ENZO BEARZOT DIES

Enzo Bearzot, the manager of the World Cup-winning Italian team of 1982, died today at the age of 83 in Milan.

Under Bearzot's guidance, Italy triumphed at Espana 82 after a dreadful start. They drew all three of their first round group games before going on to defeat Argentina, Brazil, Poland and West Germany to win the World Cup for a third time.

The manager's decision to keep faith with striker Paulo Rossi - who seemed completely out-of-sorts in the first three games - was widely criticized at the time by the Italian press, yet proved to be the turning point of the World Cup. Rossi ended up with the Golden Boot following a hat-trick against Brazil, a brace against Poland, and the opening goal against the Germans in the Final.

Bearzot became the coach of the national side in 1977 and steered Italy to a fourth-placed finish at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.

His reign ended after the 1986 World Cup in Mexico when the defending champions bowed out disappointingly in the second round against France.

Bearzot's death today strangely falls on the same day as the passing of Vittorio Pozzo (December 21 1968), the man who managed the Italian national team to their first two World Cup triumphs in 1934 and 1938.

CLASSIC EURO ENCOUNTERS

Yugoslavia v Spain, Group C final match, Euro 2000

Spain had to win this match to progress. Extraordinary drama, with commentary in French.

TRIVIA ANSWERS

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY'S TEN QUESTIONS

1. The co-hosts Belgium opened the tournament against Sweden, and won the match 2-1. Neither side managed to progress beyond the group stage however.

2. Portugal and Romania.

3. The Final was played on July 2 at the Feijenoord Stadion in Rotterdam.

4. Spain. They followed up an opening match defeat against Norway with a narrow win against Slovenia, leaving their fate very much in the balance going into the final group match with Yugoslavia. Their dramatic assault in injury time - with a penalty by Gaizka Mendieta and a last ditch strike by Alfonso - turned a 2-3 deficit into a sensational 4-3 win.

5. 14 goals were scored in the four quarter-finals, half of them in Holland's 6-1 battering of Yugoslavia. In the other three games, Portugal beat Turkey 2-0, France defeated Spain 2-1 and Italy overcame Romania 2-0.

6. Denmark fared worst of the Scandinavians, losing their opening two games by the same score of 3-0 to France and Holland. In their last game they were beaten 2-0 by the Czech Republic, sending them home goalless and pointless.

7. Patrick Kluivert scored the Netherland's third spotkick. Frank de Boer - who had already missed a penalty in the first half of the match - failed again in the shootout, as did Jaap Stam and Paul Bosvelt.

8. Norway and Slovenia were the two debutantes at Euro 2000.

9. All the teams in Group D were previous winners of the European Championship; France in 1984, Denmark in 1992, Holland in 1988 and the Czech Republic (as Czechoslovakia) - in 1976.

10. Sylvain Wiltord scored the equalizer deep into injury time, and David Trezeguet hit the extra-time golden goal to seal the triumph for Les Bleus.

JOY FOR RUSSIA AND QATAR IN WORLD CUP HOSTING VOTE

Russia and Qatar will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments following the voting rounds today in Zurich, which left nine other bidders - England, Holland/Belgium, Spain/Portugal (2018) and Australia, Japan, South Korea and the USA (2022) - desolate at missing out.

By voting two new hosts for its showpiece event FIFA appear to be continuing with a policy of seeking to expand the frontiers of the global game.

It was not a surprise to see Russia land the 2018 tournament as they have been the favourites throughout the majority of the bidding campaign, but Qatar beating the USA in the final round of voting for 2026 is a result that few were expecting.

England endured a dismal World Cup in South Africa earlier this year, and their elimination in the first round of voting today rounds off a year to forget for the Three Lions. They secured only two of the 22 votes today; a real kick in the teeth made all the more bitter when remembered in conjunction with their missing out on hosting the World Cup in 2006 as well. They now know that the next opportunity will not present itself until 2030.

The 2022 tournament will be the first 'Middle Eastern' World Cup, and the immediate on-the-pitch factor that stands out will be the searing heat.

FIFA SET FOR BIG VOTE

This time tomorrow the hosts for the two World Cups following Brazil 2014 will also be known.

In a break with tradition, FIFA are set to name the hosts for the following two tournaments - 2018 and 2022 - on one day.

That day is tomorrow. In Zurich, Switzerland, where the governing body of World Football has its plush headquarters, at around 3pm; that's when and where the results of the vote will be announced.

For 2018, a joint bid by Holland and Belgium - neither of whom has hosted a World Cup before - is considered to be the rank outsider bid. England, Russia and another joint bid (Spain/Portugal) are competing to land the prestigious task of hosting what will be Europe's first World Cup for 12 years.

Because of FIFA's continental rotation policy for hosting, the 2022 tournament must be held outside Europe, and there are five hopeful candidates. They are Australia, Qatar, South Korea, USA and Japan. It wouldn't surprise me if we saw a maiden host voted for this one.

My guess is that England or Russia will win the race for the 2018 World Cup. It's really hard to call is between these two, I think England would be the right choice at this time, but I do sense there is some antagonism towards the English bid from within FIFA, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if Russia were given the tournament. I'm expecting either Australia or Qatar to get the nod for 2022. The USA are undoubtedly in with a shout as well.

EURO TRIVIA

TEN QUESTIONS ON .... EURO 2000

1. Which two sides contested the opening match of the tournament?

2. England and Germany both failed to get out of Group A, finishing 3rd and 4th respectively. Who finished first and second?

3. In which city was the Final held?

4. Which team scored two crucial injury-time goals in their final group match to defeat Yugoslavia 4-3, thus securing the victory they required to qualify for the quarter-finals?

5. In total, how many goals were scored in the four quarter-finals?

6. Which of the three Scandinavian sides who participated at Euro 2000 (Sweden, Norway or Denmark) failed to score a goal or secure a point?

7. Who was the only Dutch player to score in the penalty shootout against Italy in their semi-final defeat?

8. Which two countries made their first ever appearance in the European Championship at Euro 2000?

9. What did the four teams in Group D - France, Holland, Denmark and the Czech Republic - all have in common?

10. Which two players scored the two goals that gave France victory over Italy in the Final?

EURO STORIES: OTTO REHHAGEL'S GREEK MIRACLE

German coach Otto Rehhagel took over as coach of the Greek national team in 2001, in time for the team's final two qualifying matches for the 2002 World Cup.

COUNTRY FOCUS: GREECE

Greece stunned the world in 2004 when they won the European Championships.

CLASSIC EURO ENCOUNTERS

Portugal v England 2004, Quarter-Final (Lisbon)

TOP FIVE ..... EURO GOALS

My picks, in ascending order:

5. Maniche Portugal v Holland Euro 2004 Semi-final



This incredible strike in the 58th minute put Portugal 2-0 ahead in the semi-final against Holland and had the host nation dreaming of European glory on home soil. Although they held out to beat the Dutch, they lost the Final to rank outsiders Greece in probably the biggest shock in the competition's history.

4. Poborsky Czech Republic v Portugal Euro 96 Quarter-final



Poborsky's lob against Portugal in the quarter-final of Euro 96 was his first international goal. It was innovative, technically brilliant, and stunned everbody watching. It also won the match.

3. Van Basten Holland v USSR European Championships 1988 Final



When Arnold Muhren lofted a high ball to the far side of the penalty area the world waited for it to drop at Van Basten's feet. Instead, the striker never let the ball touch the ground, implementing an audacious volley on goal from the tightest of angles. A stunning strike from which the USSR never recovered, sealing the Euro Title for Holland.

2. Gascoigne England v Scotland Euro 96 Second Group match

Few players have the ingenuity to conceive a manoeuvre like this, let alone possess the ability to execute it. Perhaps the two things go hand-in-hand; the hallmark of genius. Gascoigne's greatest goal resurrected England's tournament after a disappointing start, and they went on to reach the semi-finals.

1. Panenka Czechoslovakia v West Germany European Championships 1976 Final

How on earth can I choose a penalty as my pick for the greatest goal ever scored in European Championship history? Simply because of what was at stake. Panenka took a gamble that was unthinkable; one that he knew could make or break the rest of his life. The ultimate element of surprise gave Czechoslovakia their finest hour.

TRIVIA ANSWERS

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA

1. Spain and Russia, who finished 3rd and 4th in the group respectively. Spain beat Russia, drew with Greece and lost to Portugal, while Russia were the only team in the tournament to inflict a defeat on Greece in the final round of group matches, having lost their first two games.

2. David Beckham. England were already a goal to the good and looking to bury the game, but Fabian Barthez beat Beckham's penalty away and France went on to snatch a highly unlikely and dramatic victory with two injury-time goals from Zinedine Zidane.

3. Milan Baros of the Czech Republic was the top scorer at Euro 2004 with five goals; three in the group stages and two more in a 3-0 quarter-final victory against Denmark. Defeat against Greece in the semi-final followed.

4. Seven. In the opening match Greece beat Portugal 2-1. In every subsequent match they scored one goal, securing a draw with Spain in their second match before losing 2-1 to Russia in their final group game. They then won each of their three knock-out ties - against France, the Czech Republic and Portugal - courtesy of a single goal.

5. England and Sweden, both in the quarter-finals. England were beaten 6-5 on penalties by Portugal following a 2-2 draw, whilst Sweden lost 5-4 in their shootout against the Dutch after a goalless 120 minutes. The winners met each other in the semi-final, with hosts Portugal emerging victorious.

6. Latvia. Euro 2004 was the first major tournament that the Baltic Republic had qualified for, and although they finished bottom in their group, they secured a creditable 0-0 draw against Germany and only lost narrowly (2-1) to the group winners the Czech Republic.

7. Angelos Charisteas. His header in the 57th minute of the Final became the most important goal ever scored in the history of Greek football as it was enough to secure the European Championship for his country. It was Charisteas's third goal of the tournament.

8. England and Sweden both notched up eight goals in their three group games. England beat Croatia 4-2 in their final group game to secure qualification and Sweden's tally was helped by a 5-0 thrashing of Bulgaria in their opening game.

9. The Czech Republic won all three of their group matches. They opened with a 2-1 success against Euro debutants Latvia before impressively overcoming Holland (3-2) and Germany (2-1) to top the group and qualify in style.

10. Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo was the hero in the penalty competition against England. With the score locked at 5-5, the shootout went into sudden death. Ricardo saved a weak effort from the English substitute Darius Vassell and then buried his own shot in the corner to send the hosts through to the last four.

EURO TRIVIA

TEN QUESTIONS ON .... EURO 2004

1. Portugal and Greece played the opening match and met again in the Final. Who were the other two teams - who failed to qualify for the knock-out stages - in Group A?

2. Who missed a penalty for England in their group match against France?

3. Who was the tournament's top scorer and how many goals did he score?

4. How many goals did eventual winners Greece score in the tournament?

5. Which two sides exited the tournament on penalties?

6. Group D was considered the 'group of death', containing Germany, Holland, the Czech Republic and which other team?

7. Who scored the winning goal for Greece in the Final against the hosts and favourites Portugal?

8. Which two sides top-scored in the group stages with eight goals apiece?

9. Only one team qualified from the group stages with the maximum nine points. Who were they?

10. Which goalkeeper scored the winning penalty in a quarter-final shootout?

EURO STORIES: JOY AND TRAGEDY FOR KIM VILFORT

Kim Vilfort. A name the Danish public will never forget, whose heroics at the European Championships in 1992 played out alongside one of the deepest personal tragedies that anyone can ever experience.

Denmark were invited by UEFA to take part in the Euros in 1992 just ten days before the tournament was due to start, as UN sanctions against Yugoslavia prohibited the then war-ravaged nation from participating. The Danish players were called back from their holidays and a squad was rapidly assembled. A key member of that squad was Brondby midfielder Kim Vilfort, whose 7-year old daughter was tragically suffering from leukemia at the time.

Vilfort returned home after the first two group games - a 0-0 draw with England and a 1-0 defeat against the host nation Sweden - in order to be at his daughter's side in hospital in Denmark. She was in very poor health and Vilfort wanted to stay with her. Denmark beat France in their last group game to progress in the tournament however, and his family persuaded him to return to Sweden and continue to represent his country, who were now preparing for a unexpected semi-final against defending European Champions Holland.

The decision to return must have been an agonizingly difficult one to make, but it had a significant bearing on the destiny of the European Championship. The clash with the Dutch was an enthralling affair; Denmark twice took the lead but couldn't hold on to it, and the game ended 2-2 after extra-time. In the resulting penalty shootout the Danes scored all five of their spot-kicks - Vilfort confidently taking the fourth one - meaning that one miss by Marco Van Basten sent the Danes through to the Final. They were now building up to the biggest match in their history, which would be against the World Champions Germany. They were massive underdogs.

Following the semi-final Vilfort again returned to Denmark to be at his daughter's side. Again he was persuaded to return for the Final, and - in a fairy tale ending as good as any that Hans Christian Andersen ever wrote - Vilfort stole the moment of crowning glory. With 11 minutes left of the Final and Denmark leading 1-0, Vilfort latched on to a forward header 30 yards out, threaded his way between two defenders and unleashed a left-footed drive from the edge of the penalty area that found the back of the net via the post. Without that second goal, Germany may well have found enough in the tank to conjure up an equalizer. But this was a moment of fate for player and country; Vilfort and Denmark had achieved the impossible. Three weeks earlier Denmark had not even been on the guest list for the Euros; now, they were heading home as the Kings of European football.

Kim Vilfort's daughter had been terminally ill, and he knew that there would be no miracles off the pitch. Line Vilfort herself had pleaded with her father to return to the tournament and play for his country. He respected and trusted the tremendous courage of his daughter, and the rest is history.

COUNTRY FOCUS: ENGLAND

The 1966 World Cup winners have a very poor record in the European Championships. The tournament is considered by many to be a better indicator of a nation's standing in World football than the World Cup, given that the quality of teams that compete in the final tournament are much more evenly matched. On that basis, England are clearly lagging woefully behind the other giants of Europe who have also won the World Cup. On five of the eleven occasions that they entered the qualifying phase of the competition they failed to make it through to the Finals. That leaves six occasions where they did qualify, plus their appearance as hosts in 1996 when qualification wasn't required. In short, England have only appeared in just over half of the European Championship Finals (seven out of thirteen).

Euro Pedigree:

After not entering the inaugural tournament in 1960 and then failing to qualify in 1964 following a defeat by France over two legs, England proceeded to get through to the Finals in 1968 where they faced Yugoslavia in Florence in the semi-finals. World Champions at the time, England fell to a late goal by the wonderful Dragan Dzajic to miss out on a place in the Final. That was England's last match at the Finals for twelve years, when the tournament was again held in Italy. England were beaten 1-0 by the hosts in the group stage, and despite victory against Spain and a draw with Belgium, they only finished third in the group and were out.

England again missed out on the Finals in France in 1984, but started as one of the favourites to win the tournament four years later in Germany. A disastrous campaign saw England lose all three of their group matches to the Republic of Ireland and the two eventual finalists, Holland and the USSR. In 1992 England again fell at the group stage and were lambasted by the English Press for their unacceptable performances. Two goalless 'bore draws' with Denmark and France were followed by a defeat against hosts Sweden which put paid to hopes of progressing.

In 1996 on home soil England enjoyed their finest hour in the Euros, only being denied a place in the Final following a heartbreaking semi-final shootout defeat to old rivals Germany. Prior to that they had destroyed the Dutch 4-1 on a memorable night at Wembley, with Paul Gascoigne and the two strikers (Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham) oozing class and confidence. Victory over Spain in the quarter-finals on penalties set up the clash with Germany, and despite taking the lead with an Alan Shearer header after only two minutes the game finished 1-1. Extra-time saw the Germans have a goal disallowed and both Darren Anderton and Gascoigne come within an inch of the golden goal that would have taken England through, but it was not to be. Defender Gareth Southgate missed the crucial sixth kick in the shootout. In spite of the defeat, Euro 96 was a tournament that England could look back on with pride in the level of their performances.

Four years on and England were drawn with Germany again, this time in the group stages. Despite a 1-0 win, England went home early again as they lost their other two games against Portugal and Romania, both by a 3-2 scoreline. England led in both games, and an inability to defend a lead at vital stages is a recurring feature of England's international football history. On no occasion was this more evident than in their opening group match four years later against France at Euro 2004. England were leading 1-0 with the game virtually over, yet contrived to hand the French a free kick and a penalty in the time that remained, both of which were clinically dispatched by the brilliant Zinedine Zidane. To their credit England recovered to win their other two group games and qualify, but in the quarter-final against hosts Portugal they again surrendered a long-held lead and were beaten in a dramatic penalty shootout. Key defeats in qualifying for Euro 2008 - against Croatia (twice) and Russia - meant that England missed out again on a place at the Finals in Austria and Switzerland. Qualification for the 2012 tournament started well with wins against Bulgaria and Switzerland, but England seemed to be slipping into old habits earlier this month as they stuttered to a 0-0 draw at home to Montenegro.

Greatest Moment:

Surely the 4-1 destruction of Holland at Wembley in 1996 - one of England's finest performances ever - that confirmed their quarter-final berth.

Biggest Heartbreak:

Seven days on from the heroics against Holland, England were denied a place in the Final following more penalty pain against Germany.

CLASSIC EURO ENCOUNTERS

West Germany v Holland 1988 Semi-Final (Hamburg)

Never dull, matches between these two bitter rivals. In a repeat of the 1974 World Cup Final, both sides scored from the penalty spot. The Dutch had looked very impressive in their group fixtures and Marco Van Basten was in sensational form. It was they who made most of the running in the first half and created the better chances, but it was the host nation who took the lead in the 55th minute, Lothar Matthaus converting with typical ease from the spot after Jurgen Klinnsmann had been bundled off the ball by Frank Rikjaard. A few minutes later Klinnsmann shot narrowly wide following a great run by Matthaus, thus failing to secure the Germans passage to the Final. At 2-0 down even the Dutch would have struggled to find a way back. In the 74th minute, Van Basten tricked his way into the box and Jurgen Kohler challenged him. Van Basten went down and the referee pointed to the spot, although TV replays clearly showed that Kohler had played the ball. Ronald Koeman scored the resulting penalty and the watching world geared up for a grandstand finish.

With just seconds to go on the clock, Jan Wouters slid a perfectly weighted pass into the penalty area and Van Basten provided a gloriously instinctive first time finish to stun the home crowd and send Holland into the Final.

PLAYER FOCUS: JACK WILSHERE

With the European Championships a mere spot on the horizon there are literally hundreds of players in with a shot of reaching the final stages.

One player that seems to have almost secured a spot on the plane already (if England qualify) is Arsenal's wonder-teen Jack Wilshere. Despite his tender age of just 18 and so few caps he could actually wear them on his head and not look a fool making this achievement even more impressive.

Young Jack burst onto the scene last summer in the annual Emirates Cup tournament in pre-season. After being hailed for his skillful trickery there were some who called for him to go to the World Cup in South Africa but Fabio Capello opted against taking the youngster.

Now a regular in the Gunners' first team we've started to see more of the real Jack Wilshere. In his first appearance on our screens some 18 months ago he appeared as a flying winger, skinning players and making darting runs into the box from the flanks. However an injury prone Spaniard has left a hole in the middle of Arsenal's midfield and now we can see the player that Wilshere really is.

The teenager cuts a Scholes-like figure in the middle of the park, chasing back, stringing passes together and pushing forward into the box when needed.

The young gun may well give Mr. Capello the option he has been looking for in the middle of the park while giving England fans the replacement they've been searching for since a certain Manchester United midfielder retired some six years ago.

TOP FIVE EURO FINALS

Here are my top five European Championship Finals in ascending order:

5. 1960: USSR 2-1 Yugoslavia (Paris)

The first ever European Championships were held in France. The official title of the competition was the "European Nations' Cup" and the inaugural event was won by the Soviet Union - their one and only major international trophy. The Final was a closely fought affair which could have gone either way. Yugoslavia drew first blood with a scrappy goal just before half-time from ace striker Milan Galic but the lead was to be short-lived. Slava Metreveli levelled matters in the 49th minute. The Soviets then had legendary goalkeeper Lev Yashin to thank as he proceeded to make a string of great saves as the match wore on and took the Final to extra-time. The superior fitness of the Soviets began to tell, and Viktor Poneldelnik's strike seven minutes from the end sealed victory.

4. 1980: West Germany 2-1 Belgium (Rome)

German playmaker Bernd Schuster has an outstanding match that day in Rome to lead his country to a deserved second European Championship triumph. A spirited Belgium made a game of it and rallied in the second half to cancel out Horst Hrubesch's early goal with an equalizer from the penalty spot in the 75th minute. The Germans were not to be denied, however, and Hrubesch headed a dramatic winner with just two minutes left.

3. 1992: Denmark 2-0 Germany (Gothenburg)

This was one of the truly great football stories. Denmark hadn't even qualified for the tournament, but stepped in as last-minute replacements for war-ravaged Yugoslavia. World Champions Germany were huge favourites ahead of the Final, in spite of the fact that the Danes had seen off the defending European Champions Holland in a thrilling semi-final. The fairytale ending became reality when superb strikes from John Jensen and Kim Vilfort sealed a truly memorable and extraordinary triumph.

2. 2000: France 2-1 Italy (Rotterdam)

Unlike Germany in 1992, France did succeed in adding the European Championship Title to their World Title in Rotterdam in 2000 - in dramatic circumstances. For long periods of the match Italy were comfortably in control, and appeared to be cruising to victory following a Marco Delvecchio goal early in the second half. Substitute Alessandro del Piero missed two gilt-edged opportunities to extend the lead though, and the Azzurri were made to pay. A late, late equalizer from Sylvain Wiltord dealt the Italians a savage blow, and it was left to David Trezeguet to smash home a golden goal winner 13 minutes into extra-time.



1. 1976: Czechoslovakia 2-2 West Germany (Belgrade)

A thrilling Final, full of direct, attacking football and tremendous goalkeeping from both Ivo Viktor and Sepp Maier. The Czechs built up a deserved two-goal lead inside 25 minutes, but the West Germans halved the deficit almost immediately following a goal by Dieter Muller, who punished the Eastern European nation for slack defending. Both teams continued to play on the offense and several chances to score went begging at both ends. In the last attack of the match the Germans won a corner, and Bernd Holzenbein rose above everybody to head his side level. The frenetic pace continued in extra-time as both teams sought - but failed - to find a winning goal. With the score in the penalty shootout locked at 3-3, up stepped Uli Hoeness to blast his shot over the bar and leave Czechoslovakia one penalty away from winning their first major Title. What followed was an audacious demonstration of supreme confidence by Antonin Panenka, who dinked the ball over Maier in what is probably the most famous penalty ever scored.

TRIVIA ANSWERS

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA

1. EURO 2012 will be the 14th European Championships held. The first tournament was staged in 1960, and they have been held every four years since then.

2. Nine different nations have won the Euros - The Soviet Union, Spain, Italy, (West) Germany, Czechoslovakia, France, Holland, Denmark and Greece.

3. 1996 in England. Four groups of four teams played a round robin format, with the top two going through to the last eight where straight knock-out football took over. This format has been used ever since then and will be used in Poland/Ukraine in two years time. However, plans to expand the following tournament in France in 2016 to 24 teams have been approved by UEFA.

4. The first European Championships Finals were held in France in 1960. Only four nations participated - France, The Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia.

5. Denmark had not qualified for the European Championships in neighbouring Sweden in 1992 after finishing runners-up to Yugoslavia in their qualifying group. When the severity of the Yugoslav wars caused the Eastern Europeans to have to withdraw from the tournament, UEFA awarded the Danes their place. The rest is history, as Denmark negociated a difficult group before defeating defending champions Holland in the semi-final and Germany in the Final to complete a fairytale victory.

6. England. The 1966 World Champions have a poor European Championship record, their best result being beaten semi-finalists in 1968 and again on home turf in 1996.

7. (West) Germany have a fantastic record in the European Championships, having reached the Final on no fewer than six occasions. They have been victorious three times, in 1972, 1980 and 1996, and finished runners-up in 1976, 1992 and 2008.

8. Incredibly, the semi-final of a major international tournament was decided by the toss of a coin. For the record, Albert Shesternyov - the captain of the USSR - called it incorrectly and Italy went through to the Final.

9. The opening match and the Final were contested by the same two teams, Greece and hosts Portugal. The Greeks won both games, 2-1 and 1-0 respectively.

10. Dino Zoff, donning glasses and a serious expression led Italy to the brink of glory at Euro 2000 only to be dramatically denied by the French. Eighteen years previously he had captained his country to a World Cup triumph at Espana 82.

EURO TRIVIA

TEN QUESTIONS ON .... THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

1. Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and the Ukraine, will complete how many Euro tournaments that have taken place?

2. How many different winners of the Euros have there been?

3. In which year did 16 teams take part in the Finals for the first time?

4. Which country held the first ever European Championships and how many teams took part in the final tournament?

5. Which is the only Scandinavian side to be crowned European Champions and what was remarkable about their victory?

6. Of the five European sides who have won the World Cup, which is the only one never to have won the Euros?

7. How many times have Germany played in a European Championship Final?

8. Following a 0-0 draw between hosts Italy and the Soviet Union in the 1968 semi-final, how was the outcome of the game determined?

9. What was unique about the opening match and the Final of Euro 2004?

10. Which former World Cup winning captain led Italy - as manager - to the Final of Euro 2000?

SPAIN'S DATE WITH DESTINY

Spain, then, have finally achieved the ultimate goal and landed the biggest Trophy that it's possible to win on Planet Earth.

And not before time. This was a date with destiny. Perennial underachievers no longer. Years of failures and frustrations. Tears and heartache. Inevitable moments of believing that it would never happen, that the dream would never come to pass. And then one day it comes, that one Victory that contains all the power in the world to heal the scars of the past and turn despair to triumph and heartache to delirious elation.

This was a World Cup of firsts. The first time that Spain have won the Cup. The first time any team has won the Cup after losing their first game. And the first time that a European team has won it outside of their own continent. Spain have made history in South Africa in 2010.

Germany have now lost to the eventual winners in each of the three World Cups since the turn of the century. For the second World Cup running the team that knocked out Brazil ended up losing the Final.

Holland have now appeared in three Finals and not won any of them. England's seemingly interminable wait for a shot at glory goes on as they continue to flatter to deceive.

The rise of the Asian sides was a feature in South Africa, and the closely fought nature of matches such as Paraguay v Spain and Uruguay v Holland and the third/fourth-place match are also indicative of the gap between so-called big teams and the rest of the world closing. The fates that befell the mighty France and Italy may become a common occurrence for the big guns in future tournaments.

The closing images of the World Cup - Iniesta's late strike and the jubilant celebrations that followed - must have warmed the heart of many neutrals across the world; for Spain were worthy Champions, and fully deserve their moment. For now - and rightly so - they reign peerless, perched majestically at the summit of World Football.

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTION - THE FINAL

WORLD CUP FINAL

SPAIN v HOLLAND

Looking at this game objectively, there is a considerable gap between the teams. Spain are way ahead of the rest of Europe. There are many - myself included - who would love to have seen Spain play Brazil today, as in many ways that would be the ultimate challenge for the majestic European Champions.

It's difficult to see how Holland can win. They have stated their intent to press Spain high up the pitch, to try and deny them the possession that they usually enjoy and employ to such devastating effect. Switzerland did show the world that it's possible to beat Spain, but like so many Champions-elect, the Spanish have progressed and improved as they have moved through the tournament to the Final.

Holland do have match-winners of their own. Arjen Robben is one of the best five players in the world right now in my book. And he could find himself face to face with the one possible weak link that Spain have - left-back Joan Capdevila. I feel Holland are going to need something special from Robben tonight if they are to unburden themselves of the two failures at the last hurdle in the 1970s.

As my predictions for this tournament have shown - I am notoriously bad at doing it! So if I get this last one wrong it's not going to further tarnish my reputation too much... Spain should win this game. But my gut tells me the Dutch are going to.

MATCH PREDICTION: SPAIN 1-2 HOLLAND

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS SATURDAY 10 JULY

Third Place Match

Uruguay v Germany

I've never liked this match or really seen the point of it. FIFA like to have their "top four" anyway. Let's get it over with and let the poor players go home.

MATCH PREDICTION: Uruguay 2-1 Germany

WINNER NUMBER EIGHT

In 1998 when France beat Brazil in the Final they became the seventh nation to win the World Cup.

In 2010 the world is celebrating 80 years of World Cup history, and following victories for Holland and Spain in the semi-finals we are now guaranteed a new winner of the most coveted sporting prize in the world. The eighth winner of the FIFA World Cup will be confirmed in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Amazingly, the clash between Holland and Spain will be the first ever between the two countries in a major international tournament. Spain will be appearing in their first ever World Cup Final, and will be seeking to add the World Title to the European Championships they won so convincingly two years ago. For Holland it will be the first appearance in the World Cup Final for 36 years, and their third overall. It's tough for them to contemplate that they could finish runners-up yet again.

So the stage is set for the biggest and most important football match played anywhere in the world over a four-year period to take place in Johannesburg on Sunday. The destiny of the World Cup is Europe. The old guard has been pierced, and the world awaits the heralding of a new winner.

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTION WEDNESDAY 7 JULY

SEMI-FINAL

Germany v Spain

Simply mouthwatering. I expect a classic match, and I also expect nobody in the world to agree with my prediction.

MATCH PREDICTION: Germany 2-2 Spain.

It'll be 1-1 at 90 minutes. Germany will take the lead and Spain will hit back late. Perhaps Torres after coming on. After extra-time it'll be 2-2. Spain will take the lead but the Germans will save the day and send the game to the drama of penalties. And then - Spain will win.

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS TUESDAY 6 JULY

SEMI-FINAL

Uruguay v Holland

This semi-final guarantees that, for the first time since 1978, a team outside the 'Big Five' of Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina and France will be in the World Cup Final. The absence of Luis Suarez following his goal line handball against Ghana tips this one heavily in favour of the Dutch for me. Since Holland's last appearance in a major final - Euro 88 - they have lost four semi-finals, in the World Cup in 1998 and in the European Championships in 1992, 2000 and 2004. It's about time they won one, and I think they will.

MATCH PREDICTION: Uruguay 0-2 Holland

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS SATURDAY 3 JULY

QUARTER-FINALS

Argentina v Germany

I can sense revenge in the air today. Four years ago many thought that Argentina were on course to win their third World Cup, but Germany - the host nation - came from behind to level the quarter-final and went on to win on penalties. Argentina have been waiting for just such a day as today, and I have a feeling they are going to enjoy themselves.

MATCH PREDICTION: Argentina 4-0 Germany

Paraguay v Spain

The South Americans will not lie down in this one, and I think they'll give Spain a tough game and a long evening. It's hard to imagine that the class of the European Champions won't tell in the end though.

MATCH PREDICTION: Paraguay 0-2 Spain (after extra time)

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS FRIDAY 2 JULY

QUARTER-FINALS

Holland v Brazil

I well remember the clashes between these two in the consecutive World Cups of 1994 and 1998 in the quarters and semis respectively - both fiercely contested and both won by Brazil. There is a feeling in the air in some quarters that it's Holland's time to beat Brazil. We don't know yet how good this Dutch team really is as they haven't had to raise their game yet to the higher levels to get this far. Arjen Robben in my book is one the very best around, and he needs to play a big game today if Holland are to progress. Brazil looked highly impressive against Chile in the last round and if they play like that again today then it's very hard to see the Dutch dream surviving. Both teams know that winning today's clash will give them a real chance to making it to Soccer City for the Final, as they will face the winners of tonight's clash between Ghana and Uruguay.

MATCH PREDICTION: BRAZIL 3-1 HOLLAND

Uruguay v Ghana

This is a fascinating one - both impressed in their second round wins over South Korea and the USA, and both will be desperate to get through to the last four where they know anything could happen. I really can see this going either way, but I'm going to predict with my heart and say that the African dream will roll on to Cape Town next Tuesday.

MATCH PREDICTION: URUGUAY 2-3 GHANA

LAST SIXTEEN REVIEW

Brazil stated their claim for a sixth World Cup as they cruised past the fancied Chileans and into the quarter-finals with a 3-0 win.

The Samba Kings put their South American cousins to the sword with three top quality goals while their other near neighbours Argentina also impressed with a 3-1 demolition of Mexico.

Elsewhere England were taken apart, in typically efficient style, by the old enemy and Uruguay sent the South Koreans packing thanks mostly to Luis Suarez, while Ghana kept African dreams alive. Japan departed by the most painful method of all - penalties - while Spain and the Netherlands did just enough to progress.

PERFORMANCE OF THE ROUND
Germany 4 - 1 England

It was billed as the tie of the round and for one set of fans it fulfilled all expectations as Germany destroyed England with a devastating 4-1 victory.

SHOCK OF THE ROUND
Lampard's goal that never was.

Germany started much the brighter and with assistance from a woeful English defence raced into a two goal lead. However after pulling one back through the head of Matthew Upson it appeared the Three Lions had clawed themselves back into the game when a looping effort from Frank Lampard clipped the bar and bounced at least six feet over the goal line before heading back up, hitting the bar and bouncing back down on the line.

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer then showed everyone his uncanny Roy Carroll impression, grabbing the ball and launching it up field, more in hope than expectation, and suddenly the English players, fans and commentators realized the Uruguayan officials had failed to spot a certain goal. Lampard was gutted, Rooney was stunned and England never recovered. For Germany it was some long awaited sweet revenge for '66.

On the line? You cannot be serious!

GOAL OF THE ROUND

"...he's got an angle HEERRRE!"

South Korea had battled their way back into the game after Luis Suarez opportunistic eighth minute opener for Uruguay and were more than deserving of taking the South Americans into extra time.

However it wasn't to be for the Asian side as that man Suarez showed just why he scored 49 goals for Ajax last season. Picking up the ball at the side of the box he uses his quick feet to work a yard of space knocking the ball back towards the edge of the area before wrapping his foot around the ball and curling it a good mile around the despairing 'keeper and in off the post. Glorious.
Uruguay 2-1 South Korea

Simão | MySpace Video

PLAYER OF THE ROUND

Asamoah Gyan, Ghana
Perhaps something of a controversial choice but the Ghanaian's third goal of the tournament against the USA sent the whole of Africa into wild celebrations and his outstanding effort in the lone striker role was essentially what pulled Ghana into the quarter finals.

He ran tirelessly and never shirked a tackle against the big American backline even after getting kicked in the chest. While all and sundry were expecting the Americans to finally break African hearts as the game went into extra time, Gyan continued to chase every ball before finally getting his reward when he latched onto a hopeful long ball and fired past the on-rushing Tim Howard. Great effort, great finish, great performance.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger's showing Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard how to marshal the midfield, David Villa putting Torres in his place after being left in the shade at Euro 2008 and finally the Brazilians, who just make it look oh so easy.

ASIAN TEAMS CAN HOLD THEIR HEADS HIGH

South Korea and Japan may have returned home from South Africa but they can do so with their heads held high after both broke new ground at the World Cup.

Prior to this tournament neither nation had ever reached the second round on foreign soil, and both not only achieved that this time but with a bit of luck could have gone further.

The Koreans lost narrowly to Uruguay after dominating the game for long periods of the second half, and were only undone by one of the goals of the tournament scored by Luis Suarez in the closing minutes of the game.

In a competition which is proving to be highly successful for the South American teams, Japan lost to Paraguay yesterday in the first penalty shootout of this World Cup following a 0-0 stalemate in Pretoria.

Both South Korea and Japan have impressed and it is clear that the gap between the traditional giants of world football and countries like these two Asian nations is narrowing. A growing number of Korean and Japanese players now ply their trade in the European Leagues, which is testament to their improved technical ability compared to ten or fifteen years ago. There is also a team ethic evident in the way their national teams play that was sorely lacking in the supposedly superior French and English sides, both of whom capitulated in dismal fashion in South Africa.

Back in the 1980s Pele predicted that an African team would win the World Cup by the year 2000. A quarter-final appearance by Cameroon in 1990 was the best result from a team from that continent, an achievement that was equalled by Senegal in 2002 and could be bettered this time round by Ghana if they beat Uruguay on Friday.

African football on the whole was on the slide following Cameroon's last eight appearance at Italia 90. I can see no reason why the same should be true of the progress of Asian football. In two or three World Cups we could be looking at the likes of Japan and South Korea setting their sites higher and aspiring to win the World Cup itself. This could coincide with the hosting of the tournament returning to Asia - both Japan and South Korea have submitted bids for the 2022 World Cup.

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS TUESDAY 29 JUNE

PARAGUAY v JAPAN

Two sides that have impressed hugely. The Japanese teamwork against Denmark was simply stunning, and in Keisuke Honda they have an exceptional player. Paraguay have become regular qualifiers for the World Cup and will be looking to reach the quarter-finals for the very first time. It's a fascinating clash.

MATCH PREDICTION: Paraguay 0-1 Japan

SPAIN v PORTUGAL

What a game this could be. Portugal's incredibly mean defence will surely be tested tonight against the European Champions. In Cristiano Ronaldo they have a potential match-winner - and I think he's been playing well at this tournament. Spain are not at their best yet in South Africa, but you get the feeling there's a lot more to come. They last met on the international stage at Euro 2004 in the group stages, where hosts Portugal edged Spain out. Is revenge on the cards? This is tough one to call. I can see another tight affair and a long evening.

MATCH PREDICTION: Spain 2-1 Portugal (after extra-time)

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS MONDAY 28 JUNE

Holland v Slovakia

Slovakia have surprised a few people to have got through their group, especially after going into their last group match against Italy with only one point. The Dutch have been in cruise control so far, but I think they'll have a difficult afternoon.

MATCH PREDICTION: Holland 2-1 Slovakia

Brazil v Chile

Chile had Spain rattled for the first 20 minutes last Friday and will be good enough to give Brazil a tough game. It's difficult to see anything beyond a victory for the Samba Stars though.

MATCH PREDICTION: Brazil 1-0 Chile

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS SUNDAY 27 JUNE

WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS FOR TODAY'S GAMES:

Germany v England

The tie of the Second Round - so much history bound up with this one. One of these two previous winners must bow out in Blomfontein today. Neither had a smooth ride through the group stage, and both have injury problems. Nobody could predict this one with great certainty.

For me now - and from here on in - it's about a feeling in the gut. Something is telling me this may not be a classic, and not quite as close as form and history suggests it should be.

MATCH PREDICTION: Germany 0-2 England

Argentina v Mexico

This is a repeat of the second round clash four years ago which Argentina won 2-1 after extra time. Following the 2006 World Cup in Germany I thought for a long time that Argentina would win this next one in South Africa. My doubts started when Maradona became the coach. I am convinced that this generation of Argentinian players will have their day in the sun and win a World Cup, I'm just not sure it's going to be here in South Africa under 'Diego'.

This is the best Mexico side I can remember. They will get at a suspect Argentinian defence, and there'll be goals in this one.

MATCH PREDICTION: Argentina 2-2 Mexico

Mexico will break Maradona's heart by progressing on penalties.

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS SATURDAY 26 JUNE

URUGUAY v SOUTH KOREA

The opening match of the last 16, and a fascinating one. South American teams were unbeaten in this World Cup up until last night when Chile lost. Japan and South Korea have both made it through to the second round from Asia, and both have impressed. Asian football is certainly on the rise, and it may only be two or three more World Cups until they become serious contenders.

Uruguay can point to history - but it's all a very long time ago for them. Victory today would see them through to the quarter-finals for the first time in 40 years, and back in 1970 they ended up as losing semi-finalists.

I can't imagine that either side will run away with this one. In fact, my gut says this is going all the way.

MATCH PREDICTION: Uruguay 1-1 South Korea (after extra time)

The Koreans will take the lead but get pegged back. And the two-time winners Uruguay will edge through 4-3 on penalties.

USA v GHANA

The only surviving African team in the competition - will that act as a spur or a burden for Ghana? The USA scraped through with a goal at the death against Algeria - could that be a launching pad for a decent run?

I find this a very difficult one to call. Neither side has the best defence so there could be goals.

MATCH PREDICTION: USA 3-2 GHANA

The States to just edge it and head into the quarters.

TIME TO DELIVER

This is it. No second chances anymore. The knock-out stages of the World Cup are here and it's do-or-die time. Over the next eleven days fourteen more nations will fall by the wayside, and two will be left. The road to Johannesburg is not easy. It's time to separate the living from the dead.

If Brazil do not make the Final from the top half of the draw, then we will have a new Finalist outside the big five (Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy and France) for the first time since 1978. With two of those big five already out - the Finalists of four years ago - it looks quite likely that there will be at least one new face present at Soccer City on July 11.

The bottom half of the draw looks like an absolute minefield, with at probably six of the eight times harbouring realistic ambitions of reaching the showpiece Final in 15 days time. The favoured Final of Brazil v Spain is still on, but I remain convinced that will not be it.

Once again, pundits all over the world have been stumped in their predictions of the Group stages, and it seems to me we never learn. Or at least we never remember. Four years is enough time for people to forget the unpredictable nature of how the groups and the knock-out phases unfold. For me, there is no certain outcome of any of the second round matches. Anybody can beat anybody from here on in.

That's why we can all dare to dream.

Every confederation is represented in the second round. Six Europeans. All five South Americans. Two Asians. Two from CONCAF. And one African.

The opportunity is right here, right now. Destiny beckons. This is the moment to seize. This is the chance to reach immortality.

CAPTURING THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD CUP

WAVING FLAG

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS FRIDAY 25 JULY

WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS FOR TODAY'S GAMES:

Portugal 1-1 Brazil

Brazil will want to top Group G and even though they will probably rest some players, there won't be any slip-ups here. A draw will satisfy both teams' requirements, and therefore it's a logical outcome.

North Korea 2-2 Ivory Coast

I always expected the North Koreans to get a point somewhere, and this is their last chance. Apparently their footware was the problem against Portugal, which is a shame because their spirited display against Brazil should be an abiding memory of this World Cup. An entertaining draw to end with here.

Chile 1-1 Spain

Spain are going to have a hell of a scare today but my gut tells me they will sneak through. The other result will go their way and get them off the hook. Group H on this last day has 'squeaky bum time' written all over it.

Switzerland 0-1 Honduras

The Central American outfit are too good to exit this tournament with nothing and will win here, causing the Swiss much anguish at a failed opportunity when they see the result in the other game.

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS THURSDAY 24 JUNE

WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS FOR TODAY'S GAMES:

Slovakia 2-3 Italy

The defending champions are under pressure but will deliver. I sense considerable drama in this one though.

Paraguay 3-0 New Zealand

It's going to be a stroll in the park for the very well-organized and impressive South Americans - a dark horse for the tournament.

Denmark 1-0 Japan

The Danes have never failed at the group stage in three previous World Cup appearances. They will be good enough again to just see off Japan.

Cameroon 2-1 Holland

Cameroon are out but will finish with a win again the Dutch who are already through.