France look to relive Platini days

Spain may have been the biggest flop of the 1998 World Cup but they put three teams into the recent European Champions League semi-finals and a new generation of players have the continent at their feet.

Germany may not have looked so exciting in qualifying but always rise to the occasion, Italy have faith in their flair players like Alessandro del Piero, while England coach Kevin Keegan may have the right blend of experience and explosive talent to really make an impact.

Add to that an outsider like Yugoslavia or 1996 finalists Czech Republic and the recipe is all there for three weeks of riveting football, provided the crowds behave themselves.

The fatal stabbings of two Leeds United fans in Istanbul, the running battles in the streets of Copenhagen between Arsenal and Galatasaray supporters and the memory of the near-fatal beating handed out by German fans to a French policeman at France’98 are all too recent reminders of a scourge which still dogs the game.

And it’s a scourge which started 15 years ago in the very stadium that will host Saturday’s opening match here between Belgium and Sweden.

Renamed in honour of King Baudouin, the Heysel stadium witnessed the fatal charge by Liverpool supporters that led to the deaths of 39 mainly Italian fans before the European Cup final with Juventus.

Belgian and Dutch police believe they can cope with the new threat and make Euro 2000 the footballing festival which the real fans — and a global television audience — are dearly hoping for.

When the curtain finally does go up, and that TV audience settles into its seats, Zidane will be one of those walking into the spotlight.

The gifted playmaker from the poor tenements of Marseille captured the coveted Golden Ball award after his two first-half headers ripped the heart out of Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final.

Now he is back on the world stage after a sparkling season with Juventus that very nearly brought him another Italian league title.

On paper, France look even stronger than they did two years ago. The absence of skipper Didier Deschamps has been offset by the promotion of Patrick Vieira into the best midfield in the game.

More importantly, they are unlikely to be let down as badly as they were at France 98 by their strikers — who failed to score a single goal after the group phase and who were almost comical in the final.

Now things have changed. Thierry Henry has been transformed by his move from Juventus to Arsenal, David Trezeguet is the French league’s second highest scorer and there remains the brooding talent of Nicolas Anelka.

France also have world-class defenders like Parma’s Lilian Thuram and Laurent Blanc, Inter Milan’s most reliable man at the back last season.

But the French, who won this tournament in 1984 with Michel Platini, cannot afford to be complacent.

Holland, who lost in the roulette of a penalty shoot-out with Brazil in the World Cup semi-finals, have the firepower up front of Bergkamp and Patrick Kluivert, plus the telling runs down the flank by Marc Overmars.

As hosts, Holland were spared the chore of qualifying. But the club form of their men in Spain, England and Italy makes them major challengers.

Spain will also be hoping that the `club effect’ rubs off on their players.

Valencia’s sparkling one-touch football was the revelation of the last Champions League but they were caught out by the sheer experience of Real Madrid in the final in Paris. Put those two teams together, plus a large slice of Barcelona style, and it’s easy to see why Spain have attracted such interest.

`Kaiser’ Franz Beckenbauer claimed this week that the current German team are out of their depth. But his compatriots have reached the last two final and they can count on their traditional strengths of discipline in midfield and tough-tackling in defence – plus the granite face of 39-year-old Lothar Matthaus.

Up front, they’ll look to Oliver Bierhoff and Ulf Kirsten. Bierhoff won the 1996 final by coming on as a substitute to score twice against the Czechs. But he’s had a mixed season with AC Milan in front of goal and was dropped.

Meanwhile, Bierhoff’s club teammate Paolo Maldini leads Italy after Spain won the Under-21 European Championships.

Italy’s performances over the past season have been anything but inspiring and are here without injured Christian Vieri, who scored five of their eight goals at France’98.

Dino Zoff must now put his faith in Del Piero, still looking for his best form after two years in the doldrums, playmaker Francesco Totti and newcomer Stefano Fiore to make up for their lack of creativity in midfield.

If Germany and Italy are among the favourites, England have to be with the more fancied outsiders as they haven’t won a major trophy since 1960 and have been cursed with ill-luck from the penalty spot – going out of their last three major tournaments (France 98, Euro 96 and Italia 90) in a shoot-out.

But the improving quality of their game, both technically and tactically, enabled Manchester United become 1999 European club champions and players like Euro 96 top scorer Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, David Beckham and Sol Campbell prove there is true quality in every department.

The top nations will inevitably enjoy the centrestage at Euro 2000. But there are bound to be cameo roles for the likes of Yugoslavia, who have players at the top clubs of the Italian Serie A and Spanish Liga, 1992 winners Denmark, 1996 finalists Czech Republic and World Cup surprises Norway.

And whoever makes it to the final curtain, on July 2 in Rotterdam, will be a worthy winner.