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Anybody's tournament Plenty of contenders in Euro 2000 field
Posted: Friday June 09, 2000 03:57 PM
Has a major football championship ever been this wide open? Have there ever been so many question marks over the supposed favorites? Can there ever have been such intrigue? Euro 2000 kicks off on Saturday with co-hosts Holland installed as favorites by the British bookmakers, followed by France, Spain and Italy. But expect the odds to fluctuate somewhat over the next month or so. The Dutch are a multi-talented team, but by no means have a grip on a place in the semifinals -- which is the very least the nation expects from Patrick Kluivert, Dennis Bergkamp, Edgar Davids and their orange-clad colleagues. They have World Champions France in their group for starters, plus a Czech Republic side which won all its qualifying games (admittedly in a weak section) and Denmark, who can boast a European title from 1992. Spain, Yugoslavia or Norway potentially await them in the quarter finals. 
It is unthinkable for Holland to finish outside the top two in their group. It could have happened had they faced France first, lost the match and been immediately thrown onto the back foot. But with the home crowd behind them and the Czechs and Danes occupying their first two fixtures, there is no way Holland can mess it up ... is there? Then there's Spain. They are rightly talked of as strong title contenders after a resurgence under Jose Antonio Camacho. But out here in the low countries, Camacho's not enthusiastically joining in the conversation. This is a man hardly short on confidence and who turned round Spanish fortunes after a stunning first round failure at the World Cup in 1998 and 3-2 Euro 2000 qualifying defeat to Cyprus. However, he insists Spain cannot be considered in the same breath as Germany, Italy, Holland and Belgium. "They all have something to defend and we don't," said Camacho. "I hope by the next European Championship or World Cup, we will have a reputation to defend. But first we have to achieve that reputation." A fair comment. Spain have flattered to deceive over the years, qualifying effortlessly only to fall foul of bad form or awful luck in the finals. On this grand occasion, though, it seems their time has come. Spain dominated the Champions League, with Real Madrid conquering Valencia in the first ever all-Spanish final, and in Raul possess one of the greatest match-winners in the tournament.
Raul picked up an injury in training recently, only momentarily casting a shadow over Spanish preparations. Camacho left Raul's Real Madrid colleague Fernando Morientes out of his squad around the same time, to the astonishment of many. Another shadow me thinks. But still, Spain have too much pedigree to mess it up again ... don't they? Italy and Germany are your usual tournament mainstays. Ask people en masse for their title challengers come World Cup and European Championship time and these two big boys aren't far from the top of the list. At least, that's how it used to be. No, this time Italy and Germany are coming into the finals somewhat more sheepishly. The Italians don't have Christian Vieri, a midfield to speak of or a coach with much notion about his perfect first XI. The Germans have been riddled with internal strife and condemnation of their coach Eric Ribbeck. The nearly-forty-something Lothar Matthäus remains at the heart of their team as they grimly hang on to glories past. But what am I thinking? When have Germany never been ready for a major tournament? Even when they were struck by injuries to key figures four years ago, they won the lot. And when have Italy not had enough top class performers in enough positions to make them dangerous? Regardless of the coach and tactics, wouldn't Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero enhance many a national team? That said. Germany and Italy won't win Euro 2000 ... or could they? You see, there is no end to the ebb and flow of it all. No let up in the questions. Those constant questions. The nagging, nagging questions. Can Beckham, Scholes and Owen take England to the next level? Will Belgium be the more dangerous of the co-hosts? Can the Galatasaray factor turn Turkey from pointless also-rans four years ago into serious spoilers this time? Can Portugal embrace the "Brazilians of Europe" tag? Which nation will pull a Czech-like shock of Euro 96? Are France destined to rule again? None of us know for sure. Most sane people among us can't even hazard a truly respectable guess without at first going through all kinds of crazy permutations and agonizing thought processes. This is one tournament which defies prediction. And you know that just has to make it a must-watch experience for football lovers everywhere. Phil Jones is a co-host of "World Sport," the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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