer, want to hold on to him, and with City not looking to stump up the £34m that Wolfsburg want for the Bosnian, they could be forced to look elsewhere. (The Mirror)

Analysis: You can’t fault the man for wanting to take a step up, and after dominating Bundesliga defenses over the last couple of seasons, he has certainly proved he’s deserving and ready. However, as was the case last summer, I’m leaning more towards Dzeko being right where he currently is when the transfer window closes as opposed to being at City or Juve.

Liverpool Backtrack On N’Gog Move

After it appeared that West Bromwich Albion were about to take Liverpool striker David N‘Gog on loan, it looks like Liverpool will be holding on to N‘Gog, at least until they can sign two new strikers. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Whether or not Fernando Torres leaves, there’s a fresh injury situation to worry about with him, which doesn’t bode well for this season after all of his niggles last season. And with Liverpool not having made much headway in the transfer market thus far, letting N’Gog go right now would be a bit premature. Besides, given how much he contributed last season, it wouldn’t hurt to keep him around instead of loaning him out at some point this season no matter what.

Hammers Up Remy Bid

West Ham have offered £12m for highly rated Nice striker Loic Remy. West Ham are looking to pay out the club record fee over four years, while Nice are looking for a £13m fee with £8m paid up front. (The Sun)

Analysis: Remy really wants to move to West Ham, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find a compromise soon. For what it’s worth, though it wouldn’t be ideal for the Hammers given their budget, he’s certainly worth having to pay 8m up front.

Stoke Move For O’Neil

Stoke City are offering winger Liam Lawrence to Middlesbrough in exchange for midfielder Gary O’Neil. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Lawrence, who was a star of Stoke’s promotion campaign in the 2007/08 season, scoring 15 goals and assisting on 15 more, would certainly fit right in on the right flank that O’Neil currently occupies, but Boro have been pretty adamant about holding on to O’Neil over the last couple of summers, and I expect more of the same now, especially with Boro being well positioned make a return to the Premier League.

Newcastle In For Cristea

Newcastle are interested in Romanian striker Andrei Cristea. The 26-year-old scored 16 goals for Dinamo Bucharest last season, finishing atop the league‘s scoring charts. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Here’s of a video of all of Cristea’s 2009/10 goals. He’s certainly not lacking in the power department, but more importantly, he knows how to direct those howitzers as well. Newcastle aren’t short on scoring options, but he looks to be a quality addition if they can land him.

Blackpool Eye Bradley

Blackpool are interested in a move for American midfielder Michael Bradley. The 23-year-old has been a regular at Borussia Monchengladbach for two seasons but is looking for a fresh start. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: The Premier League has been to American players in recent years, and this would be a good move for him. He’s already gotten experience playing in a relegation battle with M’Gladbach, so he’d come in knowing what to expect. Now, if his father gets the Fulham job, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him become the latest American to join up there, but we’ll see how that shakes out.

Boro Close On Thomson

Middlesbrough have agreed a £2m fee with Rangers for midfielder Kevin Thomson. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Another day, another former SPL player signs on at Middlesbrough? Seems to be that way! It’s fair to say though that Gordon Strachan is assembling a team capable of making a serious run at promotion this season. Thomson has had two serious knee injuries in his career, but if he’s fit, he stands to e a key player for Boro as they push for promotion.

Italy

Fiorentina Sign Boruc

Fiorentina have agreed a deal to sign keeper Artur Boruc from Celtic. A fee of £1.7m has been mentioned, allowing Celtic to cash in on a player who had only one year left on his contract. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: There has been talk of Boruc’s arrival opening the way for Frey to leave the club (with Arsenal mentioned as a destination), but we’ll see how that plays out. Frey is Fiorentina’s undisputed #1, and I don’t think Boruc’s arrival changes that, so if Boruc is to have significant time between the sticks with his new club, something would have to happen that takes Frey out of the equation.

Brazil

Ronaldinho Set For Flamengo

According to Brazilian news reports, Ronaldinho has given his word that he will join Flamengo from AC Milan, and all that‘s left is for AC Milan to give the deal the green light and release the former Barcelona star from his contract. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: This isn’t a move based on him being past it and needing to rediscover his form, as he’s coming off of his best season in a few years. But as it’s been for some of his compatriots, the move back home will be a good one for him, and when he comes back to Europe (I think he’ll return at some point), he’ll come back better for the move. It’ll also be an instant boost for Flamengo, who have had a slow start to the new season and need to step it up coming out of the World Cup break.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The draw for the Euro 2012 qualifying stages was held today in Warsaw and the resulting groups left us with few possibilities of upsets.

England missed out on qualification last time around but have a relatively easy group to negotiate with the likes of Wales, Montenegro and Bulgaria standing in their way. Switzerland round up the group which will provide for an interesting but relatively straight-forward qualification.

Hosts Poland and Ukraine get a bye to the finals, while European champions Spain have the Czech Republic and Scotland in their group.

Fifty-one countries participated in the draw, forming 6 groups of 6 teams and 3 groups of 5 teams each. The groups will be contested according to a league system on a home-and-away basis, with games scheduled between September 2010 and October 2011.

The nine winners and the runner-up with the best record against the top five sides in their pool qualify directly for the final tournament, the last before the championship is expanded to 24 teams. The eight remaining runners-up go into play-off matches in November 2011 to decide the final four sides to join co-hosts Poland and Ukraine.

Euro 2012 Qualifying Groups

Group A: Germany, Turkey, Austria, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan

Group B: Russia, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland, Macedonia, Armenia, Andorra

Group C: Italy, Serbia, Northern Ireland, Slovenia, Estonia, Faroe Islands

Group D: France, Romania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Belarus, Albania, Luxembourg

Group E: Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Moldova, San Marino

Group F: Croatia, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Georgia, Malta

Group G: England, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales, Montenegro

Group H: Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Cyprus, Iceland

Group I: Spain, Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania, Liechtenstein

Euro 2012 Qualifying Fixtures

GROUP A

03.09.10
Belgium v Germany
Kazakhstan v Turkey

07.09.10
Germany v Azerbaijan
Austria v Kazakhstan
Turkey v Belgium

08.10.10
Kazakhstan v Belgium
Austria v Azerbaijan
Germany v Turkey

12.10.10
Kazakhstan v Germany
Belgium v Austria
Azerbaijan v Turkey

25.03.11
Austria v Belgium
Germany v Kazakhstan

29.03.11
Turkey v Austria
Belgium v Azerbaijan

03.06.11
Belgium v Turkey
Austria v Germany
Kazakhstan v Azerbaijan

07.06.11
Azerbaijan v Germany

02.09.11
Azerbaijan v Belgium
Germany v Austria
Turkey v Kazakhstan

06.09.11
Austria v Turkey
Azerbaijan v Kazakhstan

07.10.11
Azerbaijan v Austria
Belgium v Kazakhstan
Turkey v Germany

11.10.11
Germany v Belgium
Turkey v Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan v Austria

GROUP B

03.09.10
Armenia v Ireland
Andorra v Russia
Slovakia v Macedonia

07.09.10
Ireland v Andorra
Russia v Slovakia
Macedonia v Armenia

08.10.10
Armenia v Slovakia
Ireland v Russia
Andorra v Macedonia

12.10.10
Armenia v Andorra
Slovakia v Ireland
Macedonia v Russia

26.03.11
Ireland v Macedonia
Andorra v Slovakia
Russia v Armenia

04.06.11
Armenia v Russia
Slovakia v Andorra
Macedonia v Ireland

02.09.11
Ireland v Slovakia
Andorra v Armenia
Russia v Macedonia

06.09.11
Russia v Ireland
Slovakia v Armenia
Macedonia v Andorra

07.10.11
Armenia v Macedonia
Andorra v Ireland
Slovakia v Russia

11.10.11
Ireland v Armenia
Russia v Andorra
Macedonia v Slovakia

GROUP C

11.08.10
Estonia v Faroe Islands

03.09.10
Slovenia v Northern Ireland
Estonia v Italy
Faroe Islands v Serbia

07.09.10
Serbia v Slovenia
Italy v Faroe Islands

08.10.10
Slovenia v Faroe Islands
Serbia v Estonia
Northern Ireland v Italy

12.10.10
Faroe Islands v Northern Ireland
Estonia v Slovenia
Italy v Serbia

25.03.11
Slovenia v Italy
Serbia v Northern Ireland

29.03.11
Northern Ireland v Slovenia
Estonia v Serbia

03.06.11
Faroe Islands v Slovenia
Italy v Estonia

07.06.11
Faroe Islands v Estonia

10.08.11
Northern Ireland v Faroe Islands

02.09.11
Slovenia v Estonia
Faroe Islands v Italy
Northern Ireland v Serbia

06.09.11
Italy v Slovenia
Serbia v Faroe Islands
Estonia v Northern Ireland

07.10.11
Northern Ireland v Estonia
Serbia v Italy

11.10.11
Italy v Northern Ireland
Slovenia v Serbia

GROUP D

03.09.10
France v Belarus
Romania v Albania
Luxembourg v Bosnia

07.09.10
Albania v Luxembourg
Bosnia v France
Belarus v Romania

08.10.10
Albania v Bosnia
Luxembourg v Belarus

09.10.10
France v Romania

12.10.10
Belarus v Albania
France v Luxembourg

25.03.11
Luxembourg v France

26.03.11
Bosnia v Romania
Albania v Belarus

29.03.11
Romania v Luxembourg

03.06.11
Belarus v France
Romania v Bosnia

07.06.11
Belarus v Luxembourg
Bosnia v Albania

02.09.11
Luxembourg v Romania
Belarus v Bosnia
Albania v France

06.09.11
Romania v France
Bosnia v Belarus
Luxembourg v Albania

07.10.11
Bosnia v Luxembourg
France v Albania
Romania v Belarus

11.10.11
France v Bosnia
Albania v Romania

GROUP E

03.09.10
Sweden v Hungary
Moldova v Finland
San Marino v Netherlands

07.09.10
Netherlands v Finland
Sweden v San Marino
Hungary v Moldova

08.10.10
Hungary v San Marino
Moldova v Netherlands

12.10.10
Netherlands v Sweden
Finland v Hungary
San Marino v Moldova

17.11.10
Finland v San Marino

25.03.11
Hungary v Netherlands

29.03.11
Netherlands v Hungary
Sweden v Moldova

03.06.11
Moldova v Sweden
San Marino v Finland

07.06.11
Sweden v Finland
San Marino v Hungary

02.09.11
Netherlands v San Marino
Finland v Moldova
Hungary v Sweden

06.09.11
Finland v Netherlands
Moldova v Hungary
San Marino v Sweden

07.10.11
Netherlands v Moldova
Finland v Sweden

11.10.11
Sweden v Netherlands
Hungary v Finland
Moldova v San Marino

GROUP F

03.09.10
Greece v Georgia
Israel v Malta
Latvia v Croatia

07.09.10
Georgia v Israel
Malta v Latvia
Croatia v Greece

08.10.10
Greece v Latvia
Georgia v Malta
Israel v Croatia

12.10.10
Greece v Israel
Latvia v Georgia
Croatia v Malta

26.03.11
Georgia v Croatia
Israel v Latvia
Malta v Greece

04.06.11
Greece v Malta
Latvia v Israel
Croatia v Georgia

02.09.11
Georgia v Latvia
Israel v Greece
Malta v Croatia

06.09.11
Malta v Georgia
Latvia v Greece
Croatia v Israel

07.10.11
Greece v Croatia
Israel v Georgia
Latvia v Malta

11.10.11
Georgia v Greece
Malta v Israel
Croatia v Latvia

GROUP G

03.09.10
Montenegro v Wales
England v Bulgaria

07.09.10
Bulgaria v Montenegro
Switzerland v England

08.10.10
Montenegro v Switzerland
Wales v Bulgaria

12.10.10
England v Montenegro
Switzerland v Wales

26.03.11
Wales v England
Bulgaria v Switzerland

04.06.11
Montenegro v Bulgaria
England v Switzerland

02.09.11
Wales v Montenegro
Bulgaria v England

06.09.11
England v Wales
Switzerland v Bulgaria

07.10.11
Montenegro v England
Wales v Switzerland

11.10.11
Bulgaria v Wales
Switzerland v Montenegro

GROUP H

03.09.10
Portugal v Cyprus
Iceland v Norway

07.09.10
Norway v Portugal
Denmark v Iceland

08.10.10
Portugal v Denmark
Cyprus v Norway

12.10.10
Iceland v Portugal
Denmark v Cyprus

26.03.11
Cyprus v Iceland
Norway v Denmark

04.06.11
Portugal v Norway
Iceland v Denmark

02.09.11
Cyprus v Portugal
Norway v Iceland

06.09.11
Iceland v Cyprus
Denmark v Norway

07.10.11
Portugal v Iceland
Cyprus v Denmark

11.10.11
Norway v Cyprus
Denmark v Portugal

GROUP I

03.09.10
Lithuania v Scotland
Liechtenstein v Spain

07.09.10
Czech Republic v Lithuania
Scotland v Liechtenstein

08.10.10
Spain v Lithuania
Czech Republic v Scotland

12.10.10
Scotland v Spain
Liechtenstein v Czech Republic

25.03.11
Spain v Czech Republic

29.03.11
Czech Republic v Liechtenstein
Lithuania v Spain

03.06.11
Liechtenstein v Lithuania

02.09.11
Lithuania v Liechtenstein

03.09.11
Scotland v Czech Republic

06.09.11
Spain v Liechtenstein
Scotland v Lithuania

07.10.11
Czech Republic v Spain

08.10.11
Liechtenstein v Scotland

11.10.11
Spain v Scotland
Lithuania v Czech Republic

The following dates are reserved for the play-off matches between the remaining eight runners-up:

a) 11/12 November 2011
b) 15 November 2011

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Twenty-two minutes isn’t long. Yet who knows how precious those short moments were to Ronaldo, finally back on a football pitch last week in Corinthians’ 2-0 cup win over Itumbiara. After a year spent wrestling with the aftermath of more surgery and rehabilitation, and with the hurried panting of time becoming almost as loud in his ear as his own laboured breaths, it was almost as if the moment had been stolen, as if the hourglass had been laid to one side for half an hour or so for the frenzied distractions of a São Paulo night.

Because immobile and disconnected as he was, Ronaldo’s comeback was already easily better than some of his previous efforts. Most famously, in what would become a tragically recurring image for the rest of his career, it took only seven minutes for his knee to buckle on his return for Internazionale in the Coppa Italia final against Lazio in April 2000 after six months out. In fact, his debut appearance for Corinthians was by far the most successful comeback of the week.

The rise and fall of ‘The Cobra’

Just like Ronaldo, Adrian Ilie was once a player with high expectations. Emerging from the misty southern plains of Romania with his now-defunct hometown club Electroputere Craiova, Ilie signed for Steaua Bucharest for what was then a record Romanian deal of around $100,000 at the age of 19. During his time with the army club he dispatched 28 goals in 85 league matches, and made the first of 55 appearances for the national side. But the world was calling.

A brief stop-over at Galatasaray was followed by the move in 1998 which was ultimately to define his career. In four years at Valencia Ilie became ‘The Cobra’, a lithe assassin of exceptional movement and grace, a coiled penalty-box menace of whom defenders could never be sure if he was truly sleeping. A domestic strike rate of one in three was capped by a 70th-minute substitute cameo in Valencia’s Champions League final appearance in 2000. Sadly, he had succumbed to persistent injury before their second, equally unsuccessful shot at the trophy the following year. Never again quite the player of old following his recovery, a 28 year-old Ilie was released from his contract in 2002.

That was pretty much that. Ilie spent the following season stumbling through the truly monstrous post-UEFA Cup run hangover which saw Deportivo Alavés relegated from the Spanish top flight, before returning to Istanbul with his compatriot Mircea Lucescu’s BeÅŸiktaÅŸ. If his star briefly flickered again, with six goals in thirteen games, it was because it was rapidly being extinguished.

He moved once again, this time to the resolute obscurity of FC Zürich, where his wrecked ankle ligaments finally called a halt on May 11th, 2005. Although he signed a further deal with Germinal Beerschot later that year, he failed to play a single game in Belgium. Finally accepting his fate, Ilie slowly walked away from the game that had been his life since those distant days at Electroputere to a new life running a Transylvanian ski hotel. Gheorghe Hagi – despite hailing from outside the Black Sea port of ConstanÅ£a – had became famous as the Maradona of the Carpathians. Ilie, the only talent who, in recent years, has even come close to Hagi, seemed content to fade from the public eye amongst those same mountains.

A new lease on life?

Enter Terek Grozny. Ten days ago, the Chechen side, preparing for a second straight season in the Russian Premier League, announced that they had offered Adrian Ilie, now retired for almost four years, a contract. As Ilie himself explained: “The officials from Terek called me a few months ago, but I told them that I could not play. It has been a long time since I gave up football. However, they insisted so much and they managed to convince me. I will go to Germany to do some medical checks and, if everything is OK, I will sign the contract”. Terek vice-president Haidar Alhanov, addressing a somewhat bemused media throng, declared that: “So what if Ilie is 35 years old? [Amadeo] Carboni played at Valencia until he was 40 and he played very well. If a player is dedicated to what he does, age doesn’t matter”. The deal was reported to be worth €1.2 million to Ilie, with whom the Chechens didn’t exactly play hardball in negotiations: “The officials from Terek wanted me so much that they were ready to offer me an unfilled contract. I could write the amount that I wanted”, he confessed.

Really? Why would a 35-year old player, forced to retire through serious and persistent injury, be offered such a bumper contract after four years of inactivity? It appears that Terek could have had little expectation of Ilie actually making any significant contribution to the new Russian season, which kicks off later this month, given his admission that: “At the beginning, I will only play five to ten minutes. Then we’ll see. The most important thing is that my feet can take it”. Terek, to judge by their enthusiasm to get Ilie signed up, clearly believed that they could.

Then, last week, the results of Ilie’s medical tests in Germany arrived. Belief can sometimes seem very small when compared to science. There was no way his shattered ankle would be able to withstand a comeback of any description. Ilie, by now thoroughly attuned to the impositions of medicine, was admirably philosophical: “When I decided to retire from football I knew why I had taken that decision. The officials from Terek asked me to play a few minutes of every match, but I couldn’t accept this. I don’t want to complicate the situation or create problems in the locker room”. The outcome, for all the excitement generated by the prospect of his return, was hardly a surprise. So what had really been going on here?

Behind the curtain

Several possibilities spring to mind. Firstly, Terek have recently developed a fascination with Ilie’s countrymen. An indifferent start to last season saw the Chechens sign three Romanians on a single day in July 2008, and Andrei Mărgăritescu, Daniel Pancu and Florentin Petre were generally — if not entirely accurately — credited with single-handedly stabilizing Terek’s season and guiding them to a tenth-place finish.

With this narrative becoming the sole currency at the club, perhaps Terek had genuinely come to believe in the redemptive powers of Romanian footballers, to the exclusion of all others and of common sense. Moreover, if anyone knows anything about comebacks, it’s Terek Grozny. The club spent almost twenty years either disbanded, under threat of demotion, or playing outside their home city.

Terek were always a hot potato even before the first and second Chechen wars, with matches against Moscow sides, allied with the local practice of spectators firing rifles into the air to celebrate goals, an enduring source of consternation. Their years in exile in Pyatigorsk were lonely ones, where the city’s inhabitants would often turn up specifically to cheer on the opponents to the hated separatists, and their home Sultan Bilimkhanov Stadium was the scene of the assassination of Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov in 2004. So consecutive seasons in the top-flight, with a return to Grozny and — most unusually for Russia – a decent playing surface, are certainly quite the achievement. If the club could make it back to the top, so the argument runs, then Ilie would have had every chance.

A charitable interpretation would probably take such a form. Whether such an interpretation would be plausible is another question. More likely is the depressing suspicion that Terek knew full well that Ilie would never pass any medical worthy of the name, and were simply using him as a means of garnering cheap publicity.

The reactions which the club met in Pyatigorsk still prevail across much of the country, with major security operations still required for most away games. In return, sides visiting Grozny last season stayed under armed guard in a compound sixty miles from the city. Some positive headlines in the wider Russian press would, without question, be a welcome change. There is also the additional factor of Terek’s new-found following in Romania, established as a result of last season’s triple signing, which could conceivably have motivated one crowd-pleasing gesture too many.

The hope is that Terek’s motives were sincere. To this observer, the key detail is probably the reported size of the contract, which seems so totally disproportionate as to suggest that they were confident of never needing to deliver on it. If so, the saga reflects pretty shabbily on the club, who thus appear prepared to play fast and loose with a man’s innermost feelings and dreams for the sake of a few extra lines of newsprint. Ilie’s words when the story broke carry a real melancholy: “Over my career, I have made enough money to lead a peaceful life. But I gave everything for football and maybe this is why football did the same for me. I have been convinced that this chapter is not yet over for me. Why wouldn’t I try again? I want to smell the grass again”.

Who can doubt that similar thoughts are what drive Ronaldo, however ineffectively, back to the gym after each crippling injury? At least he has smelt that grass one more time, and is now saying his slow goodbyes. No such luck for Ilie. Terek Grozny played the old music and the Cobra came dancing. Dancing on one leg, perhaps, but dancing none the less. He deserved better.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

We’ve looked at the players, now it’s time to look at the managers involved at Euro 2008 and find out how they got on:

Because I know you’ll ask about the grades…

A+ – Best of the tournament
A – Above expectations
B – Meeting expectations – more or less
C – Poor, not meeting expectations
D – Absolute stinker

Now, on to the good stuff:

Austria

Manager: Josef Hickersberger

Grade: B. They tried and tried and tried, but ultimately weren’t good enough. If their luck had been as good as Turkey’s they might have drawn against both Croatia and Germany and beaten Poland.

Future: Resigned after Euro 2008. No announcements on either his future or the next manager of Austria.

Croatia

Manager: Slaven Bilic

Grade: B. Croatia lost to Turkey’s luck in the quarters and little of it can be blamed on Bilic. While he should have gotten his players focused back on the game, he chaperoned his side quite well to emerge from Group B undefeated. However, after the promise shown in qualification the semis were a minimum, so Bilic gets a B.

Future: Stays in charge of Croatia to help them qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

Czech Republic

Manager: Karel Brückner

Grade: C. They topped their group in qualifying and were expected to at least progress to the quarters, probably the semis if things went their way. As it were, they were manhandled by Portugal, pushed to the limits by Switzerland and bamboozled by the Turks. A tale of missed opportunities, and Bruckner could have and should have done a lot better.

Future: Bruckner announced pre-tournament that he would resign after Euro 2008. No successor has been confirmed.

France

Manager: Raymond Domenech.

Grade: D. Domenech’s side were better – at least for half of the game against Holland – than their 4th place in Group C suggested. And yet they struggled. Domenech pointed the finger at a divide amongst his players but it was his job to manage the players and he made a hash of it.

Future: Most likely to be removed. Wenger isn’t coming so the most likely successor is Didier Deschamps, while Eric Cantona has been discussed as well (albeit light-heartedly, as he’s currently coaching the French beach football team).

Germany

Manager: Joachim Löw

Grade: A. He may not be the most-respected coach at the Euros or renown for his tactical nous but he did lead Germany to the Euro 2008 final. A cynic may point out that Germany’s best performance of the tournament came when Joachim was banned from the touchline, but reaching the final means we’ll overlook that for the short-run (he still has to convince us if he’s better than Klinsmann or van Basten though).

Future: Was originally signed on a 2-year contract but in the aftermath of the Euro 08 final the future is still uncertain. I’d expect him to be given a chance to continue till South Africa 2010.

Greece

Manager: Otto Rehhagel

Grade: D. Disastrous Euro campaign for Greece. After their convincing qualifying performances many expected Greece to challenge Russia and Sweden for a spot in the quarterfinals. They were out of it from the word go. Embarrassing for the reigning European champions, regardless of the quality of the side (or lack thereof).

Future: Rehhagel is signed on till 2010, and is expected to lead Greece to World Cup qualification.

Italy

Manager: Roberto Donadoni

Grade: C. Can consider himself lucky to progress to the quarterfinals with France losing their most important player (Ribery) to injury and going down to 10 men inside the first half of their crunch game. The players fought but their manage failed to inspire and the credit for Italy lasting so long goes to the players.

Future: Donadoni’s contract had a conditional extension – the condition being that Italy met certain targets for Euro 08. Donadoni couldn’t, and his contract ended post Euro 08. Lippi was reinstated as manager soon after that.

Netherlands

Manager: Marco van Basten

Grade: B. Marco van Basten mounted a memorable escape from the much-touted Group of Death but his achievements are tainted somewhat by the limp performance against Russia in the quarters and the under-par performances of the French and Italian teams. On paper, he took Holland to the quarters, which was expected of him as a minimum.

Future: Steps down after Euro 2008 to take charge of AFC Ajax. Bert van Marwijk, currently in charge of Feyenoord, takes over the reins as the Dutch manager.

Portugal

Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari

Grade: B. Portugal were expected to get to at least the semi-finals but looked clueless against Germany. It’s the second time in 2 international competitions that Scolari has failed to beat Germany. Announcing his move to Chelsea before the game didn’t help either.

Future: Goes on to manage Chelsea next season. Portugal are still looking for a successor, with Carlos Queiroz often mentioned as a possibility (although he’s doubtful to leave United just yet).

Poland

Manager: Leo Beenhakker

Grade: C. Poland qualifying for the first time for the Euros was definitely a major achievement but once there, Poland failed to impress. You can’t fault the coach much if you look at the players at his disposal, but they would have expected them to beat Austria at least.

Future: Signed on to lead Poland till the end of 2010 World Cup qualifiers (November 2009).

Romania

Manager: Victor Piţurcă.

Grade: B. Did a lot better than expected in the Group of Death, although they slipped when they needed to produce a result.

Future: Piturca stays in charge of Romania for the time being and will presumably lead them through World Cup qualifying.

Russia

Manager: Guus Hiddink

Grade: A. Russia were in a relatively tough group but qualified after a slow start. They were also up against some very good opposition in the quarters but got through thanks to some excellent leadership and tactics by Hiddink. The only blot on their copybook (and the reason Hiddink doesn’t get a A+) is their failure to learn from earlier mistakes against the Spanish, something that cost them the semifinal.

Future: Despite the constant speculation surrounding Hiddink’s future, the man is signed on till at least 2010.

Spain

Manager: Luis Aragones

Grade: A. Masterminding a talent-rich side through a tough tournament was never going to be an easy task, but Aragones was the tactical master this summer and it’s a pity that we did not get to see him match wits against Scolari and / or Marco van Basten at the Euros.

Future: Aragones has already announced that he would retire post Euro 08. Aragones is rumoured to be going to Fenerbahce (although the man himself denied the rumours during Euro 08) and Vincent Del Bosque is due to take over as Spain manager in the summer.

Sweden.

Manager: Lars Lagerbäck

Grade: C. It was a tough group but Sweden had as good a chance of qualification as Greece and Russia and they were ahead of Russia when the two teams met. Should have done better, although anything beyond the quarters would have been a surprising bonus.

Future: Signed on till South Africa 2010.

Switzerland

Manager: Kobi Kuhn

Grade: C. His team conceded a late goal to Turkey to lose a winnable game, but the manager’s mind was affected by his wife’s health (she was in a coma) and his players let him down against Turkey and against the Czechs.

Future: Kuhn retires from his post after Euro 2008 (no news on where he’ll go next) with former Bayern Munich manager Ottmar Hitzfeld takes over from July 1st 2008.

Turkey

Manager: Fatih Terim

Grade: A+. Dragged his team screaming and kicking into the semi-finals on the back of 3 glorious (in retrospect at least) comebacks. Their luck ran out in the end but they never gave up thanks to their manager urging them on from the sidelines.

Future: Was linked with several European clubs but said that he would consider any offers only after Euro 2008. So far, he’s still in charge and the club reported closest to signing him on pre Euro 2008 already have their manager (Newcastle United).

Agree with the ratings? Disagree? Have an opinion on one of the managers? Sound off in the comments section below.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

16 matches gone, 15 more to go. After the agonisingly long qualification process, the tournament itself feels brutally short – then again, that’s probably what makes up most of the excitement at this level, the fact that every match is a final.

So how have the 16 teams performed so far? Let’s look at it group by group:

Group A

Portugal have, as expected, dominated proceedings. Their two wins against the Czechs and the Turks ensure that they will finish top of the group no matter what happens in the last round. You can expect them to rest a couple of players against Switzerland and Scolari will already be planning his strategy for Germany, Portugal’s likely quarter-final opponents.

The Czechs are where they’d expect to be – although the defeat against Portugal was disappointing. They have a crunch tie against Turkey today which they’ll be quietly confident of winning, although with Croatia to come up next in the quarters (if they win) there is no room left for mistakes and they cannot afford to miss any scoring chances. And if it goes to penalties, Cech should be able to bail them out.

Turkey are in with a real shout of qualification to the next round – as long as the players work hard and play the team and not the reputation, they could very well upset the Czechs and get through to the quarters. Might be worth a punt if you’re the betting sort.

Switzerland – the first team to be dumped out of the Euros, and most people are expecting their humiliation to be complete when Portugal beat them tonight. It’s a shame, because Switzerland have a decent team and could have taken a point against the Czechs, not to mention that they’d have fancied their chances to beat Turkey. The lack of proper match practice prior to the tournament – they haven’t played a competitive game since the World Cup – showed here, but even then the Swiss should have done better.

Group B

Surprisingly for some, Croatia top the group ahead of Germany and will qualify in first place. Slaven Bilic’s men may have been ‘lucky’ against Austria but they raised their game to efficiently dispatch the Germans and have another game to fine-tune their tactics before the quarter-finals. Poland will provide stiff opposition but are unlikely to trouble the Croats much – or the Germans, for that matter.

Germany lost a game most expected them to at least draw and now face a rematch of their 3rd place playoff against Portugal from 2 years ago in the quarters. That is, assuming they win their next game. The upside is that their opponents are Austria, who might be in with a chance of qualification but are hardly the team to worry Germany. Still, if there was ever an upset to occur, this would surely be it.

Austria are ahead of Poland on goal difference (i.e. they’ve conceded fewer goals) and will be hoping that the lifeline handed to them in stoppage time against Poland will not be the end of things going their way. Winning against Germany is a must, and you can expect the Austrians to go all-out on this one, and I’d expect a lot of neutrals to back them here as well (apart from the Poles…).

Poland will not only have to beat Croatia but if Austria win against Germany, they’ll have to beat them with a better goal differential as well. It’s a tall task and in the aftermath of the draw against Austria the management at least looked more pre-occupied with complaining about the wrongs committed against them than their outside chance to qualify for the quarters. I’d give Poland a draw at best.

Group C

The Group of Death has for once lived up to its reputation. The two giants – Italy and France – have suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of the Dutch (despite playing half-decent, especially in the case of the French) and now Netherlands not only top their group but also enjoy the best scoring record in the Euros so far. They have a relatively tough match against Romania and despite their superiority the Dutch will be aiming for a win to keep their momentum going.

Romania find themselves in the strange position of being second in their group after drawing their two games against Italy and France. Another draw might not be enough if the Italy-France game produces a winner, but they’ll know that if they can score first against the Dutch they have a shot at winning the game and for that reason alone they are my picks for qualifying from this group alongside Holland.

France and Italy share the same problems – under-performing players, managers who seem to have lost their touch (if they ever had any, that is) and overall, two teams who have lost the support of the neutrals with their turgid displays.

To be fair, France showed flashes of brilliance against Holland and if things had been slightly different that game could have been a draw, if not a win for the French. Their inability to make their chances count is troubling but they’re atleast creating chances and will be hoping that Buffon is not on top form on Tuesday.

Italy on the other hand seem a lost cause. Their defence is a shambles and they don’t have the goals they need anywhere in the squad. Unless Toni plays a blinder or Materazzi remembers how to play center-back, Italy will be going home disgraced.

A draw between both teams coupled with a loss for Romania would still send Romania through provided that they can keep their goal difference to -2 or above.

Group D

Spain are through after beating Russia and Sweden with ease and can now focus on the next round, and on their current form you can see them beating France or Italy. Their last game is against Greece, champions from last time around but beaten in two hard-fought matches by Sweden and Russia. Should be a simple game, although Aragones will probably rest one or two players which might give Greece the space to register their first goal of the tournament.

Sweden go into the final round knowing that a draw will be enough to see them through to the quarters. They’ve looked stronger than Russia in the first two games but will need to play at their best to keep Hiddink’s men at bay. Still, with a draw needed to qualify, you’d back Sweden to go through.

Russia have stumbled but Hiddink should fancy his chances against Sweden as long as they can stick to their game plan and not get sucked into a physical battle of attrition. Nothing less than a win will do, and for that I’m betting Russia will need to score at least twice.

Greece are out, along with the Swiss, but at least the hosts scored a goal. Their last game will be a mere formality and the Greeks will consider themselves unfortunate to have been beaten by Sweden and Russia, games they would have expected at least a point each from.

Predictions

Quarters

Portugal v Germany – Portugal
Czech Republic v Croatia – Croatia
Netherlands v Sweden – Netherlands
France v Spain – France

Semis

Portugal v Croatia – Portugal
Netherlands v France – France

Final

Portugal v France – Portugal

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The Group of Death lives up to its reputation as both Italy and France are left on the verge of being knocked out as Holland join Portugal and Croatia in the knock-out stages.

Italy 1-1 Romania Highlights

France 1-4 Holland Highlights

First Half Highlights

Second Half Highlights

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Euro 2008 fixtures and results, all in one place. Bookmark and share away:

All times are CET.

Saturday 7 June 2008
Nº	Group	Teams & Kick-Off Time					Venue & Stadium
1	Grp A		Switzerland	0-1	Czech Rep.		Basel – St. Jakob-Park
2	Grp A		Portugal	2-0	Turkey		Geneva – Stade de Genève
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Sunday 8 June 2008
3	Grp B		Austria	0-1	Croatia		Vienna – Ernst Happel
4	Grp B		Germany	2-0	Poland		Klagenfurt – Wörthersee
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Monday 9 June 2008
5	Grp C		Romania	0-0	France		Zurich – Letzigrund
6	Grp C		Netherlands	3-0	Italy		Berne – Stade de Suisse
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Tuesday 10 June 2008
7	Grp D		Spain	4-1	Russia		Innsbruck – Tivoli Neu
8	Grp D		Greece	0-2	Sweden		Salzburg – EM Stadion W.S.
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Wednesday 11 June 2008
9	Grp A		Czech Rep.	1-3	Portugal		Geneva – Stade de Genève
10	Grp A		Switzerland	1-2	Turkey		Basel – St. Jakob-Park
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Thursday 12 June 2008
11	Grp B		Croatia	2-1	Germany		Klagenfurt – Wörthersee
12	Grp B		Austria	1-1	Poland		Vienna – Ernst Happel
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Friday 13 June 2008
13	Grp C		Italy	1-1	Romania		Zurich – Letzigrund
14	Grp C		Netherlands	4-1	France		Berne – Stade de Suisse
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Saturday 14 June 2008
15	Grp D		Sweden	1-2	Spain		Innsbruck – Tivoli Neu
16	Grp D		Greece	0-1	Russia		Salzburg – EM Stadion W.S.
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Sunday 15 June 2008
17	Grp A		Switzerland	2-0	Portugal		Basel – St. Jakob-Park
18	Grp A		Turkey	3-2	Czech Rep.		Geneva – Stade de Genève
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Monday 16 June 2008
19	Grp B		Poland	0-1	Croatia		Klagenfurt – Wörthersee
20	Grp B		Austria	0-1	Germany		Vienna – Ernst Happel
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Tuesday 17 June 2008
21	Grp C		Netherlands	2-0	Romania		Berne – Stade de Suisse
22	Grp C		France	0-2	Italy		Zurich – Letzigrund
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Wednesday 18 June 2008
23	Grp D		Greece	1-2	Spain		Salzburg – EM Stadion W.S.
24	Grp D		Russia	2-0	Sweden		Innsbruck – Tivoli Neu
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Thursday 19 June 2008
25	QF		Portugal	2-3	Germany		Basel – St. Jakob-Park
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Friday 20 June 2008
26	QF		Croatia	1-1 1-3(p)	Turkey		Vienna – Ernst Happel
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Saturday 21 June 2008
27	QF		Netherlands	1-3 (aet)	Russia		Basel – St. Jakob-Park
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Sunday 22 June 2008
28	QF		Spain	0-0 4-2(p)	Italy		Vienna – Ernst Happel
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Wednesday 25 June 2008
29	SF		Germany	3-2	Turkey		Basel – St. Jakob-Park
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Thursday 26 June 2008
30	SF		Russia	0-3	Spain		Vienna – Ernst Happel
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Sunday 29 June 2008
31	F		Germany	0-1	Spain		Vienna – Ernst Happel

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Group Standings

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Group A					.	Group B
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	Teams	Pld	+/-	Pts			Teams	Pld	+/-	Pts
	Portugal	3	+2	6			Croatia	3	+3	9
	Turkey	3	0	6			Germany	3	+2	6
	Czech Republic	3	-2	3			Austria	3	-2	1
	Switzerland	3	0	3			Poland	3	-3	1
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Group C					.	Group D
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	Teams	Pld	+/-	Pts			Teams	Pld	+/-	Pts
	Netherlands	3	+8	9			Spain	3	+5	9
	Italy	3	-1	4			Russia	3	0	6
	Romania	3	-2	2			Sweden	3	-1	3
	France	3	-5	1			Greece	3	-4	0

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Also See:

Euro 2008 – Head-to-Head Records
Euro 2008 Kits
Euro 2008 Stadiums
Euro 2008 news

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Romania vs France Highlights

First Half Highlights

Second Half Highlights

Netherlands vs Italy Highlights

Netherlands 1-0 Italy

Netherlands 2-0 Italy

Netherlands 3-0 Italy

For more football videos visit goalcentre.com.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Head to head records for Euro 2008′s Group C participants – France, Italy, Netherlands, Romania.

Group C Head-to-Heads

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Head-to-head Romania v France

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Head-to-head Netherlands v Italy

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Head-to-head Italy v Romania

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Head-to-head Netherlands v France

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Head-to-head France v Italy

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Head-to-head Netherlands v Romania

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Also See:

Euro 2008 Group A Head-to-Head Records
Euro 2008 Group B Head-to-Head Records
Euro 2008 Group D Head-to-Head Records

From Soccerlens.com - Football News