Every thing in that cup was so good, and the cooperation between Holland and Belgium seems to be better than the latest African cup of nation in Nigeria and Ghana. Hope it will be better in Japan and the Koreas.

PREPARED IN 23/6/00
(after the first round)

PORTUGAL: They Were surprisingly good especially Figo although he had only one goal so far, Rui Costa, Couto the man of the match with the Germans, and it was a big mistake to leave Concesao to easy games only and that what have been proved in this match.

ROMANIA: I liked their well, their wish to qualify, that they didn't care about being in the tail of the group after the second round. But I think they won't make it against the Italians especially with the absence of Popescu, Petrescu , contra even with the return of their greatest leader HAGI.

ENGLAND: I don't think the English men had any excuses, maybe Adams was injured, but there was Bickham, Sherer, Owen, Scoles all in the right place. But the problem seams to be the absence of seaman, Adams, Sheringham and Mc maneman , and Kewon was always in the bad position, Marten was so bad , and wise was the opposite of what we saw in the champions league.

GERMANY: OLDGUYS Every body cares about football, knows very well that the DFB (Dutchier Fussball Bund) have a serious problem of finding good young players to play for the national team, so if there was only old men whose above 30 who can play foot ball well, so how anybody can imagine they can qualify to the next round not to mention the final. So it is not the old guy's fault only, nor the coaches as well, but the press had it own fault, that the German press was the worst enemy. Especial with the injury of one of the best: Bierhoff.

ITALY: MY FAVOIRETE Italy was so good because their group was so easy, I think they should care more about striking cause they stress so much on defending and that make us lose the enjoyment of the games. Maybe because the couch has a lot of good forwards that he can chose whose better such as: Del Piero , Filipo Inzagi, Totti, Delvichio, and he was so wrong in letting Maldini into the last game that he got an injury. One the other hand, I wish they can win the tournament.

TURCKY: I don't think that they were that good, they were lucky only, especially SUCUR who woke up finally, so it is hard to say they will pass above Portugal, yet nothing is impossible in soccer.

BILGIUM: Everybody, deals with international soccer, knows very well that Belgium is not the type of countries who reaches finals. Not to mention qualifying to quarterfinal in the world cup 1994. And that's why we did not hear a lot about their press talking bad things about their own guys, like the Germans or the English press. The bad thing about the team was the goal keeper he seems to know nothing about goal keeping, and Luk Niles did not had real chances to translate into goals, other players didn't seems to be playing in their own land.

SWEDEN: (UN like their hand ball team) they was the worst in the tournament, Lionberg was alone in the front, Larson is better with his club, and it was a bite to lose a guy like k. Andersson, Myalbe was good though.

SPANE: It would be a big lose to miss them early but they made it through, in Epson if it will be some thing wrong it will be with the couch, he forgot that Morientes is important next to Raul, and he forgot about having, UN like the Germans, plenty of good young men who won a world cup such as: cassias, Farinos and Gerard. Although he was good in keeping a way Moline in the right time, that Canizares is so good. Also Alfonso was in the right position, Mandieta did not appear indeed yet. Only Hierro was not the usual guy.

YOGUSLAVIA: They were violence, tough, but have good statistics.

NORWAY: They were sooo bad like Sweden, Denmark and Germany. And they had the ghosts of Flo and Solcskjar, only Mikland was a body and soul together and made a good performance. And their playing was so boring and did not deserve to qualify any way.

SLOVINIA: It was one step away from being the black hoarse of the tournament. That Zahovitc made him self up in a great jump while every body thought they will loose the hole games but having 4 goals against YOGUSLAVIA and ESPANE is so good for a country playing for the first time. Pavlin was so good also.

NEATHERLAND: They were lucky to win the last game that they will still playing in their own land, kluivert was less than usual but good, Davids was in the highest levels, Zindene proved hem self, but Berkamp was not the same arsenal guy.

FRANCE: They did not change any thing from the world cup, same squad, same statistics, but not the same couch and Anilka is added. So will they make it like the world cup? We will stay toned.

CZECH REBUPLIC: Nedved was so good but one hand can't clap.

DENMARK: It is so obvious that they Miss Laudrop brothers so much, and shmichel was good and still good but he had a very bad luck these days, and the goals were Unbeatable.

MY OPINION ABOUT EURO 2000
(AFTER THE FINAL)
PORTUGAL: they did a good job during the whole tournament. With England, they won 3-2 in spite of the English men scoring their goals first. Against Romania they played a tremendous game only goals were missing, but finally, it came in the last minute of the game by the substitute Costinha (Francesco Costa). With Germany they did not play as if they were qualified already that they played real hard, that Concesao scored 3 goals by his own to but him self in the real squad. Turkey was not better than England and Germany that they were lucky to qualify from the first place, so it is enough for them. Of course, Figo was the Maradonna of that game. But against France they saw hill, they scored first but the second extra time was for the French side that they had a penalty and Zizo scored it so easily. That was not all, Gomez were red carded, I saw Figo taking off his shirt and shouting, and Xavier, pinto and Gomez were all punished not to play with their team or clubs for more than 6 months .
GOOD PLAYERS: LUIS FIGO , NUNO GOMEZ ,FERNANDO COUTO,SERGIO CONSECAO , JORGE COSTA,VITOR BAYA, MANUILE RUI COSTA , JOAO PINTO.

ROMANIA: they were not the same as the world cup 1994, nor in the last world cup, but according to Germany and England! They were good. They took one point from Germany when the game finished 1-1 by a goal from their guineas Moldovan. Then lost 1-0 against Portugal in a wonderful game. And qualified to the second round by beating England with the same result their game finished in the world cup1998, which was finished 3-2 for Romania and the goals came by Gania, Montiano and Chivu, then lost 2-0 against Italy in the quarter final to end their trip through Euro 2000 up till here.
GOOD PLAYERS: VIOREL MOLDOVAN, GHEORGHE HAGI, DAN PETRESCU, CHERISTIAN CHIVU, DORINEL MUNTEANU, GHEORGHE POPESCU, ADRIAN ILIE, BOGDAN STELEA.

ITALY: every body said that they wont survive with such a defending plan, but my favorite proved how giant team they r. they won 2-1 against turkey, in a game made us lose the Juventus captain Antonio Conte because of an injury, then won 2-0 against the author host country, Belgium, then 2-1 against Sweden to qualify without any lost or draw games. Then won 2-0 against the surprising Romania, which was able to get Germany and England's head but Italy was not that easy victim. And the greatest prove of their courage the 120 minute they played only defending without letting any Dutch man pass, only two times and Avery good goal keeper was their for sure. The Dutch indeed was attacking but the whole world admitted that the Italian defense line is the best around the world. The final was the most disappointing, Totti and Delvicio (Rome forwards) did their best, but Del Piero was the surprise, the Italians unfortunately couldn't save the goal of the match of having a brother for the other side. Hard luck Italy, but they will still the favorite of lots of people round the world, not forgetting that I admire the ex coach Dino Zoff and must say that this is a big lost to Italy which that the next coach will be better.
GOOD PLAYERS: PAULO MALDINI, ALESSANDRO NESTA, FABIO CANNAVARO, FRANCESCO TOTTI, FRANCESCO TOLDO, ALESANDRO DEL PIERO, STIFANO FIORI, GIVRANCO ZOLA, GIANLUCA ZAMPROTA, FLIPO INZAGI, ANTONIO CONTI.

TURCKEY: Everybody knows that turkey wasn't that real black horse that they played only one real game and that was against the weakest host country (Belgium). And if we put that game aside we will see that they were a very normal team. First, they lost 2-1 against Italy then played such a horrible game ended 0-0 with Sweden. After that they did their best to qualify and they do it by winning 2-0 against Belgium. Then of course ended there glory with a shameful lost against Portugal in a game ended 2-0.
BEST PLAYERS: HAKAN SUKER, AREF ARDEM.

SPAIN: My other favorite team after Italy, their beginning was soo disappointing that I was shocked indeed when they lost 1-0 against Norway while the winners didn't do their best. But after that for god sake they won 2-1 against Slovenia the other black horse (the first is Portugal) in a good game. Finally they played one of the tournaments greatest games by winning 4-3 against Yugoslavia. But the end of the road was the forth game (out of 6 to go) win the hero of the tournament pushed them out by winning 2-1.
BEST PLAYERS: RAUL GONZALES, FERNANDO HIERO, ALFONSO, EXIPIERIA, GAIZKA MANDIETA, EIKER KASIAS, FERNANDO MORIANTES, GERARD LOPEZ, FARINOS, GOSIP GARDIULA .

YOGOSLAVIA: The tough men, they played tough and very hard but still playing good, that is not gust a personal opinion I know lots of people like the playing of Yugoslavia, but not the tough part of it of course. They started bad and good in the same time, and same match. That they started to have 3 goals in 63 minutes from a new team which is participating for the first time in Euro nation cup and also Mihajlovic was out. But they fixed all these miss (while they have a missed player) by adding 3 goals to end that game with draw, and to be a very good example for hope and power. Then the man who scored 2 goals in the last match while he was only a substitute scored his third goal in the tournament to lead him self into the real squad, and lead his country to a big hope of qualifying and not to be out of this cup so soon. And then lost 3-4 against Spain but there is no way their getting out cause Norway draw with Slovenia to gain only 4 points while Yugoslavia had 4 points but more goals, so they joined Spain to the next round. But Holland (the powerful host country) was their again to spoil it all for Yugoslavia as they did in the world cup (Holland won 2-1 in the second round in the world cup in 1998) that they won 6-1 in a fabulous game which the Yugoslavian also toke part of scoring in it (one for them and one against their own) that kluiverts forth goal was a foal from a Yugoslavian defender called Govidaricha.
BEST PLAYERS: SAVO MILOSEVIC, SINISA MIHAJLOVIC, BREDRAG MIJATOVIC, VLADIMIR JUGOVIC, DRAGAN STOJKOVIC, DEJAN SAVICEVIC.

HOLLAND: the men were the same as the last world cup and even better. Everybody thought that they will take the cup cause they proved that they deserve having it and not to mention that hosting element which can give the trophy to, some times, a weak country gust because it is having the tournament on its own land. In their way through, Holland won 1-0 in front of Czech republic in a weak game from the Dutch, then win 3-0 against Denmark (with peter Schmiechel attendance) then won 3-2 hardly in front of France (the other qualifier in that group), the strange group, which was named as the hardest one but it was the first group to have the qualifiers identified before the last round. After that the Dutch men did their best in front of the Yugoslavians by scoring 5 goals and 3 of them for Kluivert, then Govidarecha scored the sixth and there is Milosivic to score the honor goal for Yugoslavia, to end the match 6-1. The game with Italy was the end of the road cause in Euro cups there is nothing named the third place game as in all the other cups. That Italy for 120 minute remained unbeatable in spite of the Dutch full striking control, but with a defiance line contains Maldini , Nesta , and Canavaro ( the great wall of china) no body can pass and that what was sooooooo clear .
BEST PLAYERS: EDWIN VAN DER SAR, CLARENCE SEEDORF, RONALD AND FRANK DE POER, JAAP STAM, PATRICK KLUIVERT, DENNIS BERGKAMP, MARK OVERMARS, PHILLIP COCU.

FRANCE: the heroes of the tournament, in spite of the Italians reached the 90th minute with out receiving any goals, but the referee gave them an extra time that was not necessary at all to extend the match to an extra time that the French get used of very well. During the cup, France played with Denmark and won 3-0. Then won 2-1 against Czech republic then played a real tough game with the Dutch and lost 3-2 to leave them qualify having the only 6 points and to play the next round in Belgium and leave Holland playing in their own land. After that won 2-1 against Spain that the Spanish 2 (supposed) goals were one from a penalty and another missed one was when Raul missed to rescue the last chance for Spain and to make him self having physical problems. The happiness and glory were in the final when Lumierr did some thing that not every coach could make how ever great that coach was. That all the 3 substitutions he made during the match was soo good and useful, one of the substations scored the first goal and the other gave the ball of the winning goal to Trezeguet who made France have the cup for the second time of their history.
BEST PLAYERS: FABIEN BARTHEZ, LILIAN TURAM, LAURENT BLANC, MARCEL DESAILLY, ZINDINE ZIDANE, DIDIER DESHAMPS, ROBERT PIRES, CHRISTIAN KAREMBEU, YOURI DJORKAEFF, DAVID TREZEGUET, THIERRY HENRY, NICOLAS ANILKA, SYLVIAN WILTORD, EMANUIL BETIT, ROBERT BEREZ.