Euro 2004 Roundup

UEFA official says cash-strapped Portugal on track

LISBON (Reuters) -- Cash-strapped Portugal is on schedule to host the 2004 European soccer championships, UEFA's chief executive Gerhard Aigner said on Tuesday, even as critics questioned the tournament's cost.

With the opening qualifiers starting on Saturday, Aigner said all but one of the 10 stadiums were within their construction schedules for the tournament, one of the world's biggest sports events.

"We're monitoring the development of the construction side very closely," he told Reuters.

"There, we were satisfied with the information that we got. ...There is no crisis situation."

Aigner, who met government and soccer officials on Monday, spoke after a news conference where audio and video gear maker Victor Co of Japan (JVC) was announced as one of the championship's sponsors.

The Antas stadium in the northern city of Oporto is the only venue behind schedule. "Everything is being done to catch up," Aigner said.

His assessment comes amid government refusals to put up more money for the three-week tournament finals despite pleas by club officials.

Portugal, one of the poorest countries in the 15-member European Union, faces possible sanctions for breaching an EU budget deficit limit last year.

The five-month-old center-right government has jacked up the value-added tax and slashed spending in an effort to close the budget shortfall.

Aigner told

Deputy Prime Minister Jose Luis Arnaut told Aigner and Portuguese soccer officials on Monday that the government would only meet commitments agreed by the previous Socialist administration.

"There will be no more support, direct or indirect," he told reporters.

The championship finals are expected to draw a million spectators to Portugal when they start in June 2004. Portugal is building or refurbishing 10 stadiums at a cost of 550 million euros, with the government paying a quarter and providing interest rate subsidies for clubs and cities.

The tournament looms as Portugal's clubs are also struggling. Premiership sides lost 91 million euros in the 2000-01 season and about 60 percent of revenues go to only three clubs -- Lisbon's Sporting and Benfica, and Porto.

Critics have hit out at the tournament, saying Portugal cannot afford it. They have complained that small cities are being torn apart for stadiums that will be only used for the event.

"I'm sorry that this government didn't have the courage to end Euro 2004," political commentator Miguel Sousa Tavares told private TVI television.

Vitor Coias e Silva, an engineer who heads a building renovation association, said the stadiums resulted from an alliance among clubs, politicians and builders that was destroying Portugal's cities through headlong development.

"Euro 2004 is the apotheosis of the concrete lobby," he told the weekly Expresso newspaper.

Denmark captain Henriksen to miss Norway qualifier

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -- Injury has forced Denmark captain Rene Henriksen out of Saturday's Euro 2004 qualifier against Norway in Oslo, the Danish football association (DBU) said on Tuesday.

The Panathinaikos defender, who has been a doubt for some time, is joined on the injured list by Glasgow Rangers winger Peter Loevenkrands and Brondby defender Morten Wieghorst.

Striker Peter Madsen and defender Per Nielsen, both from Brondby, have been called into the squad along with FC Copenhagen's Martin Albrechtsen.

Coach Morten Olsen must also do without Brondby's Ruben Bagger and Udinese's Martin Joergensen who informed him they were unavailable last week.

Stam, Paauwe return to Dutch squad for Belarus clash

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -- Experienced defenders Jaap Stam and Patrick Paauwe have been recalled to Dick Advocaat's Dutch squad for Saturday's European Championship qualifying match against Belarus in Nijmegen.

Lazio's Stam missed last month's 1-0 friendly victory in Norway with an Achilles tendon injury while Feyenoord's Paauwe was left out.

Advocaat also welcomed Ajax midfielder Rafael van der Vaart back into the 20-man squad after he missed the Norway game with a groin injury.

PSV Eindhoven defenders Andre Ooijer and Wilfred Bouma were left out of the squad due to injury.

"On Saturday it will be serious," said Advocaat, "We played well in the friendlies, but everybody will have forgotten that if we drop points against Belarus."

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Edwin van der Sar (Fulham), Ronald Waterreus (PSV Eindhoven)

Defenders: Frank de Boer (Barcelona), Jaap Stam (Lazio), Kevin Hofland (PSV Eindhoven), Patrick Paauwe (Feyenoord), Michael Reiziger (Barcelona), Fernando Ricksen (Rangers)

Midfielders: Mark van Bommel (PSV Eindhoven), Paul Bosvelt (Feyenoord), Phillip Cocu (Barcelona), Edgar Davids (Juventus), Patrick Kluivert (Barcelona), Rafael van der Vaart (Ajax Amsterdam)

Forwards: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Chelsea), Pierre van Hooijdonk (Feyenoord), Roy Makaay (Deportivo Coruna), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United), Boudewijn Zenden (Chelsea), Andy van der Meyde (Ajax Amsterdam)

Croatia calls up new defenders

ZAGREB (Reuters) -- Croatia coach Otto Baric has called up two new defenders for Saturday's Euro 2004 qualifier against Estonia in Osijek after stalwarts Robert Kovac and Josip Simunic dropped out with injuries.

Danel Hrman of Croatian side Varteks Varazdin and Mario Tokic of Austria's GAK have joined the training camp in neighboring Slovenia, local daily Jutarnji List reported Tuesday.

Hertha Berlin's Simunic will undergo ankle surgery in Berlin this week and is likely to be out of action for two months, while Kovac of Bayern Munich withdrew with a nagging injury.

The 69-year-old Baric, who took over in July from Mirko Jozic following Croatia's early exit at the World Cup, faces his first competitive game after a disappointing 1-1 home draw with Wales last month.

Croatia will also face Belgium, Bulgaria and Andorra in the qualifying campaign.

Revised squad: Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Hajduk Split), Tomislav Butina (Dinamo Zagreb)

Defenders: Boris Zivkovic (Bayer Leverkusen), Danel Hrman (Varteks), Dario Simic (AC Milan), Mario Tokic (GAK), Filip Tapalovic (Bochum), Stjepan Tomas (Vicenza)

Midfielders: Niko Kovac (Bayern Munich), Davor Vugrinec (Lecce), Milan Rapaic (Fenerbahce), Silvio Maric (Dinamo Zagreb), Daniel Saric (Panathinaikos), Jurica Vranjes (Bayer Leverkusen), Jerko Leko (Dinamo Zagreb)

Forwards: Tomislav Maric (VfL Wolfsburg), Mladen Petric (Grasshoppers), Marko Babic (Bayer Leverkusen), Alen Boksic (Middlesbrough), Ivica Olic (Dinamo Zagreb).

Grujic called into Bosnia squad for Romania match

SARAJEVO (Reuters) -- Midfielder Vladan Grujic of Banja Luka side Borac has been called into the Bosnia squad for Saturday's European Championship qualifier against Romania in Sarajevo.

Missing from the line-up were Elvir Baljic of Galatasaray and Elvir Bolic of Rayo Vallecano, who are both short of match fitness, while SV Hamburg's Sergej Barbarez and Coventry City's Muhamed Konjic were ruled out through injury.

Sixteen of the 23-man squad announced by coach Blaz Sliskovic play their club football abroad.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Tomislav Piplica (Energie Cottbus), Almir Tolja (Casino SW Bregenz)

Defenders: Mirsad Beslija (Genk), Zlatan Bajramovic (Freiburg), Mirsad Hibic (Atletico Madrid), Vedin Music (Como), Sasa Papac (Karnten), Munever Rizvic (Torpedo Zil), Jasmin Huric (Primorje), Edis Mulalic (Zeljeznicar)

Midfielders: Hasan Salihamidzic (Bayern Munich), Almedin Hota (Karnten), Asmir Ikanovic (Casino SW Bregenz), Bruno Akrapovic (Enegrie Cottbus), Edin Mujcin (Dinamo Zagreb), Danijel Krivic (Brotnjo), Bulend Biscevic (Zeljeznicar), Asim Skaljic (Velez), Senad Brkic (Celik), Sinisa Mulina (Leotar), Vladan Grujic (Borac)

Forwards: Samir Muratovic (Saturn Ramenskoye), Nedim Halilovic (Varteks Varazdin)

Constantinou named in Cyprus squad

NICOSIA (Reuters) -- Cyprus coach Moca Vukotic named injured striker Michalis Constantinou in his squad to face France in their 2004 European championship qualifier Saturday.

The Panathinaikos forward has been out of action for a month with a hamstring injury but has been undergoing intensive treatment.

Vukotic, who announced the squad Tuesday, left out AEL Limassol striker Costas Malekkos, despite two goals in the opening two games in the Cypriot first division this season.

Squad: Goalkeepers: Nicos Panayiotou (Anorthosis Famagusta), Michalis Shimitras (Apollon Limassol).

Defenders: Petros Konnafis, Nicos Nicolaou (Anorthosis), Stelios Okkaridis, Demetris Daskalakis (APOEL Nicosia) Chryssis Michael (AEL Limassol), George Theodotou, Ioakim Ioakim (Omonia Nicosia), Panicos Spyrou (Olympiakos Nicosia).

Midfielders: Marinos Satsias (APOEL), Marios Christodoulou (AEL), Costas Kaiafas, Marinos Nicolaou (Omonia).

Forwards: Marios Agathocleous (APOEL), Louis Eleftheriou (AEK Larnaca), Michalis Constantinou (Panathinaikos), Yiannakis Okkas, Yiasemis Yasemakis (PAOK Thessaloniki)

Belgian captain Bart Goor uncertain for Bulgaria

Top striker Wesley Sonck was also unable to train with the national team Tuesday after he was hurt during Racing Genk's league game against Mouscron on Sunday. He should rejoin the squad again by Thursday.

Goor's ankle is swollen and hurts, said team doctor Marc Goossens, estimating the player's chances for recovery in time for the Group 8 game at 50 percent.

Coach Aime Antheunis said he remained "optimistic" Goor would be able to play Saturday.

Bulgaria will miss two key forwards, Georgi Ivanov of France's Rennes and Bayer Leverkusen's Dimitar Berbatov, both sidelined with leg injuries.

Georgi Chilikov of Bulgaria's Levski and Martin Petrov of the Bundesliga club Wolfsburg, will take the places of the injured players, coach Plamen Markov said.

"I pray that we have no more injuries," Markov said. "We simply need every single player now."

Belgium will be looking to start its Euro 2004 campaign with a win after Goor led the team to a credible 1-1 draw against Poland in a warm-up match two weeks ago.

Antheunis is counting on Sonck and Schalke 04 forward Emile Mpenza to give Belgium an opening win in qualifying Group 8.

Bulgaria and Belgium also face Croatia, Estonia and Andorra in the qualifying group. The winner qualifies directly for the finals in Portugal while the runner-up faces a playoff.

Andorra, Croatia and Estonia also play in Group 8.

 

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.