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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 .

Fernando Torres was 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?

Continue reading "Team of the tournament"


Recent entries


Vienna - 2,411 miles travelled

As I walked out of the St Jacob-Park media centre in Basel for the final time on Wednesday evening, a wave of melancholy swept over me. Euro 2008 is over in Switzerland, the party has finished and it is time to move on.

A rather fearsome woman who works on security, screening journalists as they enter the stadium, summed it all up. I asked her how she felt about it all and she simply replied: "Game over."

Continue reading "I'm going to miss the Swiss"



Vienna

Whenever someone mentions the word "statistics" I can't help but think of past Miss World competitions. And in case my wife is reading this, the last one I watched must have been at least 20 years ago. Yep, that's long before we met, my love.

Anyway, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport website's Player Rater has thrown up some interesting numbers following the completion of the group games at Euro 2008...

Continue reading "Lies, damned lies and statistics"



Innsbruck

Napoleon Bonaparte once said that victory belongs to the most persevering, but look where he ended up, stuck on a rock in the middle of the Atlantic.

And after my first experience of winter sports left me feeling slightly dazed and nauseous, I definitely think that knowing when to quit is far more important.

Continue reading "Beaten by the bob"



Nyon

I have just about squeezed the rain out of my clothes after commentating on the game in Basel on Wednesday. What a night. If it was a league game, it would certainly have been called off.

Second spot in Group A now comes down to the game between Turkey and the Czech Republic, with the winners going through. If it's a draw, it's a penalty shoot-out for a place in the last eight. I'll be there in Geneva on Sunday and I can't wait.

Continue reading "Confident Colin on life with Turkey"



Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England

People keep asking me how I'm getting on with my producer, Garth. After all, we are spending up to 18 hours a day in each other's company.

I tell them that now we've got over him not knowing his right from his left at roundabouts, the relationship is going swimmingly.

The truth is, we are bound together by a mutual hatred for the lady on our Sat Nav system. Some of the routes she takes us beggar belief. We've actually started taking the wrong turn just to spite her.

Continue reading "Turkish delight in Newcastle"



Vienna

So Switzerland have already bowed out of Euro 2008 and Austria could follow them tonight, but does anyone but the co-hosts care this morning? The big news today is Portugal and, in particular, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

As the Swiss were crying into their beers following their team's at a rain-drenched St Jacob-Park in Basel, it was emerging that Scolari, a Gene Hackman lookalike, had been .

Continue reading "Scolari casts shadow over Euro 2008"



Geneva

Uefa's headquarters on the shores of Lake Geneva boast the best toilets I have ever seen.

I've heard massively good things about the technology involved in the cleansing procedure of your Japanese water closet but I cannot comment as I've not experienced that particular delight.

What I can say is that the hygiene shield that ensures backside never touches seat in the Uefa toilets is a scientific marvel.

Continue reading "Swiss dreams down the Uefa toilet"



Vienna

It looks as though the winner of Euro 2008 will be a team that plays expansive, attack-minded football rather than one that places a great deal of emphasis on defence and grinding the opposition down.

That's what I hope will happen anyway. Portugal, Germany, Netherlands and Spain have all impressed with their style of play in the opening round of group games.

Continue reading "Dutch delight but don't write off Italy"



Basel

I've taken a bit of a shine to Switzerland coach Kobi Kuhn. He makes me think of a favourite old uncle; welcoming, with a nice line in presents at Christmas and a stoic desire to shield the young ones from bad news.

In the dressing room after his team's deflating , he told his players to forget all about the loss, rather like, I imagine, the way my very own favourite uncle would convince me grades did not matter after I'd received yet another disappointing end of term report.

Continue reading "Keep believing, Kobi"


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