The potential stars of Euro 2000
David Beckham may not be Zinedine Zidane just yet so who will be the continental stars of Euro 2000, the players whose names will become bywords for excitement and artistry? History suggests they may not be those you are expecting.
In 1980, the Belgian toilers typified by Jan Ceulemans almost struck a blow for the artisans before they were ultimately thwarted by the impossibly talented German midfielder Bernd Schuster. With his blond locks flowing, Schuster burned so brightly that particular Italian summer that the rest of his career fizzled out in anti-climax.
Four years later, the French midfield of Platini, Giresse, Tigana and Fernandez confirmed everything we suspected of their collective genius. In Germany in 1988, it was the turn of Holland to throw up the championship's dominant personalities. The dreadlocked captain Ruud Gullit and Marco Van Basten, the goalscoring assassin whose perfectly executed volley in the 2-0 final victory over Russia is, for many, the most beautiful goal in football history.
Host nation Sweden gave us the youthful impudence of Tomas Brolin in 1992, while Denmark, the winners, crowned Peter Schmeichel as the best goalkeeper in the world.
Like the Danes, the Czech Republic were outsiders in Euro96, yet who can forget the impact of Karel Poborsky's audacious chip to beat Portugal? And Patrik Berger, whose mane of hair will again be prominent this summer. The Czechs lost the final to two Oliver Bierhoff goals for Germany. Then the young prince, the AC Milan striker is now regarded by many as the only player capable of inspiring the Germans to success in Holland and Belgium. Allying a tremendous work ethic to intelligence and a physique of such collosal impact that, airborne, Bierhoff is the best header of a ball in the world, his only disadvantage may be that defenders have had four years to work out how to stop him.
The new Di Stefano?
Four years ago, Raul (pictured) had just broken into the Real Madrid side. A teenager
with a golden scoring touch to match his illustrious predecessors in the
all-white strip once graced by Di Stefano and Puskas.
The century of league goals Raul celebrated this season means that he will
carry an additional burden in Euro 2000.
Can the man who inspired the tongue-in-cheek re-naming of Spain's royal team to Raul Madrid lead his country to a prize which has always eluded it? When the pressure has been on in World Cups and European Championships, Spain has always under-performed and players with golden reputations have gone missing.
As proof that Raul is different, witness the two goals which deposed Manchester United as European champions at Old Trafford this spring. The 22-year-old dedicates many of his goals to the man who discovered him - Argentina World Cup winner Jorge Valdano. Others to his beautiful wife Mari Carmen and the baby son Jorge they had earlier this year. The quality that separates Raul from the rest, however, is his ambition. He thinks only of winning, of scoring goals like another Real hero Emilio Butragueno, El Vuitre - the vulture - who is considered the footballing father of Raul and whose Spanish goalscoring record of 26 is already within the youngster's sights.
If Spain have been perennial under-achievers, then so have their Iberian neighbours Portugal. For Raul, read Luis Figo. The captain of Barcelona was a member of the 1991 World Under-21 champions. That side has yet to mature sufficiently to win a major international competition.
If they are to do so in Low Countries, Figo must set the example. He has
discovered a physical commitment since joining Barcelona from Sporting
Lisbon five years ago. In a team whose predilection is counter-attacking,
Figo provides the direct approach. His strength is a technique and a
confidence which makes him a nightmare to defend in one-on-one situations
and a consequent instant target for double-team marking.
The 27-year-old's powers are at their peak and he will be anxious to confirm the widely-held belief in Portugal that he should have finished ahead of Beckham as runner-up to Barca teammate Rivaldo in the FIFA World Player of the Year voting. To do so, he may need to return to the string of Guess clothes shops he owns in Lisbon with a medal as irrefutable proof.
Orange power?
The co-hosts of the 16-team tournament could hardly provide more of a contrast. Who doesn't know everything about the Dutch - the pace of Marc Overmars, the guile of Dennis Bergkamp, the power of Patrick Kluivert, the calmness of the De Boer twins, the industry and sheer will to win of Edgar Davids?
More intrigued eyes will focus on Belgium, whose early exit from the last World Cup and exemption from qualification for this summer's finals mean that they will parade a comparatively unknown team. The goalscoring touch of Bruges midfielder Gert Verhayen should be looked out for, but perhaps the most interesting player in all of the 16 squads will be his workhorse partner in the centre of the pitch, Yves Vanderhaeghe.
The 30-year-old Mouscron player overcame a brush with death in his teens, when a mystery virus left him in a coma and only a five per cent chance of survival. His obituary was even published in one newspaper. Vanderhaeghe, who made his international debut at the age of 29, has become a firm favourite of Belgium coach Robert Waseige. The excitement of such an open tournament as this one is that match-winners permeate the 16 sides.
Alongside Thierry Henry, world champions France also boast the talent of David Trezeguet, the Monaco striker who added a goalscoring edge to his game this season as the side from the Principality romped away with the French title.
Denmark, champions in 1992, will look to the new attacking breed of Ajax's Jesper Gronkjaer and Martin Jorgensen of Schalke 04 to re-establish the heritage of the Laudrup brothers. The other Scandinavians, Sweden and Norway, boast squads so well known to British followers that it is difficult to pinpoint any players who will emerge and surprise us. The exception, possibly, is 22-year-old Swede Daniel Andersson - little brother of defender Patrik - who has drawn comparisons with Bryan Robson and whose club Bari has already rejected covetous approaches from Juventus.
Among the questions to be answered, will Italy coach Dino Zoff trust the
gifts of Roma's Francesco Totti - vision, creativity, dribbling ability -
ahead of the reliability of Stefano Fiore of Udinese?
Turkey will look to the prolific Hakan Sukur in attack and behind him, Buruk Okan, the man once dubbed the 'Turkish Maradona.'
Can 21-year-old Yugoslavia prodigy Dejan Stankovic confirm his country's reputation as the Brazilians of Europe? And what of Slovenia's playmaker Zlatko Zahovic, who scored 10 of his country's 15 goals in the qualifiers and who recently went on strike for two months from his club Olympiakos to protest at what he regarded as a sub-standard Greek League?
Or will, despite the promise of youth, it all come down to the Grand-daddy, and possibly the most naturally gifted player, of them all, Gheorghe Hagi.
At the age of 35 will he prove that what younger Romanian teammates like Adrian Ilie - the inspiration behind much of Valencia's Champions League success this season - can do, he can still do better?