Euro 2004 Roundup

Work halted on Portugal's showpiece stadium

LISBON (Reuters) -- Building work on the centerpiece stadium for the 2004 European soccer championships halted on Tuesday, a construction company spokesman confirmed.

"That's up to Benfica to provide," a spokesman for head contractor Somague said when asked for a reason for the halt at Benfica's Stadium of Light, which is scheduled to seat 65,000 and host the Euro 2004 final.

However, A Bola sports newspaper reported on Tuesday that EPUL, the Lisbon city agency in charge of building housing as part of the project, wanted more money for access routes. Benfica and Somague had refused.

The disagreement led to an emergency meeting between city officials and representatives of Somague, Benfica and Euro 2004, the company in charge of organizing the tournament.

A Benfica spokesman was not immediately available for comment, but property manager Mario Dias told television reporters the city meeting had been merely routine and work had slowed after heavy rain the night before.

"There have been dozens of meetings like this to discuss everyday matters," Dias said in comments broadcast on private channel SIC. "Other projects of mine have had to halt. People have to have normal conditions to work in."

Dias denied Somague and Benfica had disagreed over money.

"There is absolutely no [disagreement]. Everything is ensured. Everything is fine. The building is going ahead, not as quickly as yesterday, but it will probably pick up tomorrow," he said.

The halt to work takes place a week before UEFA officials are to arrive in Portugal to examine the progress of construction.

Portugal is building 10 stadiums for the tournament at a cost of about 550 million euros ($538.2 million).

Scotland hopeful Ferguson will be fit for Iceland game

GLASGOW (Reuters) -- Scotland manager Berti Vogts is optimistic Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson will be fit for Saturday's European championship qualifier against Iceland in Reykjavik.

Ferguson has a hip injury and required pain-killers to play in his side's 3-3 draw with champions Celtic in the Scottish premier league on Sunday.

Rangers manager Alex McLeish raised doubts about whether Ferguson would be able to play for his country but Vogts said on Tuesday that the player could face Iceland without any treatment.

"I had a good talk with Barry yesterday and I know he wants to play for Scotland in this match," Vogts told reporters in Dumbarton on Tuesday.

"He has started treatment with his club and I think he will train with the team on Thursday. He likes to play for Scotland and would like to play on Saturday.

"He is an important player. He needs a bit of rest but he may be able to play without an injection or pain-killers."

Ferguson was among six Scotland players who missed the squad's training session at Scottish second division side Dumbarton's ground.

Rangers winger Neil McCann, who also missed Scotland's humiliating 2-2 draw in their opening group five qualifier in the Faroe Islands, did not train due to a hamstring injury and is doubtful for the Iceland match.

Celtic midfielder Paul Lambert and Hearts players Steven Pressley and Scott Severin were rested after playing for their clubs on Sunday but they are fit.

Goalkeeper backed

Middlesbrough defender Robbie Stockdale also missed training with an injury but is expected to be available for Saturday's match.

Celtic goalkeeper Robert Douglas was back in training after making two crucial errors against Rangers but Vogts said the player remained his first choice.

"Anybody can make mistakes. Robert made a mistake and it was not the best of days for him, but today he has a lot of confidence and he does very well," added Vogts, whose group five rivals include Germany and Lithuania.

"He is number one at Celtic and he is my number one."

Nottingham Forest midfielder Gareth Williams and Sunderland striker Kevin Kyle, who were initially chosen in the senior squad, are now in Scotland's under-21 party for their match with Iceland on Friday.

Turkish players impatient for England Euro qualifier

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -- Turkey face European Championship qualifiers Macedonia and Liechtenstein over the next week but their minds are already fixed on their crunch encounter in England in six months.

Turkey are full of confidence after finishing third in the World Cup and kicking off their Euro 2004 campaign with a 3-0 victory over Slovakia last month to top group seven.

They take on Macedonia on Saturday before hosting Liechtenstein in Istanbul on October 16 while England face Slovakia and Macedonia on the same dates.

"The two wins we will get in these matches will in a way carry us to the final with England. The match with England in April is of very great importance for me," Aston Villa and Turkey defender Alpay Ozalan said on his Web site on Tuesday.

"It will be interesting to play in a match between the country I represent and the country where I play in the league. Even though I know we will win, I still get excited even today when I think about that match," he said.

Striker Serhat Akin, a youngster who has filled in ably in attack for Turkey now that coach Senol Gunes has dropped veteran Hakan Sukur, said the team was determined to win the next two matches to give them a strong platform to face England.

Turkey's record of matches against England includes some of the country's worst ever defeats but Turkey's third place in the World Cup earlier this year suggests England will face a sterner challenge this year.

"The England that we have not even scored a goal against so far is going to be facing a very different Turkey this time," Serhat said on his Web site.

"But first of all we have to win the two matches ahead of us and come up against England without any worries or stress. We are strong enough to do that."

England made a 2-1 quarter-final exit to Brazil at the World Cup. Brazil, the eventual winners, beat Turkey in the semi-finals, sending them into a third-place play-off against South Korea which they won 3-2.

Turkey and England wind up their campaigns against each other on October 11, 2003 in Turkey.

Liechtenstein coach names 21-man squad

VADUZ, Liechtenstein (Reuters) -- Liechtenstein coach Ralf Loose has named a 21-man squad to face Turkey in their second 2004 European Championship qualifier on October 16.

Loose has included FC Vaduz defender Christof Ritter in his squad for the group seven match at the Ali Sami Yeni Stadium in Istanbul despite doubts over his fitness.

Liechtenstein caused a shock in their opening qualifying game against Macedonia last month when defender Michael Stocklasa scored a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw.

Loose will hope that his side can cause another upset against Turkey, who finished third at the World Cup finals last summer.

Turkey lead the group following a comfortable 3-0 win over Slovakia in their opening game.

Chief rivals England begin their qualifying campaign away to Slovakia on Saturday.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Martin Heeb (USV Eschen-Mauren), Peter Jehle (Grasshoppers Zurich).

Defenders: Frederic Gigon (FC Baulmes), Daniel Hasler (FC Wil 1900), Jurgen Ospelt (Chur 97), Christof Ritter (FC Vaduz), Michael Stocklasa (FC Vaduz), Harry Zech (USV Eschen-Mauren).

Midfielders: Thomas Beck (FC Vaduz), Ronny Buchel (FC Vaduz), Matthias Beck (USV Eschen-Mauren), Franz Burgmeier (FC Vaduz), Fabio D'Elia (Chur 97), Mario Frick (Hellas Verona), Andrea Gerster (FC Vaduz), Thomas Nigg (USV Eschen-Mauren), Martin Stocklasa (FC Vaduz). Martin Telser (FC Vaduz).

Strikers: Marco Nigg (FC St. Gallen), Mario Wolfinger (USV Eschen-Mauren), Remo Eberle (Chur 97).

Northern Ireland's McIlroy to manage by telephone

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) -- Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy will coach his side via cell phone when he serves a one-match sideline ban against Spain in a Euro 2004 qualifying match Saturday.

McIlroy on Tuesday named West Ham's Grant McCann to replace injured Wimbledon defender Mark Williams for the match in Albacete, Spain.

Northern Ireland hosts Ukraine at Windsor Park on Oct. 16 in its second group 6 qualifying match.

McIlroy and assistant Jimmy Harvey were given one-match bans after arguing with match officials during a World Cup qualifier against Malta in Valetta on Oct. 6 last year. Northern Ireland won 1-0.

With Harvey not traveling, former Northern Ireland defender Alan McDonald will take charge from the bench, taking telephone instructions from McIlroy in the stands.

Asked whether his side had any chance against Spain, McIlroy said, "I've got more than a prayer, I'll be honest with you. They'll do their best."

Spain beat Northern Ireland 5-0 in Belfast in a pre-World Cup friendly on April 17. Northern Ireland has played Ukraine twice -- in World Cup qualifiers in 1996 and 1997 -- and lost both times.

Northern Ireland squad -- Maik Taylor (Fulham), Roy Carroll (Manchester United), Danny Griffen (Dundee United), George McCartney (Sunderland), Mark Williams (Wimbledon), Aaron Hughes (Newcastle), Gerry Taggart (Leicester), Damien Johnson (Birmingham), Keith Gillespie (Blackburn), Kevin Horlock (Manchester City), Stephen Lomas (West Ham), Philip Mulryne (Norwich City), David Healy (Preston North End), James Quinn (Willem II), Andrew Kirk (Hearts), Paul McVeigh (Norwich).

Russia hit by injury and illness before Georgia match

MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Three Russian players have dropped out of Saturday's European championship qualifier against Georgia.

Russia coach Valery Gazzayev told a news conference on Tuesday that CSKA Moscow full-back Alexei Berezutsky and Krylya Sovietov Samara winger Andrei Karyaka had suffered leg injuries, while Berezutsky's team mate, central defender Vyacheslav Dayev, was out with flu.

Gazzayev called up Dmitry Sennikov of Lokomotiv Moscow and Denis Yevsikov of CSKA in defence and Zenit St Petersburg's Andrei Arshavin in midfield for the group 10 match in Tbilisi.

The Russians, who beat Ireland 4-2 in Moscow in their Euro 2004 opener on September 7, are still missing injured captain and playmaker Yegor Titov and midfielder Marat Izmailov.

Gazzayev, however, said he was still looking for maximum points from the clash with Georgia and the game against Albania in the southern city of Volgograd the following Wednesday.

Georgia drops captain Nemsadze for Russia qualifier

TBILISI (Reuters) -- Georgia coach Alexander Chivadze has dropped captain Georgi Nemsadze and winger Georgi Kinkladze from his 19-man squad for Saturday's Euro 2004 home qualifier against Russia.

Dundee midfielder Nemsadze and Derby County's Kinkladze were members of the side that lost 4-1 to Switzerland in their group 10 opener last month.

Veteran midfielder Gocha Jamarauli, who plays for Ukrainian premier division side Metalurg Donetsk, has said he will not be available for the match following the death of his father last week.

Chivadze has recalled midfield pair Davit Mudzhiri of Austria's Sturm and Mamuka Jikia of Polish premier division side Amica Wronki for the match in Tbilisi.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Davit Gvaramadze (Dinamo Tbilisi), Georgi Lomaia (Lokomotivi Tbilisi)

Defenders: Kakha Kaladze (AC Milan), Levan Kobiashvili and Levan Tskitishvili (both FC Freiburg), Zurab Khizanishvili (Dundee), Givi Didava (Torpedo Kutaisi), Alexandre Amisulashvili and Georgi Shashiashvili (both Dinamo Tbilisi)

Midfielders: Alexandre Rekhviashvili (Skonto Riga), Gocha Jamarauli (Metalurg Donetsk), Davit Mudzhiri (Sturm), Mamuka Jikia (Amica Wronki), Vitali Daraselia, Vladimir Burduli and Alexandre Gogoberishvili (all Dinamo Tbilisi)

Forwards: Shota Arveladze (Rangers), Alexandre Iashvili (FC Freiburg), Georgi Demetradze (Alania Vladikavkaz).

Tomasson expected to be fit to face Luxembourg

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Danish forward Jon Dahl Tomasson, who's nursing a rib injury, is expected to recover in time for Saturday's Euro 2004 qualifier against Luxembourg, the Danish soccer association said Tuesday.

The 26-year-old sustained the injury on Sept. 28 when his team, AC Milan, tied 1-1 with Lazio in a Serie A game. He was rested for last weekend's 6-0 win over Torino.

He skipped the Tuesday afternoon training session, but the DBU said in a statement he should be fit for Saturday's Group 2 game.

Udinese forward Martin Joergensen missed afternoon practice with a thigh bruise after colliding with Jesper Groenkjaer during the morning session, but he's also expected to be fit to face Luxembourg.

Two other first-choice players have already dropped out of the Danish squad

Goalkeeper Thomas Soerensen, of England's Sunderland, is out for up to three months after dislocating his elbow, while AC Milan defender Thomas Helveg is sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Romanian Chivu doubtful for Norway qualifier

BUCHAREST (Reuters) -- Romania captain Cristian Chivu is doubtful for Saturday's European championship qualifier against Norway, coach Anghel Iordanescu said.

Iordanescu said the Ajax Amsterdam defender had a swollen right knee and did not train on Monday or Tuesday.

Rapid Bucharest defender Adrian Iencsi has been called into the squad as cover.

"Chivu's injury is concerning us and he is doubtful for the match against Norway," Iordanescu said.

Midfielder Adrian Mutu of Parma also missed training on Tuesday because of a cold.

Romania take on Luxembourg four days after playing Norway. Denmark and Bosnia are also in European group two.

UEFA inspects Bosnia venues as part of Euro 2008 bid

SARAJEVO (Reuters) -- UEFA officials have inspected stadia and infrastructure in three cities in Bosnia before proceeding to neighboring Croatia, possible co-hosts of the 2008 European championship finals.

The two former Yugoslav republics sent UEFA a preliminary joint bid in November last year.

The European soccer body officials will visit four cities in Croatia and one more in Bosnia before wrapping up their tour in the Croatian capital Zagreb on Friday, Secretary-General Munib Usanovic of Bosnia's Football Association said.

They met local officials and internationals overseeing the peace process in impoverished Bosnia, still reeling from its 1992-95 war, and inspected airports, roads, railways and hotels.

Usanovic said they were satisfied with what they saw.

"According to our information we have good prospects," he told Reuters. "They think that we mostly fulfil all conditions because our project was good."

But he said the team and the organizers did not discuss the cost of the ambitious project, which includes a major revamp or building from scratch of eight stadiums.

"We still don't know how much it would cost because we will start to think about it once we know whether we won it [the right to host the finals] or not," Usanovic said.

The team visited the capital Sarajevo and the southern town of Mostar on Monday and the central town of Zenica on Tuesday morning, all in country's Muslim-Croat federation.

They then headed for Croatia's eastern town of Osijek, one of four possible host cities in that country, and will make a stop on Wednesday morning in Banja Luka, the biggest town in the Bosnia's Serb Republic.

The project includes a major revamp of the Kosevo Olympic Stadium in Sarajevo and Bilino Polje in Zenica as well the construction of a completely new stadium in Banja Luka.

Mostar's run-down Bijeli Brijeg stadium will also be either reconstructed or built anew.

In Croatia, Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb, Osijek's Gradski Vrt and Split's Poljud will be reconstructed while a new one should be built in the Adriatic port of Rijeka.

"The construction and reconstruction of the stadia will be cheaper than in Western countries because of the low cost of local workforce," Usanovic said.

Striker Olisadebe out of Poland squad

WARSAW (Reuters) -- Leading striker Emmanuel Olisadebe has been left out of Poland's already depleted squad for Saturday's 2004 European championship qualifier against Latvia because of illness.

The Panathinaikos forward, who has scored 11 goals in 20 games for Poland, has influenza, coach Zbigniew Boniek said.

Boniek is already without captain and central defender Jacek Bak and attacking midfielder Radoslaw Kaluzny for the group four match.

"Oli must rest in bed for the next three days. Nothing indicates he will be able to play at full strength on Saturday," Boniek said.

Legia Warsaw's in-form midfielder Lukasz Surma has been called up to the squad for the first time to fill the void. Poland's qualifying group also includes Sweden, Hungary and San Marino.

 

Related information

Stories

Euro 2004 Schedule/Results Scholes, Campbell in doubt for England qualifier Italy: Totti to miss upcoming Euro 2004 qualifiers

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video

The Associated Press contributed to this report.