Euro 2008 kicks off tonight

armradio.am
07.06.2008 13:03

For the 13th time Europe’s finest will battle it out for the right to
lift the competition’s Henri Delaunay trophy.

But it was unlucky for some, with no representatives from Britain
qualifying for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by Switzerland
and Austria.

The Swiss will get the competition off and running when they meet Czech
Republic in the opening game in Basel at 1700 BST on Saturday.

Over the next 23 days the tournament will cram in 31 games at eight
different stadiums across the two countries.

Until 1980 only four teams competed in the European Championship
finals, but since then it has grown into the third largest sporting
event in the world after the World Cup and Olympic Games.

The build-up to the tournament has been relatively low key but Michel
Platini, president of European football’s governing body UEFA, said:
"The party is about to start.
"What is really important is the feeling and emotion of the
supporters."

Euro 2008 has cost nearly £500m to stage but is expected to generate
revenues of over £1bn – 50% more than the previous tournament,
according to UEFA.

The final will take place at the Ernst Happel stadium in the Austrian
capital of Vienna on 29 June.

Greece are the reigning champions after producing one of the biggest
shocks in international football history by winning Euro 2004 in
Portugal.

But the Greeks will be outsiders once again in 2008, despite having the
best qualifying record and retaining a number of key players from four
years ago, as well as their inspirational coach Otto Rehhagel.

World champions Italy are in the so-called ‘group of death’ – along
with France, champions in 2000, the 1988 winners Holland and unfenced
Romania.

Spain, who were winners in 1964, have been heavily tipped to end their
44-year wait for another major tournament victory.

Germany, who are three-time winners of the trophy, are expected to be
one of the teams battling out for the crown once again.

They have not won a game in the tournament since their victory in the
1996 final, but they have been handed a relatively easy draw by being
grouped with Poland, Croatia and Austria.

Croatia are one of the tournament’s dark horses along with Czech
Republic and Russia.

The Armenian Public Television and "Nor Alik" will ensure live
broadcast of all the matches of Euro 2008.