For the first and last time when it comes to news which happened during the tournament, this entry comes after the previewing of a match (or matches when the group stages was still going on). I want to make sure I get the preview of the final up first given there could be last-minute news in terms of how the atmosphere has been building up for the final.
I was right. But starting on what was spoken on the eve of the final. Football's great and good were united in hailing Euro 2008 as a huge success. With attacking football making a return (76 goals have been scored so far) after defensive football being a mainstay at Euro 2004 and the World Cup two years ago, definitely something to be hailing about. Retired and famed referee Pierluigi Collina had observed in the tournament so far that players have shown greater respect to referees. In the case of future European Championships, there was a general agreement on enlarging the tournament from the current 16 to 24 teams in the 2016 version among the 53 presidents of UEFA member associations and UEFA President Michel Platini has issued a warning to the 2012 co-hosts Poland and Ukraine that the tournament would not be staged there if stadiums in their capital cities were not ready.
Croatia's football federation has been fined for the racist behaviour of fans at the team's Euro 2008 quarter-final against Turkey. For nearly 12,500 euros ($19,680) and have three days after they receive the reasons for the decision to appeal. Okay, what has surfaced on the day of the final itself. The presidents of the Austrian and Swiss football federations came together they were confident that Euro 2008 would bring a long-term boost to local interest in the sport despite the early exit of both co-host teams. Apart from their respective national teams exited in the group stages and the bad weather, everything else is a plus. It has been revealed by the Swiss Defence Minister Samuel Schmid in an interview that signs that an attack was being prepared came from abroad and the necessary measures were taken. What is for sure is that, the planned attack had nothing to do with information appearing on the internet before the competition.
A look at the the list of special guests who will be attending the final...royalty and celebrities are in attendance. Since the final is between Germany and Spain, I will let in on some of those who will be there - Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel (she has been a mainstay whenever the German national team are in action...she is actually a football fan herself), the German President Horst Koheler (plus other German politicians), Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (who was originally born in Germany as Heinz Alfred Kissinger and is known to be a football fan as well). Well, since speaking out against the Premier League's infamous 39th gameplan, FIFA President Sepp Blatter was speaking on an interview on Austrian TV channel ORF that in regards to UEFA handing out a one-match ban to both Germany coach Joachim Loew and his Austrian counterpart Josef Hickersberger (both men were 'sent off' to the stands in the first-half of Germany's eventual 1-0 win over Austria in Vienna after Loew apparently argued with the fourth official at that time), Blatter said that it was unjustified. The FIFA President said that UEFA should have not banned the pair, saying coaches should be allowed to get on with their job and be left in peace by the fourth official during matches. Aha!
The Euro 2008 final between Germany and Spain will bring down the curtain on the BBC's world renowned football commentator John Motson in terms of live commentaries. No wonder lately I had been reading around online and Motson was kept mentioning. The 62-year-old, who is renowned for his sheepskin coats and football trivia knowledge, will carry on commentating but has already said that the 2010 World Cup finals are beyond him because of his age. So who says the Beeb (as the BBC's nicknamed in the UK) doesn't care about Euro 2008 just because England is not there? Austrian tabloid Oesterreich has committed a gaffe when as part of its Euro 2008 final coverage as it produced a photo montage which included a Franco-era Spanish flag. In terms of the general atmosphere in Vienna, it's well...interesting, fan-wise that is.
Okay, how the final in Vienna has been viewed in both back in Germany and Spain with both countries expected to come to a virtual standstill from Berlin to Madrid. How Germany and Spain are gearing up for the final respectively. In fact, Spain's run in the tournament has...affected attendance at an erotic film festival which wrapped up Saturday in Madrid.
Newsflash from the UEFA website - Germany captain Michael Ballack has been passed fit to start while Cesc Fàbregas is in a five-man midfield instead of using Daniel Güiza as a second striker.
Euro 2008 thought of the day: Nothing actually. My mind is blank. Okay, the news that Ballack is fit confirmed what the German tabloid Bild has reported on its website an hour or so earlier that the captain was on the teamsheet. I rather take it as something positive.
The best form of attack (After defences ruled at EURO 2004 and Germany 2006, attacking football is back. FIFA.com asked the experts what might be driving the trend.)
The fates of the Euro 2008 coaches (The fates and fortunes of the Euro 2008 coaches)
Tournament’s legacy is 4-5-1, says Wenger (Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said on Saturday he expected Spain to start Sunday’s Euro 2008 final with a five-man midfield, maintaining one of the trends of the tournament. When striker David Villa went off injured after 35 minutes of Spain’s semi-final victory over Russia, Cesc Fabregas went on as an extra midfielder and helped his country to a 3-0 victory.)
Another final - but still no Mullers on German horizon (Once more, Germany are in the final of a European Championship, their sixth. Yet despite the country's impeccable record there is one piece of the jigsaw which Die Mannschaft has been trying in vain to fit for more than 30 years. A true, dyed-in-the-wool number nine who can call himself the new Gerd Muller.)
Best player award still there for the taking (It is not just the Henri Delaunay trophy up for grabs in Sunday's Euro 2008 final as just about any stand-out individual performance by a Spaniard or German could secure him UEFA's Player of the Tournament award. Oddly, in a championship that has produced so many great games and dramatic moments, there are few obvious candidates for the honour being announced by organisers on Monday.)
Goal.com Profile: Philipp Lahm (Goal.com profiles the promising start to the career of Bayern Munich and Germany's Philipp Lahm, following his heroic late winner against Turkey in their Euro 2008 semi-final...)
