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Lehmann Going To Euro 2008

Jens Lehmann had been in doubt about his position at Euro 2008 but not any more, or so it seems.

It was reported in the last few weeks that the Arsenal stopper, who has lost his place in the first team to Almunia, would consider leaving London and returning to Germany in search of first team football.

But he need not worry with German coach Joachim Loew quoted as saying “he has proven his worth. He can handle pressure in an excellent manner and is a leading player within the squad.” While he would rather Lehmann to be seeing more first-team action, Loew has virtually assured both Lehmann and Timo Hildebrand of their places in Austria and Switzerland.

Whatever happens in the run up to Euro 2008 it looks ever more likely that Lehmann will leave the Gunners at the end of the summer, despite showing no major signs of slowing down in his performance. If anything, the move is as much for his family as it is for his playing career with the hope of settling down somewhere long term.

Lehmann will hopefully be joined by Torten Frings who is set for a Bundesliga comeback in February.

Popularity: 40% [?]

Magnin Out Of Swiss Squad?

Kobi Kuhn may be looking at a Switzerland squad next summer that doesn’t feature Stuttgart fullback Ludovic Magnin, the defender stretchered off at the weekend against Arminia Bielefeld.

Scans following the game showed Magnin had torn ankle ligaments but the full extent of the injury will only come to the light in the next day or so.

If the damage to his ankle is bad he could be looking at missing the bulk of the remainder of the season, if not the season altogether, effectively ruling him out of the selection process for the one of the host nations. The 28 year old defender made it to Euro 2004 in Portugal and again to the World Cup in Germany in 2006. He’s been capped 47 times and scored 3 goals for Switzerland.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Andrei Arshavin To Miss Spain, Greece

Russia will be missing their talisman captain in Andrei Arshavin for the first two group games of Euro 2008 against Spain and Greece.

With Spain and Greece providing the likely tougher opposition that Greece it isn’t clear whether Arshavin will now make Euro 2008 at all after have the suspension handed down for a sending off against Andorra.

Guus Hiddink has already revealed he would have left Arshavin out of his summer squad had the ban been issued at three games instead of two. This might put a little dent in Ruud Gullit’s earlier claim that Russia may make the quarter final if not beyond.

I can’t see Arshavin NOT making the Euro 2008 trip in the summer but losing their captain for the vital games of the group stage, particularly against Spain, is bound to be a massive blow - both to the team and to Arshavin himself.

Popularity: 42% [?]

Hiddink Makes Russia ‘Even More Dangerous’

Guus Hiddink has made Russia “even more dangerous” according to LA Galaxy manager Ruud Gullit. The former Dutch skipper says that his compatriot has been exceptional in his role as Russian head coach and it could make the difference at Euro 2008.

If Gullit is to be believed and as suggested, the players maintain the immense sense of belief that Hiddink has instilled in them, we could be looking at Russia in the quarter finals, or even beyond.

While Group C has been dubbed the group of death, all four teams in Group D are as much of a threat to each other with Russia having to overcome early favourites Spain, current holders Greece and Sweden to advance to the quarter finals. Gullit was speaking to Reuters in Moscow when he added “the Russians have always had good players, so they can very well be a surprise team next year in Austria and Switzerland. Besides, Hiddink is an extremely lucky coach and that makes Russia even more dangerous.”

If you’re a betting man, UNIBET
are offering odds of 36/1 on Russia to lift the trophy in June. Not too bad. They’re also 6/1 to top their own group (Group D), could be worth a punt.

While Hiddink might have made the Russians more dangerous, they’ll be put to task against Spain and Greece and I can’t honestly see them going on to win the competition, let alone make the quarter final stages. Can you?

Popularity: 53% [?]

Five Friendlies For Netherlands

The Dutch Football Association have announced that the Netherlands will be playing no fewer than five international friendlies in advance of Euro 2008 next summer.

For their troubles, they’ll be taking on co-hosts Austria, Croatia and non-qualifers Ukraine, Wales and Denmark.

Netherlands will play Croatia first on February 6th, followed by Austria on March 29th. The remaining three fixtures will be played over the week May 24th to June 1st 2008 with Wales being the final match. They’ll be kicking off their actual Group campaign for Euro 2008 on June 9th when they take on Italy in Berne before meeting France on the 13th and Romania on the 17th.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Niculae Sure Of Romanian Call Up

After finally finding his scoring touch at the weekend, bagging two goals for Caley against Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League, Marius Niculae is plotting a course for Euro 2008.

The 26 year old Romanian moved to Inverness from FSV Mainz over the summer and but hadn’t managed to score in fourteen league games until now. He’s hoping the change of scoring fortune will put himself in line for a call up for Romania’s Euro 2008 squad. One thing going against him is his failure to play any part in Romania’s qualifying campaign, last lining out against Colombia before the World Cup.

His failure to appear for Romania also limited his chances of a work permit in the summer, Inverness fans signing a petition to aid the striker’s arrival. Yet despite only now scoring for Caley, Niculae has scored almost a goal every second game for Romania.

Quoted in the Inverness Courier, Niculae suggests “I fight to give good performances for Inverness and to score some goals and I’m sure the manager of Romania will call me“.

If he hasn’t featured for Romania since last May, I reckon it will take more than just two goals this weekend to assure him a place in Romania’s squad for their Group C encounters with France, Italy and Netherlands. Lord knows they’ll need their strongest squad possible.

Popularity: 34% [?]

Herbert Fandel Attacker Gets Jail

The crazed drunken fan who attacked referee Herbert Fandel during a qualifying match between Denmark and Sweden has been given a prison term.

Denmark’s Michael Gravgaard had to jump in to try stop the attacker from further lashing out at the referee after Christian Poulsen had been dismissed and Sweden awarded a vital penalty in the dying moments of the game back at the start of June.

With the game tied at 3-3, Fandel decided to abandon the game, UEFA later award Sweden a 3-0 victory due to the pitch invasion. Denmark were forced to play their following games away from the national stadium and are since suing the attacker (unnamed) for losses estimated in the region of €250,000. In September, he was given a 30-day suspended sentence along with 40 hours of community service but this has now been increased to a 20-day prison term.

Denmark failed to qualify for Euro 2008, Sweden winding up in Group D alongside Greece, Russia and Spain.

There’s only one word to sum him up - idiot.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Nedved Coming Out Of Retirement?

91 appearances, 18 goals and it looks like Pavel Nedved is about to come out of international retirement to help the Czech Republic in their quest for Euro 2008 glory next summer.

He’s already retired from the international game twice (first after Euro 2004, then again after the World Cup last year) but true to the spirit that you can’t keep a good man down, Nedved looks to be coming out of international retirement for the third time if Juventus team mate Nicola Legrottaglie is to be believed.

You will see - Nedved, like me, will return to his national team and play in the European Championships next June

Legrottaglie himself has been on some recent form of late and is laying claim to a place in the Italian squad for the summer. Nothing official has been said from Nedved or the Czech camp about his possible return. If he can build on the form that saw him smash a 25 yard winner against Atalanta at the weekend then there’s no reason he couldn’t be in for a final swan song with the Czech Republic, possibly wrapping up his playing career altogether next summer.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Torsten Frings On The Comeback Trail

German midfield Torsten Frings has February pencilled in for his return to first team action with Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, something which should spell more good news for German head coach Joachim Loew.

Frings has hardly featured for Bremen this season having picked up a knee injury during the summer but has at least resumed light training and barring a second setback, he should be back on the pitch by early Spring.

Germany will need to be at full strength if they’re going to secure their fourth European Championship. This summer will see Germany enter the competition for the tenth time, will we see a double figure appearance marked with a tournament win? Admittedly they’ll be one of the favourites but Group B will be tricky enough - both Poland and Croatia coming through their qualifying quite strongly and hosts Austria with no intention of failing to advance from the group stage on home soil.

Popularity: 53% [?]

Big Phil Scolari To Stay With Portugal?

His name may have been tied once again to the England post according to reports this evening, the Gene Hackman of football - Big Phil Scolari - is on the lookout for a contract extension with Portugal in the hope of guiding them to the World Cup in 2010.

His name has been linked once again with the now vacant English job though with the English FA anxious to appoint a big name and Portugal having qualified for this coming summer’s tournament Scolari has already insisted he’s not interested in replacing Steve McClaren.

If anything I don’t see why the Portuguese FA wouldn’t re-appoint him until 2010. The only other person I would imagine them putting in the job would be Jose Mourinho and at that he’ll be snapped up early in the new year if not before, also quite possibly for the English job.

As is the case with Marco Van Basten, Scolari’s contract expires after the Euro 2008 final but where Van Basten has opted to quit Holland after the Championships, Scolari is very eager to stay on in the Portuguese job claiming that he loves Portugal “even more than Brazil”. Having taken Portugal to the semi final of the World Cup last year, and all the way to the final on home soil in Euro 2004 I don’t see any reason he’ll not be offered a contract extension in the summer.

Popularity: 27% [?]

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