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Referees

REFEREES

UEFA has announced the referees and assistant referees who will officiate at UEFA EURO 2008™ in Austria and Switzerland next summer.
Refereeing teamsUEFA's Referees' Committee has designated 12 referees and 24 assistants (along with eight fourth officials) to take charge of the 31 matches from 7-29 June 2008. The referee 'trios' comprise referees and assistant referees from the same country, all of whom have been on constant duty as a team in European club matches – particularly the UEFA Champions League – over the past year. UEFA chooses refereeing teams because of the experience and understanding that the three officials gather together.
'The best in the business'"It is never easy to select the final list of names to officiate at a tournament as prestigious as the UEFA European Football Championship," said Angel María Villar Llona, the chairman of the UEFA Referees' Committee. "However, these officials are the best in the business at the moment and deserve their chance. The idea of appointing trios began at UEFA EURO 2004™, as it enables the officials to work closely together in their own domestic competition and at UEFA level for a longer period of time before the tournament. We wish them all the very best in their appointments at UEFA EURO 2008™."
Communication systemThe ear-piece communications system between match officials, used in top European matches, will be authorised for use in the finals. The system, UEFA said, "should facilitate quick and efficient communication".
Preparatory seminarThe 44 selected match officials will now begin their preparations in earnest. They will attend a preparatory seminar from 14-17 April at the Mövenpick Hotel in Regensdorf, Switzerland, where they will take part in a physical test and be given specific instructions for the final tournament. This hotel will serve from 3 June as the base for the referee teams at UEFA EURO 2008™. From 26 June, those still involved in the final stages will move to the Renaissance Penta Hotel in Vienna, Austria.
Injury provisionsDuring the final tournament, any injured referee will be replaced by the fourth official at the match, and any injured assistant referee will be replaced by a fifth official who will come from the list of assistant referees not officiating at a game on that day. "The officials will continue to officiate at European club competition matches but will not be appointed to any international friendlies concerning the 16 teams qualified for the final tournament," said UEFA. Support for the team of officials will include a physio, a doctor, and a fitness coach who has devised a specific programme for the tournament.

Match officials

Konrad Plautz

Age: 43

Konrad Plautz (born October 16, 1964 in Navis) is a football referee from Austria. He has officiated internationally since 1996.
Konrad Plautz took up refereeing as a teenager, feeling that handling games gave him more satisfaction than actually playing at right-back, where he struggled. He set himself a ten-year target for reaching the upper levels of the profession and just missed out , making his debut in the Austrian Bundesliga in 1992. He was awarded his FIFA badge in 1996 and, in that same year, was named to handle the European Under-16 Championship final in Vienna, where Portugal beat France to take the title.
Apart from his enthusiasm for sport – Plautz has always been a top performer in fitness tests – he counterbalances his physical activity with the roles of director and actor for a local theatrical group.
He has been appointed by UEFA as one of twelve referees to officiate UEFA Euro 2008 matches.
He has come under criticism for his performances in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League matches. The most recent being the April 22 1-1 semifinal first leg between Chelsea and Liverpool.

Assistant referees in Tournament EURO 2008:
Egon Bereuter
Markus Mayr

Kyros Vassaras

Age: 41

Kyros Vassaras (born 1 February 1966) is a Greek professional football referee. Outside of refereeing, he works as a travel agent in Thessaloniki, Greece. Vassaras is also a linguist; he is able to speak Greek, German, English and Spanish.
Vassaras has been a FIFA referee since 1998, and refereed his first senior international in 1999, in a match between Austria and San Marino. That same year, he was selected as one of the referees for the FIFA World U-17 Championships in New Zealand, and since then he has officiated matches in the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA European Championship and the Olympic Games.

Assistant referees in Tournament EURO 2008:
Dimitris Bozatzidis

Dimitris Saraidaris

Ľuboš Michĕl

Age: 39

Ľuboš Micheľ(born May 16, 1968 in Stropkov, Slovakia) is a top-level Slovak football referee.
Micheľ became a FIFA referee at the age of 25. One big milestone in his career was refereeing the 2003 UEFA Cup Final between FC Porto and Celtic. He also appeared at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2004, refereeing the quarter-final between Sweden and the Netherlands. Micheľ was ranked the world's third best referee in 2005 by the IFFHS, second best in 2006 and third best again in 2007. He was also selected as a referee for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He refereed the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea.

Assistant referees in Tournament EURO 2008:
Roman Slyško

Martin Balko

Frank De Bleeckere

Age: 41

Frank de Bleeckere(born July 1, 1966 in Oudenaarde) is a Belgian football referee. He has been a referee since January 1, 1998, and an international (FIFA) official since 2001. De Bleeckere was refereeing in his first World Cup Finals in Germany, having had to pass a late fitness test following injury. He has been appointed by UEFA as one of twelve referees to officiate UEFA Euro 2008 matchesEvent Games

Assistant referees in Tournament EURO 2008:
Peter Hermans

Alex Verstraeten

Roberto Rosetti
Age: 40

Roberto Rosetti(born September 18, 1967 in Pecetto Torinese, Turin, Italy) is an Italian football referee.
An international referee since 2003, Rosetti was a referee at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was one of only 21 2006 FIFA World Cup officials. The normal number is 23.[citation needed]
He was invited to referee the 2006 FIFA World Cup at the last minute, after another referee was unable to participate because of injury. He was to be the second Italian referee, but the other Italian, Massimo De Santis, was removed by the Italian Football Federation due to an ongoing investigation into the Serie A scandal of 2006. He was the tallest referee in the World Cup at at 1.90m (6ft 3ins). The 40-year-old hospital manager is from Turin. In the 2006 World Cup his assistant referees were Cristiano Copelli and Alessandro Stagnoli.
On June 28th, Rosetti was chosen as one of the last 12 referees who could officiate the final eight games of the World Cup 2006. He didn't actually officiate any of these matches, since the presence of four European teams in the semi-finals forced the organizers to choose non-European referees, but his selection was considered to be a significant honor for a last minute replacement. At this point in the tournament Rosetti had handed out 3.75 cards per match, the second lowest of all referees in the tournament.
Rosetti also officiated at the Champions's League semi-final between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on April 30, 2008, earning the praise of UK television and radio commentators for his control of the game.
Rosetti will be officiating at the 2008 European Championship, and was selected to officiate the opening match between Switzerland and the Czech Republic. Rosetti's performance in this match was subject to doubt by many

Assistant referees in Tournament EURO 2008:

Alessandro Griselli

Paolo Calcagno

Manuel Mejuto González

Age: 42

Manuel Enrique Mejuto González(born April 16, 1965 in La Felguera) is a Spanish football referee. He is known for refereeing two matches in the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship in Portugal. He has also refereed three UEFA Cup matches and thirty-seven UEFA Champions League matches in his career, which include the 2005 Final between Liverpool F.C. and AC Milan.
González received heavy criticism following a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match between Scotland and Italy on November 17, 2007. The match ended with an Italian win following González's decision to award Italy a free kick, a decision which was heavily disputed by Scottish sources. This may have cost Scotland a spot in Euro 2008.

Assistant referees in Tournament EURO 2008:
Juan Carlos Yuste

Jiménez

Jesús Calvo

Guadamuro

Howard Melton Webb

Age: 36

Howard Melton Webb (born July 14, 1971) is an English football referee who operates in the Premier League and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2005. He lives in Rotherham, Yorkshire.
His other occupation is as a sergeant in Sheffield 1 South Sector SNA of the South Yorkshire Police.
He first took up refereeing in local Rotherham leagues in 1989. In 1993 he progressed to the Northern Counties East League as an assistant referee, becoming a referee for that league two years later. In 1996 he was appointed as a Football League assistant referee, and in 1998 fulfilled the same function in the Premier League, as well as being promoted to the Football Conference as a referee. In the year 2000 he was included on the National List of Football League referees, stepping up to the Select Group for the Premiership three years later. His first game in the foremost English league was on 18 October 2003, when he took charge of the 0–0 draw between Fulham and Wolves. He was appointed as a FIFA official in 2005.
In November 2007 he was criticised by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson for favouring Arsenal in the club's Premier League encounter. However Ferguson also stated that he believed Webb had "a great chance to be the top referee".
Assistant referees in Tournament EURO 2008:

Darren Cann

Michael Mullarkey

Pieter Vink

Age: 40

Pieter Vink(born March 13, 1967,Noordwijkerhout, South Holland) is a Dutch football referee, who also officiates for FIFA and UEFA. He was the first referee to take charge of a match at the "New Wembley Stadium" in 2007. His other occupation was as a police officer, eventually giving this up to become a full-time referee. His main other hobby is golf.
Vink began refereeing in 1987, and was elected to the Eredivisie C-List in 1993, progressing to the competition's B-List in 1996 and then becoming a referee on the country's A-List in 2001.
Internationally, he has been a FIFA referee since 2004, also debuting as a referee in the UEFA Cup in the same year, and then being appointed to the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship Final at Windsor Park, Belfast, on July 29, 2005, when France defeated England 3–1.
He was given the considerable honour of handling the first official match to be played at the newly-rebuilt Wembley Stadium on March 24, 2007, a 'friendly' between England Under-21 and Italy Under-21 which finished 3–3.
In 2007, he refereed his first match in the UEFA Champions League,a qualifying tie between Steaua Bucharest of Romania and FC BATE of Belarus, having been promoted to UEFA's Elite list in July.He went on to handle three more games in the Group stage of the competition in that year. Vink was referee for the Euro 2008 qualifying match between Scotland and the Ukraine on October 13, 2007 at Hampden Park, Glasgow, when the Ukrainians were effectively eliminated after a 3–1 defeat. Subsequently, he took charge of Northern Ireland's 2–1 win over Denmark at Windsor Park, Belfast, on November 17, 2007.
Vink refereed the all-English Champions League quarter final first leg between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on April 2, 2008. In the 66th minute of the match, Vink denied a penalty to Arsenal despite Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt "tangling with Alexander Hleb inside the area". Kuyt also refuted allegations that his fellow countryman had done him "favours" by ignoring the incident. "There were no favours. The referee called it right. To be honest I did touch Hleb but I never pulled his shirt or held him. He didn't deserve a penalty for that. It was close, but he didn't deserve a penalty," he said.

Assistant referees in Tournament EURO 2008:

Adriaan Inia

Hans ten Hoove

Peter Fröjdfeldt

Age: 44

Peter Fröjdfeldt(born November 14, 1963 in Eskilstuna) is a football referee from Sweden, best known for officiating six games during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification in the European (UEFA) zone. It has been announced that he will referee during UEFA Euro 2008 in Switzerland and Austria.He was the referee for the 2008 UEFA Cup Final

Assistant referees in Tournament EURO 2008:

Stefan Wittberg

Henrik Andrén

Herbert Fandel

Age: 43

Herbert Fandel(born March 9, 1964 in Kyllburg) is a German football referee who was in charge of the 2007 UEFA Champions League final. Fandel refereed the UEFA Cup final in 2006 between the English side Middlesbrough and the Spanish side Sevilla. He also refereed the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup on home soil in Germany. He officiated the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He is a piano teacher by occupation. He is married and a father of two children.

Assistant referees in Tournament EURO 2008:

Carsten Kadach

Volker Wezel

Tom Henning Øvrebø

Age: 41

Tom Henning Øvrebø(born 26 June 1966) is a Norwegian football referee.
Øvrebø has refereed 205 matches in the Norwegian Premier League since his debut on September 20, 1992. In 1994 he became an authorised FIFA referee, and has refereed many matches in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League. He won the Kniksen award as referee of the year in the Norwegian Premier League for 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. He refereed the cup finals in Norway in 1999 (Rosenborg - Brann) and 2006 (Fredrikstad - Sandefjord).
He was chosen to referee at Euro 2008 - he referred the Germany vs. Poland match on the opening day of Group B. He will also be the referee in Italy vs Romania.

Assistant referees in Tournament EURO 2008:
Geir Åge Holen

Jan Petter Randen

Massimo Busacca

Age: 38

Massimo Busacca(born February 6, 1969 in Bellinzona) is a Swiss association football referee. He lives in Monte Carasso near Bellinzona and is also a business owner. He has been a referee in the highest Swiss football league since 1996. He has been a FIFA referee since 1999. He was called to be a referee at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
March 24, 2007 Massimo Busacca was called upon again to referee a match with Spain. In a qualification match to the 2008 UEFA European Championships against Denmark in Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid he sent off Danish defender Niclas Jensen after 20 minutes in the first half. To that point the game had been dominated by the Danes. The red card changed the course of the game, and Spain won 2-1. Also Danish coach Morten Olsen was sent off in the match.
Busacca took charge of the 2007 UEFA Cup Final at Hampden Park on May 16, during which he sent off RCD Espanyol midfielder Moisés Hurtado for a second bookable offence.
Busacca also refereed an infamous Swiss Super League match on the last day of the 2005-2006 season between FC Basel and FC Zürich at St. Jakob Park in Basel. FC Basel, who hadn't lost at home in the past 59 league matches at St. Jakob Park, only needed a draw to secure their fourth championship in five years. The game was still tied at the 90-minute mark, but at the end of the very last minute of stoppage time, Zürich defender Iulian Filipescu scored the winning goal, immediately followed by Busacca's final whistle. At that point, many fans, mostly Basel fans, stormed the field. Basel supporters attacked Zürich players and fought with Zürich supporters. More trouble continued outside the park throughout the night. (See 2006 Basel Hooligan Incident).

Assistant referees in Tournament EURO 2008:

Matthias Arnet

Stéphane Cuhat

Fourth officials

Ivan Bebek

Grzegorz Gilewski

Stéphane Lannoy

Olegário Benquerença

Viktor Kassai

Craig Thomson

Kristinn Jakobsson

Damir Skomina

Thanks for you wait

Euro new (update 14 june 2008 Part2 )

Henry sure France will bounce back

France striker Thierry Henry said Friday's 4-1 humbling by the Netherlands was "difficult to accept" but insisted Les Bleus would pick themselves up before Tuesday's vital match against Italy.
Missed chance Goals from Dirk Kuyt, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Schneider inflicted the heaviest defeat on a French side in UEFA European Championship history, although the contest was closer than the scoreline suggests. Indeed, had Henry's 54th-minute lob over Edwin van der Sar dropped under rather than over the crossbar, France would have been level and back in the match. It sailed over, however, and despite the FC Barcelona man later converting a Willy Sagnol cross, the Oranje ran out comfortable winners.
'A strange game' With France's destiny now no longer in their hands, Henry was struggling to hide his disappointment. "It's difficult to accept," he told euro2008.com. "We didn't get the breaks. I missed a good opportunity, but then I put the next chance away to make it 2-1. At that point I really thought we'd come back. There were 20 minutes left and we felt the Dutch were vulnerable. It was a strange game because we had a lot of chances, but we were behind from an early stage and never managed to get back."
Govou regret Fellow forward Sidney Govou was equally perplexed by the way the evening panned out. "It's difficult to say what went wrong," the Olympique Lyonnais man mused. "We feel really frustrated because we created a lot of chances and could have come back a number of times. They were more efficient than us in front of goals and they also got some breaks at important times. The score leaves us with a real headache, but overall the biggest regret is that we didn't covert more of our chances. We were a bit too indecisive when it mattered."
Henry vow Raymond Domenech's side can still salvage their campaign with a victory over world champions Italy on Tuesday, providing Romania do not defeat the Dutch on the same night. Henry remains determined to keep fighting until the end, saying: "We have to give everything against Italy to make sure we aren't left with any regrets. We've beaten Italy before and we can do it again. If Romania win [against the Netherlands] then they'll deserve to go through, but we have to beat Italy before worrying about anything else."

Kuyt flying high on Dutch displays

Dirk Kuyt is revelling in the Netherlands' devastating displays at UEFA EURO 2008™ which have resulted in Marco van Basten's side marching into the quarter-finals after two games.

Great feeling After helping create two goals in the 3-0 defeat of Italy, the blond Liverpool FC striker sparked his side's 4-1 rout of France with the opening strike as the Oranje clinched their place in the last eight on Friday night. "It's a great feeling to be a part of important moments in a match," said Kuyt, who headed the Dutch in front after nine minutes in Berne. "But the most beautiful thing is just to win two important matches such as these. It gives you a great feeling."
Starting slot Prior to the tournament, Kuyt had expressed concerns he would not be in the squad, and then – having been selected – was not expected to feature in the starting XI. However, he began the opening game against the world champions and retained his place to face the French. "I have worked very hard to be at my best for this tournament and I am very happy to have been in the lineup twice," the 27-year-old told euro2008.com. "And when I can play an important role by giving assists and scoring goals, then I'm doubly satisfied."
'Something beautiful' The Dutch are already certain of topping Group C regardless of the result of their final game against Romania, and Kuyt said the squad believe this tournament could witness the next glorious chapter in Dutch football history. "We feel it's possible for us to achieve something beautiful here," he said. "We have delivered two excellent performances, but we must now prepare for the next step. We all want to achieve something beautiful here, and I think can, but we should not look too far ahead yet."
Fantastic support While the Netherlands have impressed on the pitch, their massive orange-clad support has been equally breathtaking off it, filling the Stade de Suisse with vibrant noise and colour. Kuyt said he was delighted the players could repay the fans' support with victory, but added that celebrations among the squad would be muted. "We are so focused on the matches that it is hard to imagine how it is for the people that are here to support us in Berne," said the former Feyenoord forward. "We really appreciate receiving so much support. We cannot experience all the celebrations, but that's OK. A lot of people would also love to be standing in our shoes right now."

Russia face their moment of truth

Russia forward Dmitri Sychev says his team face a "do-or-die match" against Greece – an opportunity for Guus Hiddink's side to save their UEFA EURO 2008™ campaign.

Win or bust After a 4-1 defeat by Spain in their Group D opener, Russia have no option but to win in Salzburg on Saturday according to the FC Lokomotiv Moskva attacker. "Of course it was bad [against Spain] but we have no other choice than to defeat Greece. We are only thinking of this," said Sychev.
All or nothing "The importance of this match cannot be underestimated," the 24-year-old continued. "For us, every game now is do or die. We are all grown-ups and we understand that everything hinges on this game. We don't need any additional motivation." If Hiddink's men did require extra incentive, they would only have to read or listen to the criticism from journalists and supporters which has followed the Spain game. "We have been called for everything," Sychev said. "I won't judge as it's up to the fans to decide, although I have my own opinion which I don't want to voice. But if the supporters say that game was played without determination, what can I do? We are being made scapegoats, but should we win this weekend, we will become heroes. It's hard to understand Russia sometimes."
Precedents Sychev, who has been used as a right-winger by Hiddink, is well-acquainted with the ups and downs of life with the Russian national team. As a veteran of UEFA EURO 2004™, he has faced both Greece and Spain before in the group stage of a finals. Four years ago, Russia gained the upper hand against Saturday's opponents, winning 2-1 in the third round of group matches. "At the time we could not imagine that they would go on to win the tournament," said the 42-cap striker who has 15 goals for his country. "We were relaxed as we were already eliminated and because there was no pressure, it was easy to play. We just went out and won. Now the Greece coach is the same and the style of play is the same. They play hard in defence, but I can only think about our team at the moment."
Moving on Another similarity with 2004 is that Russia lost their opening game to Spain, by 1-0 rather than by 4-1. Despite the contrasting scorelines, he sees only improvement in the squad in the four years since the Portugal tournament. "This time we lost to ourselves," he stressed. "Our mistakes were obvious and we conceded all four goals through our own fault, but we played without fear from the start whereas four years ago we had no chance. We had no hope and we were at a different level then."

Fàbregas content to put team first

Part of the excellence of Spain's display in defeating Russia 4-1 in the first Group D match was the impact of Luis Aragonés's substitutions.
Perfect timing Xabi Alonso seized control of the midfield passing and positioning, Santi Cazorla raced around creating havoc for Guus Hiddink's over-stretched defence, while Cesc Fàbregas created one goal and scored another. Despite Russia fully contributing to a memorable, end-to-end contest, Hiddink complained of his team's naïvety and wondered how Spain might cope against a more streetwise outfit. Sweden are certainly that, so test No2 will be ultra demanding. Perhaps the changes which Aragonés makes and the qualities his substitutes bring against the zonal-marking Swedes will be still more important.
High impact"My attitude has always been that if you are on the bench it's a key task to keep mentally prepared," said Arsenal FC midfielder Fàbregas. "My philosophy is that it's just as likely for a player who starts on the bench to eventually win or turn a game. Whether you enter a game and the team is leading, or you come on when the side is behind, you psyche yourself up to make an impact. Of course you want to start, to be the star, but it's not hard for me at all if I start on the bench. If the boss needs me then I'll be there to make an impact."
Quality partnership It is not surprising that the Zlatan Ibrahimović-Henrik Larsson partnership has attracted much of the pre-match comment in the Spanish media, despite the fact Luis Aragonés specifically named Johan Elmander as the Swede who most worries him. Larsson helped FC Barcelona play their best football in years while Ibrahimović has the memories of intense UEFA Champions League bouts against Spanish opponents in recent seasons – including a first knockout round defeat by Carlos Marchena's Valencia CF in 2006/07.
'Clean game' "People ask me if it will be a heated contest against Zlatan or whether I expect a battle, but I'm just preparing for a competitive but clean game against a classy footballer," centre-back Marchena said. "Sweden are a very competitive side but they are a unit, not just two players. Zlatan and Henrik are their most famous players but it's not as if one good performance from our back four against these two will win us the match. If anyone thinks that our defenders are worried or unsure then let me assure them that it's not the case. Spain will defend as a team, not just as a back four, and if we keep their strikers as far from our penalty box as possible then it'll be a step towards victory."

'Henke' gives Sweden inside scoop

Sweden are banking on the inside knowledge of Henrik Larsson as they bid to overcome Spain and all but book their place in the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-finals.
'I know quite a lot' The 36-year-old striker is always a popular figure with reporters but, before Saturday's meeting with the Group D leaders in Innsbruck, he has been in particular demand thanks, in no small part, to his two years at FC Barcelona. In addition to the usual Swedish press corps at the team training camp in Lugano, there was also a sizeable Spanish contingent keen to hear Larsson's thoughts on the opposition before the squad departed for Austria. "To be honest, I think I know quite a lot about the Spanish players and their team," he told euro2008.com. "I've played against most of them and I've played with [Carles] Puyol, Xavi [Hernández] and [Andrés] Iniesta. On a scale of one to ten, my knowledge is seven or eight."
Barça glory Larsson has understandably fond memories of his time in Spain, having helped Barcelona claim successive Primera División titles before the crowning glory of his last game for the club – coming off the bench to set up both goals as the Blaugrana came from one down to defeat Arsenal FC in the 2006 UEFA Champions League final in Paris. In the aftermath of that match, then Arsenal striker Thierry Henry said: "People always talk about Ronaldinho, [Samuel] Eto'o, [Ludovic] Giuly and everything, but I didn't see them today – I saw Henrik Larsson."
Good example Larsson announced his international retirement after the FIFA World Cup the same summer, a decision he reversed to take part in these finals but one that meant he missed Sweden's 2-0 home win and 3-0 away reverse against Spain in qualifying. "When Sweden played at home [to Spain] in Stockholm, we drew a lot of knowledge from that game," said 'Henke'. "Obviously, playing away to Spain gave us a lesson on how not to play."
'Play our own game' Both sides opened their Group D campaign with a victory on Tuesday, with Sweden beating holders Greece 2-0 in Salzburg while David Villa's hat-trick helped Spain to an impressive 4-1 success against Russia. Despite the teams' position of parity, Larsson believes his side will be clear underdogs at the Stadion Tivoli Neu. "We'll be playing against the group favourites," he said. "In a way, we have to adjust, but at the same time we have to play our own game. Otherwise we won't create any chances. You have to create chances to win games." And there is no one more adept at taking them than Larsson.

Oranje zest tops French experience

After seeing his side hold France to a goalless draw, Romania coach Victor Piţurcă suggested the former world champions had seen better days. Raymond Domenech's men may prove him wrong, yet after Friday's 4-1 defeat by the Netherlands, the prospect of Les Bleus claiming a third UEFA European Championship title this year is beginning to fade.
Old guard Lilian Thuram, Claude Makelele, Willy Sagnol, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira have been among Europe's finest players for years, and France coach Raymond Domenech continues to show faith in his experienced, battle-hardened campaigners. Vieira has been given as much time as possible to prove his fitness in Switzerland, and though he remained on the bench at the Stade de Suisse, fellow veterans Thuram, Makelele and Henry all featured in the spine of the team.
Early setback Indeed, six of France's starting lineup were in their thirties and they struggled to live with their younger opponents early on. Making his 142nd international appearance, Thuram misjudged an attempted interception, then headed dangerously across his own penalty area to Dirk Kuyt. Makelele was combative as ever in midfield, yet even he surrendered possession and committed more fouls than usual as the high tempo continued. It was no surprise when Kuyt nodded the Oranje in front from a ninth-minute corner.
France fight back Even the talismanic Henry initially looked subdued on his return from injury, although the turbo-charged Franck Ribéry worried the Netherlands defence every time he got possession. With Sidney Govou also using the ball intelligently, France slowly got on top. Govou and Ribéry, two of the side's more junior figures at 28 and 25 respectively, had efforts saved by Edwin van der Sar, but the best opportunity to equalise fell to Henry on 54 minutes. It was the sort of chance he usually scores in his sleep, but this time his lob cleared the crossbar.
Understudy to starring role Henry knew the miss could be costly, and so it proved as two Netherlands substitutes combined to score the second and third goals. Robin van Persie used to be Henry's understudy at Arsenal FC but the Dutchman has matured and appears primed to make a major impact at these finals. After Van Persie had surged into the box to convert Arjen Robben's cross, the two 24-year-olds linked up again in the 72nd minute, this time the Real Madrid CF winger showing too much pace for Thuram and rifling a shot high past Grégory Coupet.
Youthful exuberance Just seconds before, France had pulled a goal back when Sagnol's low cross was delightfully flicked in by Henry, who reassured French fans that his deadly scoring touch remains. Yet on a night when youth triumphed over experience, it was fitting that Carlsberg Man of the Match Wesley Sneijder should have the final say. Collecting Van Persie's pass, the midfielder – also 24 – curled an unstoppable shot past Coupet, firing Marco van Basten's exciting team into the last eight in considerable style and leaving Domenech with plenty to ponder.

Dominant Dutch progress in style

NETHERLANDS
Kuyt 9, Van Persie 59, Robben72, Sneijder 90+2
4-1
FRANCE
Henry71

The Netherlands secured their place in the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-finals with a game to spare after producing another devastating display against France in Berne, with Dirk Kuyt, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder all scoring in a memorable win.
Clinical counterattacks Twenty years after his goals led the Netherlands to the European title, Marco van Basten's 2008 crop underlined their case as serious contenders by building on their defeat of Italy to tie up first place in Group C. There may have been less of the flamboyance they had shown in beating the Azzurri – the Dutch riding their luck at times after Kuyt's early breakthrough – but the speed of their counterattacking play was again in rich evidence, never more so than in the second goal scored by Van Persie after a lightning surge by Robben. Even when Thierry Henry halved the deficit, Robben immediately restored the two-goal cushion to leave France, punished further by Sneijder, bottom of the section with a solitary point – and with everything to do against Italy on Tuesday, when the Netherlands play second-placed Romania.
Early setback France, under pressure to perform following their opening stalemate against Romania, came out with Henry installed as leader of the line in place of Nicolas Anelka and Sidney Govou drafted in on the right, allowing Franck Ribéry to play as second striker. "Time to step up a gear" declared the front page of the morning's L'Equipe newspaper yet within nine minutes they were behind, Kuyt striking from the game's first corner. Rafael van der Vaart swung the ball in and the Liverpool FC forward got in front of Florent Malouda to nod past Grégory Coupet.
France threat Kuyt then nearly profited from Lilian Thuram's misdirected header but, at full stretch, steered over. Les Bleus gradually found their stride, however, with Govou stepping past Joris Mathijsen and sending in a low drive that Edwin van der Sar saved with his legs. The volume of the France supporters began to rise as Florent Malouda, Govou and then the busy Ribéry all tested Van der Sar and Domenech's team picked up where they had left off on the restart as Henry pounced on a deflected centre by Patrice Evra – starting instead of Eric Abidal – and shot goalwards only to be denied by André Ooijer's block.
Substitutes combine The FC Barcelona striker had an even better chance soon after but put too much weight on his lob after Malouda's acrobatic chip had sent him clear. How he was left to rue that miss when the Netherlands' two substitutes combined for the second goal after 59 minutes. Ruud van Nistelrooy sent Robben speeding down the left and his cross was volleyed in by Van Persie off the hand of Coupet.
Spectacular fourth The excellent Van der Sar palmed away Ribéry's shot as France sought a lifeline and it came when Willy Sagnol provided the low ball for Henry to reduce the shortfall with a neat flick after 71 minutes. Yet hopes of a comeback lasted less than a minute. The tannoy music had barely stopped playing when Robben concluded a three-man move by blasting the ball between Coupet and his near post. Things only got worse for France, for whom this defeat was the worst in UEFA European Championship finals history, as Sneijder rounded off a stunning win in suitably spectacular fashion – driving in a fourth off the underside of the bar in added time.

Buffon saves Italy with penalty stop


ITALY
1-1
ROMANIA
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon superbly saved Adrian Mutu's penalty with nine minutes remaining to keep the world champions' UEFA EURO 2008™ hopes alive as the Azzurri and Romania battled out a breathless draw in Zurich.
Penalty dramaBuffon dived to his left to block the ACF Fiorentina striker's stinging drive with his arm and foot after Christian Panucci had held back Daniel Niculae in the area. Defeat would have left Italian ambitions on a knife-edge but in a free-flowing match they delivered a perfect response to Mutu's 55th-minute opener as Panucci levelled a minute later. It salvaged a crucial point, which kept Italy in Group C contention before their reprise of the FIFA World Cup final against France on Monday when Romania play the Netherlands.
Widespread changesItaly coach Roberto Donadoni made five changes to the side that lost to the Netherlands as he looked to rescue their campaign. Victor Piţurcă had more reason to be satisfied after a goalless draw with France, but still freshened up his midfield, with Florentin Petre and Paul Codrea coming in – the latter bringing experience of Italian football with AC Siena. Italy's reshuffled back line was tested in the first minute when Mutu nodded over and in an open game it was immediately clear that Romania were willing to commit more men forward than they had against France. Alessandro Del Piero made his first start since September and Italy's captain almost had an early impact when his header was deflected wide.
Ebb and flowRomania then created three excellent chances in the space of four minutes. Buffon saved brilliantly from Mutu, who had broken free down the left, then stretched to keep out a Gabriel Tamaş free-kick. The goalkeeper was beaten, however, when Cristian Chivu's long-range free-kick deflected off Panucci, but the ball bounced back off the post. Piţurcă's team were showing all the invention they had concealed against France and their coach, sensing the momentum was going their way, chose to withdraw the injured Mirel Rădoi for the forward-thinking Nicolae Dică on 25 minutes. Attack was dominating defence, with Romania's slick passing inviting fear in the Italy rearguard while Luca Toni was winning everything in the air at the other end, Bogdan Lobonţ tipping one header over.
Short-lived leadAC Milan pair Massimo Ambrosini and Gennaro Gattuso had made way for Daniele De Rossi and Simone Perrotta in Italy's midfield, yet their replacements were finding little joy against Chivu, who cut off the supply line down the centre. Mutu also continued to catch the eye, drawing a smart stop from Buffon before pouncing on Gianluca Zambrotta's weak back-header to fire his side in front ten minutes into the second period. The Romania fans were still celebrating when Italy hit back, Giorgio Chiellini heading a corner back across goal for Panucci to knock in.
Buffon brillianceLobonţ had to touch away Antonio Cassano's diving header as Italy pushed for a second goal, although it was Romania who had the best opportunity to win a breathtaking contest. Panucci was adjudged to have restricted Niculae with his arms in the area, allowing Mutu the chance to snatch what would have been a memorable victory. The Azzurri were staring defeat and possible elimination in the face but Buffon produced a dramatic diving save to his left to keep his team in the competition.

Romania face up to Rădoi blow

Romania look likely to be without midfielder Mirel Rădoi in their decisive UEFA EURO 2008™ Group C encounter with the Netherlands on Tuesday after he suffered a seemingly serious facial injury in today's 1-1 draw with Italy.
Surgery neededVersatile FC Steaua Bucureşti player Rădoi, 27, went down after an accidental clash of heads with team-mate Răzvan Raţ and was replaced during the first half in Zurich. Coach Victor Piţurcă revealed the extent of the problem after the final whistle, saying: "I was told it is quite serious – apparently he will need eye surgery and he has a broken nose too. Although I haven't spoken to the doctor, I don't think he will be able to play the next game." A victory for Romania against the Netherlands in Berne would take them into the quarter-finals.

Cilp EURO 2008

+Feel The Rush - Shaggy+

STADIUM GUIDE

Ernst Happel Stadion

Name: Ernst Happel Stadion (before 1986: Prater Stadion)

Inauguration: 1931

Renovations: 1986

Capacity: 49,000

seatsAddress: A - 1020 Wien, Meiereistraße

City:Vienna

Bullen-Arena

Name: Bullen-Arena

Inauguration: March 2003

First match: Red Bull Salzburg-FC Karnten

Capacity: 18,700 (5,000 standing places)

Pitch dimensions: 105*68

Address: Aigner Straße 12, 5020 Salzburg

Club: Red Bull Salzburg

City:Salzburg

Tivoli Neu

Name: Tivoli Neu

Inauguration: 6 September 2000

Capacity: 17,400

Pitch dimensions: 105*68

Address: Stadionstrasse 1b, A-6020 Innsbruck

Club: FC Wacker Tirol

City:Stadt Innsbruck

Worthersee Stadion

Name: Worthersee Stadion

Club: FC Kärnten Scheduled

inauguration: July 2007

Capacity: 32,000 seats

City:Klagenfurt

Letzigrund

Name: Letzigrund Scheduled

inauguration: September 2007

Club: FC Zürich

Capacity: 31,000 seats

City:Zurich

St Jakob Park

Name: St Jakob Park

Inauguration: 25 April 1954

First match: Switzerland-Germany

Renovations: 1999-2001

Capacity: 33,200 (9,000 standing places)

Pitch dimensions: 105*68

Club: FC Basel

City:Basel

Stade de Genève

Name: Stade de Genève

Inauguration: 16 March 2003

First match: Servette FC-BSC Young Boys 1-1

Capacity: 31,000 seats

Pitch dimensions: 105*68

Address: Stade de Genève, Route des Jeunes, 1203 Genève

Club: Servette FC

City: Geneve

Stade de Suisse

Name: Stade de Suisse

Inauguration: 30 July 2005

Capacity: 32,000

Address: Papiermühlestrasse 71, CH-3022 Bern

Club: BSC Young Boys

City: Bern