That maybe true but I can explain my reason for picking Germany in 2 words; I'm German.
What do the people of England think of their team's chances in a tough group B. The Swiss will probably end up winless but Croatia could surprise somebody. And the French have so much talent and firepower. It really comes down to do your countrymen think they can edge out Croatia for 2nd.
What do the people of England think of their team's chances in a tough group B. The Swiss will probably end up winless but Croatia could surprise somebody. And the French have so much talent and firepower. It really comes down to do your countrymen think they can edge out Croatia for 2nd.
Just FYI re. Euro Cup:
LISBON, Portugal (AP) The police have cannons and 15,000 cans of pepper spray. NATO planes are patrolling the skies. Warships are guarding the coast, and border officers are carefully checking cars.
Welcome to Euro 2004.
Portugal, the host nation of the European Championship starting Saturday, is assembling an unprecedented security operation for the three-week tournament to address the threat of terrorism and soccer hooliganism.
''Never in Portugal have we put so much into training and instruction,'' said Gen. Leonel Carvalho, the Euro 2004 security coordinator. ''We are ready for everything we can be.''
Portugal has had no terrorist acts for 20 years and fan violence is rare at the country's soccer stadiums.
But more than 1 million fans are expected at the 16-nation tournament, the biggest international event ever in Portugal. Some of the teams are from countries that backed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, making them potential targets.
The terror threat, initially dismissed as unlikely at the event, became a real concern after the Madrid train bombings in March killed 191 people and injured some 1,800.
A recent police drill in a city subway focused on an unlikely but chilling scenario.
Police were called to the subway station where dozens of other officers pretended to be rival fans involved in a brawl inside a train. The rioting fans started shooting handguns. Then one of the fans took a hostage at gunpoint and said he had a bomb, bringing police negotiators, the bomb squad and heavily armed special forces who blasted their way into the train.
Though just a drill, it was a disturbing scene for a people proud of their peaceful nature. This country of 10 million is steeling itself for the worst.
''We're not overly confident because, of course, things won't run perfectly. There'll be some violence, but we're ready for it,'' said Carvalho, a career army officer who in the 1960s commanded Portuguese troops fighting guerrillas in the African jungle.
The Portuguese have never doubted they will have to handle drunken or rowdy fans at Euro 2004.
Problems with soccer hooliganism tarnished the last championship in 2000, jointly held in Belgium and the Netherlands, where hundreds were arrested after clashing in city streets and trashing bars and shops.
Violence also tainted soccer's World Cup in Spain in 1982, in Italy in 1990 and in France in 1998.
The authorities have drawn up a strategy to contain hooliganism. The first step is keeping fans in a good mood, something they hope is accomplished by providing plenty of free entertainment in public parks.
There will also be a heavy police presence both in uniform and in plain clothes.
Thirdly, riot police with dogs and horses, which will be kept out of sight on side streets, will move in to deal with large disturbances.
One of the concerns is the presence of English fans, who have a history of violence. About 50,000 are expected, many of them in the Algarve, a southern Portuguese vacation region of long beaches and late-night bars.
The British police are preventing about 2,500 known hooligans from traveling to Portugal. That compares with about 100 that were kept away from Euro 2000.
Alcohol will be banned around stadiums on game days, when up to 1,000 police will be deployed inside stadiums and 3,000 in the immediate area.
And fans will have to take alcohol and drugs tests if they misbehave. Fans may be denied entry to stadiums if they are over the legal alcohol limit for driving.
Under special temporary laws passed by Parliament, each of the eight cities hosting games will have 24-hour courts so that deportation procedures can be handled swiftly. Authorities are organizing temporary accommodation centers and negotiating deportation services with air, rail and bus companies.
Although police say they have detected no terror cells in Portugal and have no indication an attack is being prepared, authorities fear Islamic militants in neighboring Spain could target the tournament.
To guard against that, the government has restored border controls including passport checks and vehicle searches that were scrapped in 1991.
Also, NATO granted Portugal's request to provide AWACS surveillance planes. The planes are primarily used to detect suspicious aircraft and can spot low-flying planes at a range of more than 250 miles.
Navy ships are to support coast guard patrols, and port security is also being stepped up.
wil.
LISBON, Portugal (AP) The police have cannons and 15,000 cans of pepper spray. NATO planes are patrolling the skies. Warships are guarding the coast, and border officers are carefully checking cars.
Welcome to Euro 2004.
Portugal, the host nation of the European Championship starting Saturday, is assembling an unprecedented security operation for the three-week tournament to address the threat of terrorism and soccer hooliganism.
''Never in Portugal have we put so much into training and instruction,'' said Gen. Leonel Carvalho, the Euro 2004 security coordinator. ''We are ready for everything we can be.''
Portugal has had no terrorist acts for 20 years and fan violence is rare at the country's soccer stadiums.
But more than 1 million fans are expected at the 16-nation tournament, the biggest international event ever in Portugal. Some of the teams are from countries that backed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, making them potential targets.
The terror threat, initially dismissed as unlikely at the event, became a real concern after the Madrid train bombings in March killed 191 people and injured some 1,800.
A recent police drill in a city subway focused on an unlikely but chilling scenario.
Police were called to the subway station where dozens of other officers pretended to be rival fans involved in a brawl inside a train. The rioting fans started shooting handguns. Then one of the fans took a hostage at gunpoint and said he had a bomb, bringing police negotiators, the bomb squad and heavily armed special forces who blasted their way into the train.
Though just a drill, it was a disturbing scene for a people proud of their peaceful nature. This country of 10 million is steeling itself for the worst.
''We're not overly confident because, of course, things won't run perfectly. There'll be some violence, but we're ready for it,'' said Carvalho, a career army officer who in the 1960s commanded Portuguese troops fighting guerrillas in the African jungle.
The Portuguese have never doubted they will have to handle drunken or rowdy fans at Euro 2004.
Problems with soccer hooliganism tarnished the last championship in 2000, jointly held in Belgium and the Netherlands, where hundreds were arrested after clashing in city streets and trashing bars and shops.
Violence also tainted soccer's World Cup in Spain in 1982, in Italy in 1990 and in France in 1998.
The authorities have drawn up a strategy to contain hooliganism. The first step is keeping fans in a good mood, something they hope is accomplished by providing plenty of free entertainment in public parks.
There will also be a heavy police presence both in uniform and in plain clothes.
Thirdly, riot police with dogs and horses, which will be kept out of sight on side streets, will move in to deal with large disturbances.
One of the concerns is the presence of English fans, who have a history of violence. About 50,000 are expected, many of them in the Algarve, a southern Portuguese vacation region of long beaches and late-night bars.
The British police are preventing about 2,500 known hooligans from traveling to Portugal. That compares with about 100 that were kept away from Euro 2000.
Alcohol will be banned around stadiums on game days, when up to 1,000 police will be deployed inside stadiums and 3,000 in the immediate area.
And fans will have to take alcohol and drugs tests if they misbehave. Fans may be denied entry to stadiums if they are over the legal alcohol limit for driving.
Under special temporary laws passed by Parliament, each of the eight cities hosting games will have 24-hour courts so that deportation procedures can be handled swiftly. Authorities are organizing temporary accommodation centers and negotiating deportation services with air, rail and bus companies.
Although police say they have detected no terror cells in Portugal and have no indication an attack is being prepared, authorities fear Islamic militants in neighboring Spain could target the tournament.
To guard against that, the government has restored border controls including passport checks and vehicle searches that were scrapped in 1991.
Also, NATO granted Portugal's request to provide AWACS surveillance planes. The planes are primarily used to detect suspicious aircraft and can spot low-flying planes at a range of more than 250 miles.
Navy ships are to support coast guard patrols, and port security is also being stepped up.
wil.
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP)— Police will keep a close eye on Internet activity as part of their efforts to clamp down on gambling during the upcoming Euro 2004 Cup soccer tournament.
Police in the Thai capital will open a center to stop soccer gambling on Saturday, when the tournament kicks off in Portugal, said Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Thanee Somboonsap.
Many Thais are avid fans of European soccer, and gambling on matches is popular although illegal.
Lt. Gen. Thanee encouraged people to call a local emergency number to tip off the authorities about betting.
"Apart from this, police will keep an eye on people gambling on the Internet because we have information that some of the big-time soccer gamblers will bet directly on the Internet," he said, without elaborating.
Most Thais place bets with neighborhood bookies, although during the last Euro Cup in 2000 many wagers were reportedly made with mobile phones.
During the 2000 tournament, Bangkok police arrested 260 people for gambling and seized nearly 4 million baht (US$98,500), said Thanee.
Still, the threat of police action was not expected to dampen gamblers' spirits.
Thailand's Kasikorn Bank on Thursday estimated that local betting turnover during this year's three-week tournament could reach as high as 33 billion baht (US$813 million).
It said its projection was based on a survey of 1,269 people countrywide.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra recently fanned the fervor of sports speculators with a plan to buy a 30 percent share in the English Premier League's Liverpool club.
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Police in the Thai capital will open a center to stop soccer gambling on Saturday, when the tournament kicks off in Portugal, said Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Thanee Somboonsap.
Many Thais are avid fans of European soccer, and gambling on matches is popular although illegal.
Lt. Gen. Thanee encouraged people to call a local emergency number to tip off the authorities about betting.
"Apart from this, police will keep an eye on people gambling on the Internet because we have information that some of the big-time soccer gamblers will bet directly on the Internet," he said, without elaborating.
Most Thais place bets with neighborhood bookies, although during the last Euro Cup in 2000 many wagers were reportedly made with mobile phones.
During the 2000 tournament, Bangkok police arrested 260 people for gambling and seized nearly 4 million baht (US$98,500), said Thanee.
Still, the threat of police action was not expected to dampen gamblers' spirits.
Thailand's Kasikorn Bank on Thursday estimated that local betting turnover during this year's three-week tournament could reach as high as 33 billion baht (US$813 million).
It said its projection was based on a survey of 1,269 people countrywide.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra recently fanned the fervor of sports speculators with a plan to buy a 30 percent share in the English Premier League's Liverpool club.
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