Three days to go
· Holland will be without Clarence Seedorf for their opening Group D match against Germany on Tuesday in Oporto. The midfielder is suffering from a hamstring strain picked up during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by the Republic of Ireland. «I will have to miss him for at least a week,» said Holland’s coach Dick Advocaat.
·The Croatia squad left for Portugal bearing religious objects donated by a local radio station, Black Prada Bag With Gold Hardware including a cross, a rosary and a medallion of the Virgin Mary. A statue of the Authentic Prada Canvas Bag Virgin Mary prada replica bags, decorated with the symbols of Euro 2004 and the Croatian football association, will also travel with the squad to Fatima, a pilgrimage site in Portugal for Roman Catholics.
·There is not much optimism in Germany about the team’s chances but if they should emerge as the winners on July 4 some people will be in for a cash bonus. A chain of electronics stores has promised sceptical fans that if they buy a television now and Rudi Völler’s side lift the trophy then they will get their money back. Not many of those who jeered Germany after the 2-0 defeat by Hungary in their final warm-up game on Sunday will have rushed out to buy one. And only 24% of Germans believe their team will Bicester Village Prada Refund win in Portugal.
·Luis Figo was back in training with Portugal yesterday and showing no signs of the injury that kept him out of Monday’s sessions when he worked instead with the team’s physiotherapist. The Real Madrid winger, who had muscle pains in his right leg, did not appear to be carrying any injury as the team worked out at Sporting Lisbon’s training centre 12 miles east of Authentic Prada Handbags For Cheap Lisbon.
Meanwhile Cristiano Ronaldo says he is not offended by reported criticism from Portugal’s coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. Ronaldo was substituted by Scolari in the friendly with Sweden and afterwards the Brazilian said he wanted warriors and not players who were «doi-doi» – loosely translated as Fancy Dans. But the Manchester United player said: «It’s the job of the boss to advise his players Agatha Ruiz Dela Prada Sale Uk so that everyone works well and I did not take it as a Best Prada Outlet In Milan criticism but as an incentive to do better. The coach wants only the best for the team, a strong collective. In my particular case sometimes things do not always go as I want them to but I must continue to work, to keep my head up in the knowledge that in the next few games things will go better.»
·The AZ Alkmaar coach Co Adriaanse has refused About Prada Products to apologise to Holland’s coach Dick Advocaat for saying the national team would not win Euro 2004 with him in charge. The board of the professional coaches’ association (CBV) has asked him to say sorry for his interview last week in the Dutch weekly Voetbal International in which he said: «It is impossible that the Dutch will win a title with Advocaat as coach.» CBV said Adriaanse had broken the association’s code of conduct and had to apologise in writing or by phone within a week. But Adriaanse countered with a statement saying: «It is my right to give my opinion but if I’m not supposed to do it because I am a colleague . . . I wonder if I want to be a member of the association. That is why I Authentic Prada Online Shop decided to resign Baby Prada Shoes Uk from the CBV immediately.»
·Sir Alex Black Prada Chain Bag Ferguson fears that England’s chances of winning in Portugal may suffer because of the lack of a break in the long and «exhausting» Premiership season. The Manchester United manager said: «There is no doubt that they are playing a major tournament at the wrong time of the season. That’s always been the case.»
Ferguson added that England had done well in Euro 96 because they played their matches at Wembley. «That was an advantage. It would help them to overcome the bigger disadvantage of the terribly exhausting season we have, with the lack of a mid-season break. Ultimately England need to go in fresher, and if they were fresher then, yes, they would have an outstanding chance.»
