Take the 16 biggest clubs in Europe - say, the clubs that reached the second stage of this season's Champions League - and pit them against the 16 finalists of Euro 2000. Who would win?

Not such a fanciful idea. There are powerful forces in football ranged against each other at present. Club versus country is their battleground.

The root concern is, as ever, money.

Matches generate revenue and the clubs, who play more games, are making more and more of it. (We've had a long, long season of the Champions League; Euro 2000 gets crammed into one hectic month). Clubs don't want that revenue stream threatened or interrupted.

The biggest clubs in Europe are increasingly upset to see their star players (or, as they see them, their most bankable assets) whisked off to play games that earn them no profits or dividends. The best that can happen is that the players return uninjured - and that doesn't always happen.

Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are the two most successful managers in the Premiership. They are passionate in defence of their clubs' interests. And both have spoken out against players disappearing off to take part in meaningless (to the club) matches.

Those two managers have also coached their national teams. Neither would deny that having players with them week-in and week-out means their club sides are far more cohesive and prepared than any national unit.

Dwight Yorke chose to play for Trinidad & Tobago in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the recent World Cup qualifiers, but behind the scenes much diplomacy was required.

Germany struggle to replace Steffen Effenberg in the national team. He long ago chose to retire from the international game to concentrate on playing for his club, Bayern Munich.

Australia's greatest player, Harry Kewell is just one of a number of players who have threatened to do the same.

The biggest clubs can also recruit from a much wider pool of players than even the most fortunate national coach.

Take Juventus. As well as a good handful of Italian internationals, they have Holland's international keeper, defenders who represent Yugoslavia and Croatia, stars of the Dutch, French and Nigerian midfield, strikers from Argentina, Uruguay and Yugoslavia.

Arsenal are below strength when Austria, Brazil, France, Ukraine, Sweden, Croatia, Holland or Nigeria call up their players.

Ever tire of hearing that Manchester United's fortune is built on English players? They have 14 players on their books who represent countries other than England.

And then, of course, there is Chelsea.

By contrast, the countries at Euro 2000 sometimes have to make do with football's cast-offs and also-rans.

Jes Hogh has played so few games at Stamford Bridge he could probably watch a game from the Matthew Harding Stand and no-one would recognise him or bat an eyelid. Yet he is seen as the key defender for Denmark, the country who won the European Championships just eight years ago.

A certain Rajko Tavcar is on the verge of relegation to the German regional leagues with Fortuna Koln. He should make the Slovenia squad for Euro 2000.

Nuno Santos is the third choice keeper for Portugal - but he is also third choice with his club side, Benfica.

And - look at this in reverse - great talents like Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane and Sami Hyypia will be missing from Euro 2000 because their national teams are the equivalent of Watford and Bradford rather than Man Utd and Liverpool.

So in many ways clubs have come to have the upper hand, because of the economic leverage granted them by spiralling TV revenues.

Holland are the hometown favourites to win Euro 2000. Given that the Dutch in turn comprise a good proportion of the Barcelona team that was humbled in the semi's of the Champions League, perhaps the winners of that tournament should be crowned true kings of Europe.

Real Madrid or Valencia will be the club champions of Europe. Would the eventual winners of the Champions League fancy their chances against the winners of Euro 2000?

Now that would be quite a game. If only the warring factions could agree how to split the money.

But if Real win the club competition and England the international tournament, who would Steve McManaman play for?